BICS launches satellite back-up service in Africa

BICS has launched RouteFlex, an automated business continuity and optimisation service developed to address the need for enhanced connectivity in Africa. RouteFlex is an IP over Satellite (IPoSAT) back-up service, supported by SDN, and enables operators to handle high volumes of IP data across satellite by applying end-to-end differential treatment to different types of aggregated data flows during peaks or outages.

For example, when primary infrastructure – land or submarine cables – is compromised or faces an outage, BICS's satellite back-up prioritises high-value traffic, increasing bandwidth efficiency by blocking less critical, high bandwidth services such as online gaming and video streaming. In non-critical situations, RouteFlex has the ability to enhance coverage through dynamic switching between fibre and satellite facilities.

Optimisation can also be performed across whole regions, with large operator groups able to move capacity between neighbouring markets. 

RouteFlex follows the launch of BICS's SatFlex and MultiFlex services last year, which use BICS's Europe-based teleport satellite and fibre infrastructure. Capacity is available from both stable and inclined orbit satellites, offering data speeds of hundreds of Mbps in each direction. 

Telecommunication Paper