ESA celebrates completion of neXat’s award-winning virtual platform for satellite connectivity
A Belgian company specialising in cloud-based solutions for the telecommunications industry – neXat – has recently presented its newly developed product, neXat Satellite Services Aggregation Platform (neXat SAP) for the management of satellite connectivity. Featuring the capabilities of operations support system (OSS), business support system (BSS) as well as a virtual teleport functionality, the product has earned awards and recognition for offering an end-to-end managed service as the first and only satellite specific, cloud-based platform of its kind on the market.
The neXat SAP project research and development was funded jointly from ESA's Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) Core Competitiveness programme, with the support of the Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO). Shortly after completion, the platform has won the award for the technology of the year from the World Teleport Association - a world-leading trade association in the business of satellite communications – followed by the SatellitePro Manufacturer Awards' Best Next Gen Satellite Application.
neXat’s solution for a virtualised platform as a service (PaaS) aggregates satellite teleports’ infrastructure and satellite operator’s bandwidth across multiple orbits from geostationary orbit (GEO) to medium and low Earth orbits (MEO and LEO). Clients of the platform can manage and monitor multiple bandwidth resources as a Virtual Network Operator (VNO). The solution further improves the efficiency of traffic shaping, and optimises available bandwidth resources while leveraging on existing infrastructure.
The demand for seamless integration of virtual teleport technologies is already there with potential customers having already requested the opportunity to purchase neXat’s virtual teleport services.
“We are proud to have contributed to the development of the virtual teleport functionality of this new neXat product. Streamlining and optimising connectivity across different elements of satellite network infrastructure is one of the best ways to provide cost-effective connectivity solutions for people and businesses. By developing this technology with neXat, we ensure that Europe is where new, innovative solutions for space telecommunications are born, providing a net benefit for each and every Member State,” said Marc Welter, the Technical Officer handling the cooperation with neXat from ESA’s Connectivity and Secure Communications.
“We are redefining the way the satellite communications industry manages complex satellite-based networks through the advanced and unique capabilities of our platform. This is a platform made for the satellite industry by satellite experts, and we’re incredibly happy for our work and innovation to be recognised by our peers,” said neXat Chief Commercial Officer Michel Dothey.