THURAYA Proprietary Information 1
Universal Access
ITU/BDT Arab Regional Workshop on
“Visibility of Rural Connectivity”
Khartoum - Sudan, 5-7 September 2004
Mohamed Al HosaniRegulatory Officer
THURAYA Proprietary Information 2
Presentation Covers1. Vision2. System Architecture3. Thuraya Coverage4. Economic impact of ICT Development5. Thuraya’s Role as a provider of Universal Access6. Universal Access7. Universal Access through Satellite Technology & Issue of
Affordability8. Thuraya’s Solution for Affordable Telecommunication Service9. Subsidization of Telecom Service for provision of Universal Service10. Technical & Commercial Challenges11. Other Customized Innovative Solutions for Fixed Applications
THURAYA Proprietary Information 3
Our vision is to provide affordable state-of-the-art Telecommunications services in a broad range of solutions, with specific attention to voice and data. Our target customers are all those in need of basic and advanced telecommunications services in territories of our operation, being land, sea and sky.
Our Vision….
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System Architecture
Primary Gateway
USER SEGMENT
Vehicular &Fleet Management
MaritimePayphone FDUHandheld
Terrestrial Network
Space Segment
Ground Segment
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Thuraya Coverage Area
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Economic Impact of ICT Development
The presence of telecom infrastructure has a positive and catalytic impact on economic growth and the development of a particular area and region;
The development of Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure has the capacity to drive up business opportunities.
The communication systems can be used as a tool for eliminating: Illiteracy (through tele-education); Increasing medicare (through tele-medicine); and Increasing business opportunities for a agriculture based
rural economies.
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Thuraya’s Role as a provider of Universal Access Thuraya is more focused on a regional market that lacks basic
telecom infrastructure as against global market.
A vast majority of countries within the Thuraya coverage area are either developing countries or Least Developing Countries (as defined by the ITU). More importantly 90% of the Least Developing Countries are under Thuraya coverage area.
Thuraya provides customized and innovative solutions for different market segments e.g. fixed application, payphones, PCO’s, maritime applications, etc that could be used to provide telecommunications access to all cross sections of the society in any country that is within Thuraya satellite coverage area.
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Universal AccessUniversal Access is also defined as provision of access to telecommunication services irrespective of the topography and population density of the area, some of the important factors that determines the viability of the telecommunications access system. The specific goal of Universal Access is: To provide telecommunication access to a particular portion of the population; To achieve certain levels of telecommunication penetration; or To ensure that specific services are provided to a particular group.
Thuraya is an important tool to provide Universal Access to Rural & Remote areas that are defined by their low income, sparse population and difficult terrain;
Introduction and establishment of tele-centers at such rural and remote localities provides an essential means of communication as well as improves the quality of life of the inhabitants of the area served by such tele-centers;
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Universal Access through Satellite Technology & Issue of Affordability Affordability is the most important question regarding the use of
satellite technology in providing Universal Access.
The people most in need to get connected can’t afford the telecommunication services provided by the satellite technology;
A concerted effort is required from all the interested parties and players i.e., the public sector as well as the private sector;
Thuraya on its part is making efforts to launch projects especially in the developing countries that are innovative as well as affordable; and
Thuraya offers low subscriber tariff in view of economic situation and affordability of the target market most of which resides in the developing countries within its coverage area.
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Thuraya’s Solution for Affordable Telecommunication Service In order to provide affordable rural telecommunications service in a country, the following entities are requested to reduce / review their respective part of the tariff that will affect the end customer.
ThurayaNational PSTN network operatorLocal service provider/distributorGovernment and National Regulatory authority (to reduce or completely eliminate license, revenue sharing fees, and taxation).
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Thuraya is willing to reduce its charges for payphones deployed for the provision of Universal Access through the following:
• Reducing satellite network charge for national traffic generated
from such payphones; and • Optimizing other call routing charges through adopting more
economical ways to exchange national traffic between payphones and the national PSTN.
The national PSTN operator is requested to facilitate the
provision of affordable telecom services through the following: • Provide lower termination fees for such service. • Encourage calls from PSTN to the country’s payphones by
reducing calling rates to payphones in the same country.
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Governments and the National Regulatory authorities are requested to facilitate the provision of affordable Universal Access through the following:
Provide support to encourage national PSTN to offer the desired termination fee for such calls as part of its Universal Service Obligations;
Waive any applicable license fee / revenue sharing fees and any other taxation / charges on such services;
Waive taxation on payphone/public call office services;
Waive customs duties on terminal equipment (Thuraya payphone / public call office); and
Regulators should play a role to achieve lower termination fees for such services.
Thuraya believes that through cooperation of all involved parties, the national / local calling rate of US$/Minute 0.40 – 0.50 could be achieved as a first step.
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Subsidization of Telecom Service for provision of Universal Service
In order to further reduce the tariff for such telecom service, it is recommended to subsidize this tariff from Special Funds that have been established by a large number of National Governments and the National Regulatory Agencies for the provision of Universal Service to make the use of such telecom services affordable. The Special Funds for the Universal Service could be provided by:
• The operators / service providers (PSTN, Cellular and other) to pay 1- 2% of annual revenue;• Government budget allocations / subsidies; and• Financing by international and local development bank / agency.The main reason is to further reduce the national call charges to the end customer in order to make it affordable and accessible to a wider segment of rural communities.
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Technical & Commercial Challenges The following are the technical challenges that are involved in provision
of Universal Access:
Reaching scattered populations and remote villages is overcome by the satellite technology;
Quick and easy deployment is key to linking the underserved.
The commercial challenges are as follows:
Reasonable terminal equipment costs;
Affordable Tariff (National and International Calls).
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Other Customized Innovative Solutions for Fixed Applications
RJ11 Cable
RJ45 Cable
Power Supply
THURAYA Black Box
GPS AntennaSAT AntennaPower Supply
Printer
Extension telephone
PCO Architecture
Black Box
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Payphone Architecture
Power Source or Solar Panel
GPSAntenna
SATAntenna
Secured Interaction
Integrated inside thepayphone
Black Box
Outdoor Payphone
OR
Indoor Payphone
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Thank You
WE GO FURTHER…. YOU STAY CLOSER.