Satellite hardware and installations specialist, the JSE-listed Ellies Holdings, has launched a new subsidiary, Ellies Connect, to provide consumers with hardware and a “triple play” offering of telephony, broadband and television in one package.
Ellies has partnered with satellite broadband company SkyeVine, Internet service provider iBurst and soon-to-be-launched free-to-air satellite company Platco Digital.
Ellies is one of the main investors in SkyeVine and will use its network and iBurst’s terrestrial wireless infrastructure to offer consumers alternative connectivity to 3G connections and broadband digital subscriber lines.
According to Ellies, SkyeVine — which was launched last year — offers downloads speeds of around 10Mbit/s and isn’t dependent on fixed infrastructure, making it well suited to people in outlying areas and for redundancy in urban centres.
Ellies Connect’s partnership with SkyeVine will allow users in areas with poor existing infrastructure to enjoy a “fast, reliable connectivity service, no matter where they are based”, it says.
The addition of iBurst’s services means Ellies Connect users will also be able to make and receive voice calls from a computer or dedicated voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) handsets and will also allow them to send and receive SMS messages and faxes using a computer.
Ellies Connect will offer a range of packages aimed at consumers and business users that include hardware installation and data services.
The company also plans to offer entertainment services on Platco’s free-to-air satellite platform, OpenView HD, which will be launched in October.
OpenView HD will offer consumers a selection of standard- and high-definition channels at no charge beyond the cost of the equipment required to receive broadcasts. Ellies is one of the companies that will be conducting installations for OpenView HD. — (c) 2013 NewsCentral Media
