The World Teleport Association (WTA) has published their Understanding and Improving the ROI of VSAT Networks, a new research report.
VSAT is a fundamental technology for teleport operators serving data and voice customers. Beyond serving as basic hubs for VSAT networks, teleports provide complex managed services on VSAT platforms and integrate them with fiber, wireless and other transmission paths. A teleport may manage dozens or hundreds of individual networks, each comprising anywhere from 20 to 2,000 nodes with its own specific configuration, bandwidth requirements and mission-criticality.
Success in this demanding business requires economies of scale: the ability to design, install, operate and maintain networks with the most efficient and cost-effective mix of personnel, equipment and bandwidth. Savings in any of those areas produce a better return on investment for the operator and, if properly implemented, a more efficient and higher quality operation for customers.
When asked about VSAT network costs, most operators immediately think of satellite bandwidth. This can certainly be optimized through better technology, and multiple technology vendors regularly release new advances. The capex costs at the hub and remotes are also easy to calculate. However, the running costs of a network include everything from field installers and satphone costs to travel and hub support staff and are frequently left out of ROI calculations.
In Understanding and Improving the ROI of VSAT Networks, WTA shares the insights and experiences of teleport operators and technology vendors in achieving greater efficiencies and reduced costs, both capex and opex. It also seeks to improve profitability for VSAT network operators by generating a more robust and comprehensive cost model for network installation, including the often-hidden costs that can be reduced through careful planning and process management.
