Nera Telecommunications Ltd, a Nera ASA’s associated company in Singapore, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding, a Memorandum of Agreement and a Frame Supply Contract with Isaiah Verse 65 Foundation, Inc in the Philippines for the supply, delivery and implementation of 1,000 Nera WorldCommunicator with Mobile Packet Data Service (MPDS) capabilities, and the Virtual Private Network (VPN) Appliance (the “Equipment”) over a period of eighteen months.
The contract has a value of more than USD5.3 million (approximately NOK 35 million) and was signed on 28 January 2003. In addition, there is a possibility for future order of approximately 2000 units of Nera WorldCommunicator (MPDS version).
The Nera WorldCommunicator, commonly used by broadcast for satellite news gathering and transmitting video images, will be used to transmit data transactions via Inmarsat Global Satellite using the propriety Electronics Business Operating System (EBOS) of I-65 Corporation.
Under the Agreement, NeraTel will provide technical support and training to Isaiah65’s customers and technical personnel. This will facilitate the operation and maintenance of the Equipment that connects Local Area Network (LAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN) of banking and non-banking financial institutions for on-line connectivity and e-commerce.
“We are indeed honoured to have been awarded this contract. This adds another milestone to the NeraTel Group and it expands Nera WorldCommunicator data applications into the banking and financial sector,” said Samuel Ang, President and CEO of NeraTel and Executive Vice President of Nera ASA, Norway.
“It clearly demonstrates that we have a cost effective solution using satellite technology for the global data communications market,” he said.
“The Nera WorldCommunicator with MPDS capabilities was launched in July 2002,” said J. Dante Mara, President and CEO of Isaiah65. “Filipinos take pride in being the first to utilize it with a financial platform efficiently and economically linking our rural and development banks to the mainstream banking network of MegaLink, BancNet and the rest of the world, enabling them to transact banking functions in real time.”
This technology project, when fully implemented, will provide opportunities to the merchants of various trade industries as it will connect 7,100 islands in the Philippines to major centres of trade, commerce and industries. The system provides the electronic link to banks located in rural areas and thus help to expedite data transmissions.
The capabilities of MPDS are important to the project as it offers the required bandwidth for transmitting financial information. MPDS operates on 64kbits/s satellite channels, for both to-mobile and from-mobile directions and offers continuous on-line connections.
Nera Telecommunications Ltd is a public company listed on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Ltd. The company offers a comprehensive range of products and services from satellite communications, microwave transmission networks, wireless broadband access to information technology networking infrastructure and high-value added electronics contract manufacturing.
The Isaiah Verse 65 Foundation, Inc started with its vision to building a Virtual Private Network (VPN), aimed at establishing and securing its critical mass amongst its network membership from the various denominations of faith in the countryside. The VPN network will be used to deliver empowerment lesson modules and network pipeline contents to ensure its relevance of the daily lives of targeted beneficiary groups like the Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) families, families whose economic existence depends on the strength and viability of co-operatives, business structure in the countryside and the public grade school students.
