Swiftsat Broadband Internet in The Democratic Republic of Congo

Swiftsat Ka Band broadband internet launched our services in The Democratic Republic of Congo in early 2013. The establishment in The Democratic Republic of Congo was part of the Middle East based company’s expansion of its operations into East Africa, more particularly the Great Lakes region.

Swiftsat Resellers Advantages

• Free training
• No upfront investment
• No monthly commitment without sales
• 2nd Line support over phone and email
• Availability of equipment in the region

Swiftsat’s internet coverage is available along the Eastern Coast of The Democratic Republic of Congo. With its coverage reliability independent of the infrastructure or fiber connectivity available, makes Swiftsat the ideal choice for remote areas across the country, be it – towns or villages.
Every Swiftsat Standard Kit includes one VSAT Antenna, a Hughes 9200 Modem and the interconnecting cables required. The kits are available at the Swiftsat HQ in Bujumbura. Swiftsat provides special discounts and offers for resellers along with free installation and operation training for resellers as well as entrepreneurs who aim to start businesses such as Internet Service Providers, Internet Cafes etc.
Swiftsat is available in the following towns and cities in DRCongo:
Goma, Bukavu, Uvira, Baraka, Fizi, Kalemie, Kirungu and more.

Swiftsat: Bukavu, South Kivu,
DRC +243 974 654 098 

Swiftsat: Goma, North Kivu, 
DRC +243 974 654 098 

At Swiftsat, we provide Reliable, Superfast Satellite Internet connectivity. As the connection is via focused Ka band spot beams and via satellite, the network is available across the Great Lakes region irrespective of terrain.
Unlike internet via optic fibre, Swiftsat does not require last-mile infrastructure. This significantly cuts costs. The lack of cables or wiring to the client’s location also prevents theft. This also makes Swiftsat the reliable choice for regions with difficult hilly terrain and remote locations.
Swiftsat uses Ka Band technology to deliver focussed internet coverage to a particular destination.
The technology relies primarily on three components - A satellite in geosynchronous orbit, Multiple ground stations known as gateways to relay the signal and a VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) dish antenna with a transceiver that is located at the subscriber’s location.

Fiber optic technologies make use of the latest enhancements in the fiber optics to deliver high speed internet to citizens of the country. It makes use of optical fiber cables to deliver internet access. The key differences of fiber optics with VSAT (Ka band based internet) are:

• Fiber optics requires extensive last mile connectivity features including countrywide optical fiber cabling, which is very difficult to implement in terrains. This dampens in prospective in a primarily hilly country like The Democratic Republic of Congo. However, VSAT (Ka band) based internet serves unified internet access to virtually all parts of the country. It does not have any geographical restriction and can provide internet until Fiber Optic Cables are laid out to the ‘Last Mile’ in The Democratic Republic of Congo’s rural sectors.

ADSL (Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line) is a broadband connection which provides internet connectivity through telephone lines. Unlike dialup, ADSL enables users to use the phone while surfing the internet. It allows fast downloads and uploads of files. However it is much faster than dialup internet. Users of an ADSL connection require an ADSL modem/router to access the internet. The main differences between ADSL and VSAT (Ka Band) are:

• In a city or a rural area, the speed of satellite internet would be the same irrespective of the user’s location, while with DSL internet the speed would be reasonable only if the user is located near the main office of the DSL service provider. The farther users are located from the main office of the DSL service provider the lower the internet speed.
• Satellite internet helps users to stay connected at all times. Satellite internet service provides two way internet accesses, which offers constant internet speeds without fluctuations in bandwidth. Whereas in DSL based internet, the internet speed is not constant. It keeps varying with time.
• Satellite internet does not require huge cabling or telephone connection to access the internet. The speed of the internet is also constant as satellite internet uses two way high speed internet. In DSL internet the internet speed depends on the telephone wires and in case there is some cabling fault then your DSL internet would come to a standstill. The better the quality of your telephone cable the better your internet speed.
• Satellite internet service can be accessed anywhere and at any time. It may be used even in remote places. DSL internet can be accessed where there are telephone lines.
• The downloading speeds of audio and video files are smooth in Satellite Internet while in DSL internet the files take a lot of time to download, depending upon the user’s internet plan.

VSAT technology has already made inroads into the country of The Democratic Republic of Congo. The current technologies being used to provide VSAT internet to the country are mainly based on C Band technology and the more recent KU band technology.
Ku and C bands are also focussed on a larger region thereby diluting the signal’s strength and penetration. Ka Band on the other hand uses highly focussed spot-beams. These are concentrated on a smaller area and have high signal strength for better network penetration, reliability and data transfer speeds.

Swiftsat uses highly focussed, steerable spot beams to facilitate communication between the VSAT dishes on the ground and the satellite. These spot beams overcome the difficulties due to weather and cloud coverage that traditional satellite communications might suffer from.

Mobile Internet makes use of the 3rd Generation mobile phone technology using smart phones to connect to the internet. This is being done through the WCDMA/UMTS/HSPDA protocol. Mobile internet (using 3G/2G) is primarily for individual use. It cannot be implemented for corporate/official use as it depends on the vagaries of a single mobile device. Added to this is the fact that such connections are difficult to share between multiple users. However, satellite internet is ideal for multiple connections in homes or offices. Hence, strictly speaking, they cannot be compared.
The prime differences between this technology and VSAT (Ka band) are:

• Cost per user comes down to a bare minimum when it comes to satellite internet, especially in offices, as a single connection would be shared by multiple users. However, this factor is quite high when it comes to 3G based mobile internet, since a single user has to pay a large amount for an internet connection.
• Even though 3G claims high speeds, in practicality users get access to speeds which are less than 512 Kbps, which are quite variable according to the time of usage and the location of the user. However, Satellite Internet offers constant speeds
• 3G services are unreliable at times, due to the lack of availability of 3G services at all areas. This can be solved by using Satellite internet which offers countrywide coverage using satellite

Swiftsat would directly affect entire communities. Government organizations, public health services, educators, citizens and civic associations, business and the local economy are all potential beneficiaries of a satellite high speed internet network. Community wireless networks can serve as a local broadcaster to web cast town meetings, city council sessions, local speeches, or cultural events. Doctors can use the network to transfer information to patients with limited mobility as well as exchange patient information with other doctors, clinics, pharmacies, and hospitals. Local libraries will rapidly become a hub of free, open access to information. Satellite Internet Communication promises robust job creation as businesses take advantage of lower barriers to market entry and the advantages of highspeed, low-cost communications2. A medium for communication and an available stream of information are two of the most empowering assets that a community can implement.

The Swiftsat project believes the use of computers to communicate and to access stores of information is a viable weapon in the fight to create a reading culture and to surpass conditions of poverty. It also helps impart effective communication skills to gear up workers in The Democratic Republic of Congo to compete at a global level.

Swiftsat brings many benefits to education, primarily through connectivity. By providing access to the Internet communities are exposed to vast collections of information and literature in various languages. And by using the Internet to find information communities begin to realize the immediate economic gains that come from such information. A school student can go online to read the books published by Oxford University, and a farmer can search the Internet for tips on better rural agricultural processes.

Swiftsat also provides free technical training in ISP related disciplines to entrepreneurs from the Great Lakes region. The majority of these entrepreneurs plan to set up their own training centers, Internet cafes and ISP services in their locality. The ultimate aim of the project is to empower development in East Africa by providing the myriad benefits of internet across the region.

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