Latest news with #CapacityMiddleEast
Broadcast Pro
08-05-2025
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
Why Outernet is the infrastructure layer you didn't know you needed
As data sovereignty, infrastructure resilience and trusted communications take centre stage in the Middle East, Rivada Space Networks arrives at CABSAT with a bold proposition: a space-based networking mesh designed to keep critical traffic sovereign and secure. Chief Commercial Officer Ronald van der Breggen speaks about how the companys Outernet architecture fits into the regional landscape, where it differs from consumer LEO constellations, and why it sees itself not as a competitor to terrestrial telcos, but their most resilient ally. You're at CABSAT this year with a big message. Before we get into the technical side, how would you summarise what Rivada Space Networks is doing that's new? he most important thing we're doing is providing governments and enterprises with a truly sovereign alternative to legacy infrastructure — not just more encryption, but a physical network they can control. What we call the Outernet is a mesh of satellites with inter-satellite links and ground stations that gives entities complete command over how and where their data travels. That's become massively important — especially in the Middle East. You're clearly talking about something much deeper than standard LEO broadband. But when you say 'sovereign,' what do you really mean? Today, moving data from point A to B depends on fiber routes, submarine cables and leased capacity – most of which goes through jurisdictions you may not even be aware of. Even with encryption, your data is stored and could be decrypted later. With the Outernet, you're physically routing your traffic through infrastructure nobody else can touch. It's encrypted, of course, but it's also very private at the lowest OSI layer – the physical transport. That's a game-changer. You mentioned uptake in the Middle East. Can you elaborate? Without naming names, we've seen one major regional operator convene the Arab League around this issue — data sovereignty, resilience and regional control. The interest has been huge. Everyone's asking: how can we protect our own data in a world, where surveillance and disruption are becoming normalised? As a result, Rivada Space Networks has also expanded its EMEA team with the appointment of Mustafa Afifi as Sales Director for the region. Afifi will focus on sectors including telcos, regional satellite operators and satellite resellers/integrators, providing the most demanding enterprise and government customers with our highly secure, high-bandwidth, global connectivity network. You were recently at the Capacity Middle East show. What did that reveal about how telcos view your architecture? Telcos aren't our competitors — they're our distribution partners. We see ourselves as complementary. Fiber still carries vastly more capacity than any satellite, and we're not trying to compete with that. But what we offer is survivability. If you route even 1% of your most critical traffic over a parallel network, one with a tiny attack surface and high reliability, that changes everything. So telcos can continue to design their network for massive data and applications, but there's always a critical portion that must stay up. If just 1% of your traffic runs on a superior and more expensive infrastructure, the impact on your bill will be minimal. Even if it costs 100 times more per megabit, your total cost might only rise from $90 to $92 or $95. In return, you're guaranteed that critical connectivity when it matters most. In practice, what kind of performance are we talking about? We can offer 2Gbps of committed information rate with latency and SLA characteristics similar to terrestrial fiber. That's fundamentally different from consumer-grade satellite internet. For governments, financial institutions, energy companies, or media operators, this is not just a backup — it's infrastructure they can rely on. Let's talk about the technology. How does the Outernet architecture work? Think of our satellites as routers in space. Data goes up, travels laterally through the satellite mesh, and comes back down where you need it — without transiting across risky jurisdictions. You can land traffic inside a country, comply with regulations, even put in a red-button fail-safe. And because we're modular, the same setup works across 30+ countries where we've already secured market access. How does your model differ from something like Starlink? Honestly, one of our biggest challenges is that people immediately think 'Starlink' when we say LEO satellite. Starlink is consumer broadband. It's best-effort, last-mile internet. We're not that. We're a premium, committed-rate service for enterprise and government. Starlink's per-satellite capacity is around 13 Mbps up/ down. Ours is 2 Gbps. Different market, different use case. 'We're the infrastructure you use when everything else breaks. If you're a telco, a bank or a government ministry, this is that layer that keeps you running no matter what' – Ronald van der Breggen, Chief Commercial Officer, Rivada Space Networks And yet your satellites are still in space. Is this commercially viable? Absolutely. We're structured as a wholesaler. We don't do field service or installations — that's the role of our resellers, like Wiseband in the region. We currently have over US $16bn in MOUs from validated reseller contracts — line-itemed by sector, geography and price point. That's a huge vote of confidence. So Wiseband is your go-to-market partner in the Middle East? They're one of them — very well connected in the enterprise and government space. We have a few other partnerships in the works, but not all of them are public yet. Watch this space. How do you address regulation within this space? We have a high-priority ITU filing through Germany and are authorised in 30+ countries already. Our regulatory team is proactive and engaged. The flexibility of our architecture means we can meet local requirements — whether that's data localisation, security monitoring, or even regulatory shutdown capability — without building new ground infrastructure. That's a big advantage. You said this is a premium service. Are you in the same pricing war as others in the satellite space? Not at all. We're not racing to the bottom. Our price-per-megabit is higher, but it's also a different conversation. If 1% of your traffic rides on our infrastructure and it costs 10x more, your overall bill goes up from $100 to $110 — but you're always online and always secure. We're the fallback when everything else fails. You don't care if it costs 50 or 60 cents — you need it to work. That leads to very different conversations with customers. It's a strong value proposition for governments and enterprises who want to be in control of their data in a time when everybody seems to be laying their hands on anything and everything. Our story is resonating very well in that new world. Any big misconceptions you want to clear up for CABSAT visitors? The biggest one is thinking we're just another LEO broadband player. We're not. This is terrestrial networking in space. We're here to complement fiber, not replace it. We're the infrastructure you use when everything else breaks. If you're a telco, a bank or a government ministry, this is that layer that keeps you running no matter what. Final word – if you had to describe Rivada Space Networks in one line to an attendee walking past your stand, what would you say? We're the secure, resilient backbone for critical traffic — a space-based layer that guarantees sovereignty and survivability in an unpredictable world.
Zawya
13-02-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Stc Group advances digital infrastructure capabilities with key partnerships at Capacity Middle East 2025
Representatives from stc Group, center3, and Carrier and Wholesale participated in insightful panel discussions, covering subsea infrastructure, data centers, resilient networks and the future of connectivity. Dubai, United Arab Emirates: stc Group, a leading digital enabler, empowered Capacity Middle East 2025, the region's premier event for digital infrastructure, as an event sponsor and digital enabler. The stc Group team signed several strategic partnerships throughout the three-day event – held from 4-6 February in Dubai, UAE – all supporting the future of connectivity and digital infrastructure across Saudi Arabia and beyond. Capacity Middle East is an annual opportunity to expand business partnerships and agreements among industry leaders. This year, stc Group announced major collaborations with several peers, including CEQUENS, Orange, and Telenor IoT. These strategic partnerships aim to optimize business solutions, improve 5G network and data roaming services, and meet the growing demand for international networks to access Saudi Arabia's IoT and digital infrastructure capabilities. stc Group also announced several initiatives at Capacity Middle East focused on digital offerings like Catalogue-to-Catalogue (C2C) solutions for wholesale partners, announcing dynamic bandwidth on-demand services and expanding stc Group's IoT services. Supported by its Carrier & Wholesale unit and center3 subsidiary, stc Group continues to drive the future of connectivity by shaping the region's digital infrastructure. Its participation in key industry discussions and its strategic partnerships are driving regional growth ambitions, reinforcing stc Group's position as a world-class telecom provider and digital expert. stc Group's on-ground showcase, highlighted the latest successful field trial of a 1.6Tbps single-carrier Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) channel, reinforcing the Group's ambition to advance connectivity solutions. Spanning from stc Group's land station to a Jeddah-based data center, the demonstration showcased enhanced network performance and data transmission standards. Mohammed Alabbadi, Group Chief Carrier & Wholesale Officer at stc group said: ' Our annual sponsorship of this event as a Digital Enabler underscores the kingdom's commitment to prioritizing digital infrastructure as a cornerstone of the future digital economy. Our recent partnerships are a testament to our pursuit of innovation and excellence, and we look forward to delivering cutting-edge solutions that drive growth and connectivity for our partners and customers.' About stc Group stc Group is a digital enabler, offering advanced solutions and driving a role in the digitalization process. The group provides a comprehensive suite of services encompassing digital infrastructure, cloud computing, cybersecurity, Internet of Things (IoT), digital payments, digital media, and digital entertainment. The group comprises 13 subsidiaries across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe. To know more about stc group: Click here
