I just received an interesting email from Segovia about "on demand broadband" (pay as you go broadband). According to the release, you can get up to 18 Mbps of high-speed broadband anywhere in the world. They even promote the fact that you can perform VoIP and videoconferencing on this high speed data connection. My only question about this is the "latency". I thought satellites (due to distance in space) typically have around 300ms of latency, so this might make VoIP and videoconferencing to have too much latency to be practical. I have sent Segovia an email asking them about the latency and will update this blog post when I find out more. I like the idea of "on demand broadband" though. Maybe I can get a free trial account? ; )
Update: (<1 hr later from original post)
Below is the response from Segovia's PR firm which basically states that the VoIP call quality is fine over broadband satellite due to advanced compression. I still wonder about the latency just due to the distance data travelling "to and from" satellites have to travel, so I will have to follow-up with them for a more technical explanation. But for now, check out their response:
"The 15 million calling minutes per month points to Segovia having addressed the latency issue via advanced compression. The soldiers have provided Segovia technicians with much praise since they've opened kiosks in Iraq (late Fall 2004) and that would not be the case if the call quality was poor."
Check out the email & release...
Today, Segovia has announced its on-demand broadband IP via satellite service—the industry’s first “pay as you use” broadband service (press release below).
In brief, Segovia’s Broadband On-Demand IP provides global customers with up to 18 Mbps of secure and cost effective connectivity on an "as needed basis." It enables customers to offer VoIP, video conferencing, and networked computing virtually anywhere in the world without a long-term contract.
The system is based on the battle-tested Segovia network, which currently provides soldiers with 15 million monthly minutes of VoIP calling time and more than $100 million in daily logistics transactions.
Segovia Announces Global Broadband On-Demand IP Satellite Service
First to Provide Broadband IP Satellite Service with “Pay as You Use” Pricing Enables Cost Effective IP Connectivity for Voice and Data—Anywhere, Anytime
HERNDON, Va., May 17, 2005 — Segovia, Inc., a leading provider of secure global voice, data, and video broadband satellite services to the U.S. military, today became the first company to offer global on-demand broadband IP service over its satellite network.
Segovia’s Broadband On-Demand IP provides customers with a secure, reliable broadband connection that can be quickly deployed virtually anywhere in the world. The new service offers unmatched value, ease of use, and performance, with up to 18 Mbps of connectivity from a single, small aperture terminal.
“Segovia’s Broadband On-Demand IP gives customers the ability to extend their voice and data networks to remote locations on a ‘pay as you use basis,’” Segovia Executive Vice President Kirby Farrell. “Broadband On-Demand IP gives customers the flexibility to ‘turn on and turn off’ their broadband IP network on an as needed basis.”
With Segovia’s Broadband On-Demand IP, customers can quickly deploy true broadband IP service, capable of supporting voice over IP services (VoIP) and handling heavy bandwidth applications, such as video conferencing and virtual private network (VPN) connections. Broadband On-Demand IP is also secure with advanced encryption compliance capabilities.
To ensure optimal network performance, customers using the Broadband On-Demand IP service have the end-to-end support of Segovia’s state-of-the-art Network Operations Security Center (NOSC), which continuously monitors and tunes the network.
“On-demand pricing will dramatically change the way that customers use satellite service, giving them all the security, reliability and performance of the Segovia network, with the huge benefit of paying for only the bandwidth that they use,” Farrell said. “While other companies have been talking about this service for years, Segovia is the first to actually deliver on-demand secure broadband connectivity.”
Headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, Segovia is one of the fastest growing information technology companies in the industry and the only company focused exclusively on providing secure global IP satellite service in support of the Department of Defense and Homeland Security requirements.
A leader in managed satellite network services, Segovia specializes in providing secure IP communications to virtually anywhere in the world. The company’s ability to quickly and cost-effectively reach the Middle East, Asia, Europe, the Pacific Rim, Africa, and North and South America with a unified global network makes it the ideal solution for a variety of challenging missions, including netcentric warfare and emergency response.
About Segovia, Inc.
Segovia, Inc. is a leading provider of secure global voice, data, and video broadband satellite services and the first satellite IP service provider to receive the Cisco powered network designation for voice, video and data.
As the first company to build a secure global IP Satellite network, Segovia has become a key strategic supplier of communications to the U. S. Department of Defense (DoD), Civilian agencies, and private sector organizations. A key enabler of network-centric warfare, Segovia guarantees coverage anywhere in the world -- from hard-to-reach locations to mobile environments. Segovia currently serves hundreds of sites and nearly 100,000 users in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, Segovia is one of the fastest growing information technology (IT) companies in the industry. For further information, please visit Segovia at http://www.segoviaip.com.
