Gilat Satellite Networks has announced it has been selected by a consortium of leading Mexican technology firms to provide a network of nearly 7,000 SkyEdge VSATs for use in more than 16,000 Mexican public-school classrooms. The deployment of the network hub and terminals has just begun.
Gilat has combined its equipment and technical support services to provide a satellite solution to monitor the operation and usage of the Mexican Ministry of Education's (SEP) Enciclomedia program, and also provide broadband Internet access. The Mexican government considers Enciclomedia to be an important education project and expects it to eventually reach more than 140,000 classrooms.
Gilat's integral satellite monitoring solution was selected by a consortium of firms including Accesorios y Suministros Informaticos, S.A. de C.V. (ASISA) and Alef Soluciones Integrales, S.A. de C.V. (Alef) – two of Mexico's leading information technology integrators – and Corporativo Lanix, S.A. de C.V. (Lanix), Mexico's largest computer manufacturer.
In addition to nearly 7,000 VSAT terminals, Gilat is providing more than 16,000 classroom monitoring systems, a solution which has been developed by the company specifically for this application.
Benjamin Aguilar, General Manager of Corporativo Lanix, said, "The integration of Gilat's flexible SkyEdge VSAT platform into a full wireless monitoring solution ensures we will achieve fast deployment and 100 percent coverage. It also provides additional, critical applications such as broadband Internet access and VoIP services. These attributes, combined with their industry-leading technology and extensive experience in the Mexican market, led us to select Gilat for this project."
Enciclomedia is a computer-based program that integrates federal education resources such as textbooks, digital content and virtual activities to enrich the student's classroom experience, encourage student participation and enhance learning outcomes. The program also includes a portal to assist teachers with their daily activities.
"Our experience working with governments worldwide to improve their public communications infrastructure and educational services has been invaluable in our support of the SEP program. We are providing a total solution that includes very advanced satellite, wireless and monitoring devices with local technical and implementation support," said Erez Antebi, CEO for Gilat Network Systems (GNS).
Antebi added, "Our end-to-end monitoring system will quickly detect operational problems and compile statistics on utilization of the Enciclomedia program – transmitting all of that information to the integrator's help desk. These tools will help the integrators reduce downtime and provide optimal program performance on a daily basis. It is gratifying to know our network will have a positive impact on the lives of Mexican schoolchildren. We appreciate the opportunity to contribute to education excellence in Mexico and worldwide."
The SkyEdge platform is available in various configurations to support a wide range of networks, from small networks of fewer than 100 sites to large networks comprising tens of thousands of sites. SkyEdge efficiently supports periodic transmission, such as that required by the monitoring needs of the SEP project, broadband Internet connectivity and video services if required in the future.
