NIGCOMSAT to Deepen Access, Affordability of Satellite Internet with PortaBilling
NIGERIAN Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) has taken on a new approach in to delivery of satellite connectivity solutions by establishing an eco-system of Virtual Internet Service Providers (VISPs).
They will operate using the digital BSS (Business Support System) PortaBilling, provided by PortaOne, and deliver the service to key markets – such as government, defense, mar
itime, enterprise. rubi
VISPs will rent data channels from the NIGCOMSAT orbiting satellite and then rely on the PortaBilling self-care portal to manage their tariff plans and subscribers.
PortaBilling will carry out all service monetisation, – that is: namely service activation, charging, invoicing and payment collection. So, a VISP does not need to purchase or implement any infrastructure, and the only action required on the VISP side is to install the customers equipment.
Such low entry barrier enables nearly any local company such as system integrator, utility or even a supermarket chain to become an ISP. It will have major effects in several key markets, in particular for Small Office or Home Office (SOHO) these customers will benefit from better satellite connectivity.
Dr. Abimbola Alale, managing director and CEO of NIGCOMSAT, said the robust and flexible solution will address the common challenges that Internet Service Providers in Nigeria face at the moment.
“It will also aid profitability, market readiness and a need for technology, which evolves with the market because PortaOne offers a license, unlimited in terms of number of subscribers or resellers. This helps to maintain a low and predictable TCO (Total Cost of
Ownership),” Alale noted.
She expressed her gratitude to PortaOne team agile development work done on the project to integrate with other elements of the solution such as online payment through REMITA.
Based in Canada, PortaOne is a leading software developer of agile service provisioning and billing systems for modern telecommunication companies – across the globe.
As Andriy Zhylenko, CEO of PortaOne added “Flexible convergent digital BSS is a crucial tool which will enable NIGCOMSAT to succeed via monetization of an innovative service and better customer experience.
He stated that PortaBilling will make internet access in Nigeria more abundant and affordable, by building a vast network of VISPs in the country.
PortaBilling would further enable prepaid Satellite Internet access across Nigeria – by improving revenue collection and reduction of leakage for VISPs and NIGCOMSAT.
“Since the entry is simplified and the operating costs are minimal due to fully automated service provisioning and charging, new Internet Service Providers will be able to appear in regions where they did not exist before. As a result, the overall end-user experience will be improved and there will be healthier competition,” Zhylenko further pointed out.
Kazeem Kolawole Raji, executive director, Technical Services of NIGCOMSAT, said he was deeply impressed with the full open architecture of PortaBilling, which allows enables NIGCOMSAT to seamlessly tie it into various back-office and VAS system.
He admitted that this is A true partnership approach where we are empowered to decide on how and who performs the integration within our system.”
He also highlighted the benefits of the system as it helps to improve customer management, lowers total cost of ownership (TCO) and significantly reduces time-to-market for new services, such as VoIP, data multicasting, Digital Signage, IPTV, IoT, and many more.
To make sure that NIGCOMSATs people learn the ins and outs of the system quickly and can take full advantage of the integration capabilities and API (Application Programming Interface), PortaOne provided on-site training for more than 100 of the company employees.