High-flying data

A next generation satellite network system introduced last week will let service providers offer Internet access from the sky. Scientific-Atlanta used Asia Telecom 97 to unveil the Skylinx Series 8000, which already is being used by two service providers in Africa.

"We found the flexibility of the Skylinx product meets all of our needs for traditional telephony, and the new Series 8000 platform will support our future growth for advanced services such as ISDN," said a spokesman for Siemens Atea.

Transtel, the telecommunications group of Transnet that controls virtually all of South Africa's transportation systems, also has bought the 8000 system. Transnet uses the satellite system to track its railroad cars and has set up a telemedicine system on one train to provide health care to rural areas.

The 8000 platform offers better data than the 7000, and video applications, increased on-board memory and advanced digital signaling, said Scott Fogle, vice president of marketing for Scientific-Atlanta's Satellite Networks Division.

The new platform also includes a single, four-channel chassis that cuts logistics costs, lowers power consumption and takes up less space. It also supports a wireless local loop product solution designed for rural telephony service that Scientific-Atlanta jointly markets with Celcore Inc.

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