IP Access International
Satellite Communication for Public Safety

Over the last few years, the Atlantic has endured a series of what will be long remembered as some of the busiest and most destructive hurricanes on record. It’s been a series that has taken the lives of thousands, crippled entire infrastructures, and destroyed communications networks–making rescue operations a nearly impossible task for first responders. The series has brought light to how fragile telecommunications systems can be in the wake of serious disasters and how important it is to have proper, reliable, disaster-proof communication facilities and plans to ensure crucial response in such instances.

For the last twenty years, IP Access International has meticulously dedicated their time monitoring disasters – both natural and man-made – and developing products and services that provide resilient and fast satellite communication access to first responders, public safety agencies, and business customers across the nation and around the world.

“IP Access developed solutions that provide first responders access to reliable communications, which can assist them in post-disaster rescue operations and continuity of business,” says Bryan Hill, CEO of IP Access International.

After Hurricane Maria decimated Puerto Rico’s entire communications system, a large airline service used IP Access’ HARRIER Rapid Communications Terminal to restore airport communication which assisted in rescuing people from the storm-affected region. Hill adds, “During crises such as hurricanes–there is a very high likelihood that local communication infrastructure will be disrupted. IP Access solves this with our satellite network and by providing first responders with the most powerful but cost-effective solutions.”

When it comes to enterprises’ ecosystem – where leading organizations have developed their own Emergency Response Teams–IP Access delivers highly mobile satellite technologies to help ERTs respond to disasters and other safety incidents. Simultaneously, IP Access International’s solution suite integrates well with enterprises’ existing infrastructure and serves as an alternative communication channel if their systems is decimated or degraded, thus aiding business continuity.

By enabling the shift of communication systems from proprietary signaling protocols to an IP environment, IP Access brings forth the ability to deliver reliable communications to any location including remote and isolated areas through a standard based transport.

Despite their advantages in the consumer mobility space, LTE services are oftentimes affected by either high traffic or adverse climate conditions. With its core focus on reliability, IP Access put the best of both worlds to use to create a combination of both LTE and satellite, to give unparallel service capability with high availability, regardless the situation. With the IP Access solution, LTE is the primary communication channel, but uses satellite networks to maintain connection without interruption when needed.

Another element of IP Access’ infrastructure is three large teleports, which are geographically dispersed across the country. These earth stations serve as teleport gateways where the signals are received and transmitted. IP Access utilizes multiple satellites that operate with customers’ network in order to ensure constant connectivity. In order to connect to the IP Access network, customers must obtain a clear line of sight. In the case of an obstruction, our user-selectable satellites and ground station redundancy allows users to switch to a new look angle with no reconfiguration of equipment. Identifying customers’ concern over budget, IP Access offers easily customizable solutions, which are always active at reasonable cost. During peak times, IP Access offers additional bandwidth to its customers to accommodate an increase in traffic.

Moving into the future, IP Access aims to enhance the capabilities of its satellite solutions by accessing new constellations of satellites to its portfolio. The company plans to use increasingly powerful satellites to deploy smaller mobile antenna systems that can deliver even greater bandwidth and speed on demand. IP Access also has plans to expand its product suite known as FUSION, offering blended LTE and satellite service in unique form factors. “We are focusing on constant R&D to design an array of user-friendly devices to enterprises and public safety, increasing performance at a lower cost,” concludes Hill.