Nextream Phils. taps Telenor to enhance rural broadband lines
Wed May 24, 2006
To further improve its broadband over power lines (BPL) systems to wire the countryside to the world, Nextream Philippines has entered into a joint venture agreement with Telenor Satellite Services to enhance an integrated system that is capable of reaching transmission speeds of up to 200 Mbps over Low and Medium Voltage power lines providing high end technologies such as Voice over IP, Video Streaming similar to Cable TV, and Internet Gateway using the BPL and wireless networking system.
The formal tie-up was sealed the other day at the Makati Shangri La by Nextream Philippines President Ty Javellana who formally signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with Telenor Satellite Services represented by its Asia-Pacific Regional Sales Manager Rodolfo Ramirez, Jr.
Nextream is a fast rising technology firm based in Hallandale, Florida whose president and chief executive officer is a Filipino-American from the eminent Javellana clan in Iloilo, Philippines.
On the other hand, Telenor is one of the world’s leading telecommunication firms based in Norway operating for over 30 years of global mobile satellite communications. It is also the largest network of globally positioned teleports with access to multiple satellite networks employing over 20,000 personnel worldwide.
Under the agreement, Telenor shall serve as the main satellite provider for Nextream which recently signed up joint venture and memorandum agreements with 15 electric cooperatives in the three major islands of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao which over two million consumer base – to promote its BPL system in the rural areas thereby making Internet connectivity faster, easier and better quality. Among the satellite systems used by Telenor include: Inmarsat, Intelsat, Iridium, New Skies, Satmex, Spacecom, Thuraya and several Telenor-owned satellites.
"I am happy to announce that Nextream finally found a partner that would help and support us in our vision to revolutionize the Philippine rural areas through massive education and greater access by ‘wiring them to world through the BPL system," Javellana said.
For his part, Ramirez said Telenor has found a great partner in Nextream which has practically reenergized several electric cooperatives all over the Philippines to make us of their available assets, the electric power lines, to add three other important services in the world such as internet connectivity, telephone and video streaming. He added that integrating Nextream and Telenor technologies will provide wide-range of market reaching even the farthest and most remote places in the Philippines.
Supporting Javellana’s business venture is former National Electrification Administration (NEA) Administrator Pedro Dumol, who serves as Nextream chairman. Dumol is considered as the father of rural electrification in the Philippines. He was largely credited for energizing 90 percent of the rural barrios backed up by the formation of 120 electric cooperatives nationwide. Aside from Dumol, other government officials who expressed their support for Nextream’s BPL system include Presidential Adviser on Rural Electrification Fr. Larry Silva, National Electrification Administration (NEA) administrator Edita Bueno and Cebu Rep. Simeon Kintanar who also serves as house committee chairman on information and education.
Ronald Fesalbon, Nextream technical operations officer, disclosed that the BPL system is the first experience in Asia with the exception of Australia which has gone ahead with its BPL system.
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BROADBAND over POWER LINES: new 200 Mbps Technology !!!: Philippines: ELECTRIC CO-OPERATIVES are getting serious on rolling out 200 Mbps BROADBAND over Power Lines technology Nationwide !!!
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3 Turkish scholars study pioneering telecom project in Bataan
ReplyDeleteBy Michelle Cabrera
Monday, May 29, 2006
BALANGA CITY—Three Turkish scholars from a leading university in Turkey visited the historic Bataan Peninsula to study the propagation of “Broadband-Over-Power-Lines” system which utilizes the electric lines as a means of delivering Internet, telephone and on-demand cable TV to households in the countryside.
The BPL system is now being jointly pilot-tested by the Peninsula Electric Cooperative and Nextream Broadband Philippines to make Balanga as the first fully ‘wired city’ in the Philippines.” On record, Penelco is the first in the country to register 100 percent electrification.
Here over the weekend including a visit to the Corregidor Island, the last bastion of defense for the joint American and Filipino soldiers before the April 9, 1942 Fall of Bataan with the surrender of US General Wainwright to the Japanese forces, were three top academicians from Bahcesehir University namely: Cinar Deniz Kurra, technology development group director; Ziya Alpay, board of trustees coordinator and Neslihan Alpay, director of academic planning. They were accompanied by Nextream officials led by Gen.(ret.) Pedro G. Dumol, considered as the father of rural electrification; Nextream president and chief executive officer Ty Javellana and Ronald Fesalbon, chief technology officer; Penelco general manager Loreto Marcelino and Telenor Satellite Asia, Australia Pacific regional sales manager Rodolfo Ramirez Jr.
Last week, Nextream Philippines signed an agreement with Telenor Satellite Services that will greatly enhance an integrated system that is capable of reaching transmission speeds of up to 200 Mbps over low and medium voltage power lines providing high- end technologies such as Voice over IP, Video Streaming similar to Cable TV, and Internet Gateway using the BPL and wireless networking system
According to Ziya Alpay, the Bahcesehir University was founded in 1998 which offers 18 academic departments including courses in computer engineering, electrical and electronics engineering, industrial, mechatronics and software engineering.
“We are impressed with the pioneering effort of Nextream and the Penelco to make the broadband over power lines (BPL) system work in the rural areas. We are grateful to Nextream CEO Javellana for inviting us here to the Philippines after the visit of my colleague Cinar Deniz Kura to Hallandale, Florida last March initially discussing about the BPL technology,” said Ziya Alpay in an interview.
For her part, Neslihan Alpay expressed optimism that the BPL system will be effective in the rural education program of the Turkish government particularly the country’s eastern portion where poverty incidence is also high.
“After seeing the powerpoint presentation and on-line demonstration of Mr. Ronald Fesalbon on the BPL system, I am confident that this will also work in our country,” Cinar Kurra said.
Informed that Nextream is also involved in empowering the public schools through the initial donation of 10 flat screen monitors to the Balanga National High School last February with Penelco providing free Internet access to 5,637 high school students, the three Turkish scholars lauded the noble project with the commitment to recommend computer donations to be undertaken by the Ugur group of institutions that include the Bahcesehir University as well as the Ugur Publishing, Ugur Career Service, Ugur Education (Washington D.C.), Ugur Education (China), Ugur Preparatory Center, Ugur Preparatory Courses and the Bahcesehir K-12 School.
The Balanga National High School is the first beneficiary public school among the 12 towns and 237 barangays in the whole Bataan province that will be provided by Nextream with 10 computer sets per town and one computer set in every barangay.
One of the highlights of the Bataan visit was a surprise advance birthday party for General Dumol who is turning 80 years this June 6. After energizing 80 percent of the Philippine rural areas for 16 years, the octogenarian, who now serves as Nextream chairman, is leading the charge in “enlightening the minds of the people through ready and affordable access to information technology. He predicted that more than the impact of rural electrification in the countryside, this new wave will have a much bigger and much larger impact to our people.
So far, Nextream has signed formal joint-venture agreements with the seven electric cooperatives and eight memorandum of agreements with other ECs in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
Manila Standard Today Online