Communications Africa spoke to Hamad Al Mannai, vice-president-commercial, Es’hailSat, on the company’s activities in MENA region
Communications Africa (CAF): Can you tell us about Es’hailSat’s unique portfolio?
Hamad Al Mannai (HM): We provide a wide range of services such as DTH, video contribution, backhauling, VSAT hub service, SCPC service, data centre, hosting services, mobility services, among others. Es’hailSat satellites offer cost effective, reliable, instantaneous and multi-point connectivity.
DTH has been the core business for Es’hailSat and will be for the foreseeable future. For businesses, we provide the best way to connect, collaborate and share critical information with remote offices. Corporates use our satellites for fast and reliable connection through a private network to monitor assets and share important information. Backhauling telecommunication services connect mobile base stations bringing bandwidth to remote areas reliably.
CAF: What are the challenges being faced by satellite industry in the MENA region, especially during the pandemic era and how are your products helping to address them?
HM: The impact of Covid-19 pandemic for businesses was felt across all industries in the region. Challenge for the satellite industry in this period was to re-evaluate their strategy and focus on the sectors that needed satellite capacity.
With a vast majority of people doing business or interacting online, the demand for broadband increased, which increased the demand for satellite capacity for broadband and cellular backhaul. Our products and services are helping keep people in the region connected, like students with their teachers, employees with their employers, businesses with their customers, and people updated with news and staying connected socially.
CAF: Are there any current or recent projects/contracts/news updates Es’hailSat is working on, which you would like to highlight?
HM: Our aim is to be a global satellite operator providing world class services to strategic stakeholders and customers, who value broadcast independence, high quality of service and wide geographical coverage.
We have rolled out VSAT and mobility services where satellites remain the primary solution for connectivity. We aim to roll out new services over the next year, such as integrating playout solutions along with an OTT service to provide customers with flexible solution and widening their reach.
CAF: Please tell us about your strategies that have improved the brand identity in the region?
HM: In line with our mission to provide world class service, we are committed to the future of our business and industry, we invested in people and processes, and are constantly improving our service offerings while maintaining industry leading standards in everything we do. This high quality of service has been our mainstay in supporting broadcasters with reliable services and innovative solutions, supporting telecommunications companies with sustainable solutions and our dedication to enhancing security and independence to government entities and enterprises.
CAF: What importance do you attach to services and support?
HM: As a satellite operator, Es’hailSat started operating in 2013 with raw satellite capacity lease to broadcasters. We have since enhanced our broadcast service offerings to provide value added and end to end services such as playout, encryption, encoding, multiplexing, transmission, contribution, among others.
In addition, we provide a wide range of services in the telecommunications, mobility and VSAT segments. Leveraging on our teleport, we provide customised solutions for voice, data and internet services and for video and data backhaul. We place very high importance in providing capacity and customised managed services to customer, with flexibility, speed and high quality of service.
