Satellite Internet in Maldives

Satellite Internet Access Service

The Maldives is an island country located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Sri Lanka and India. It comprises 26 atolls and, as such, it is one of the most geographically dispersed countries in the world. It is also the smallest Asian country in terms of land and population. Of all the 1,200 tiny islands, only 200 are actually inhabited by the local population of around 450,000.

The Maldivian economy is based upon tourism. In the past, fishing was the dominant industry, but tourism came to prominence in the early 1970s and between 1972 and 2000, the amount of tourist resorts grew from 2 to 92. Around 100 of the islands have been transformed into resorts specifically for tourists. The huge growth in tourism has completely turned around the economy of the Maldives as they come to explore this island paradise. Fishing, although second to tourism, is still an important industry to the economy of the Maldives.

Given the islands’ appeal, this has attracted a good amount of foreign investment. Tourism has driven a good deal of investment in telecoms infrastructure. In an age where tourists expect to be connected no matter where they are, to share their experiences with family and friends on social media and to make voice calls from their holiday destination, a robust telecoms infrastructure is essential. Therefore, investment in communications has been made and the network is well developed but centres mainly around the capital, Male and the islands that are tourist resorts. Mobile penetration is high due to a competitive market and there has been a focus on the rollout of 3G and LTE services. Internet services are mainly mobile-based across the islands.The country also has access to international submarine cables as well as inter-island cables too.

Despite the fact that the Maldives is well connected, the Internet penetration rate stands at 72 percent. This could be improved with access to satellite-based networks that can deliver connectivity to the many islands that still require broadband. Though there has been much concentration on the development of infrastructure for the tourist industry, there remain parts of the population that still require connectivity. Deployment of VSAT networks from BusinessCom Networks can connect those regions that as yet do not have any available connectivity. VSAT can provide communities with a cost-effective and highly scalable communications solution that can provide the full spectrum of IP services. This is useful for Internet access, for healthcare, educational and governmental purposes and to make people feel less remote. Our rural mobile network solution can also enable Mobile Network Operators to extend their subscriber base out to more remote islands without having to construct new cell towers.

BusinessCom Networks also can deliver satellite-based solutions to the maritime community. As fishing remains such a key part of the Maldivian economy, stabilised VSAT services offer a great asset to fishing vessels and provide an office at sea.

Satellite has much to offer the Maldives whether it is for resorts, for tourists, connecting more people with mobile services, taking communications infrastructure to remote communities or even connecting fishing boats. BusinessCom Networks can assist at all steps of the communications journey including the design, installation and operation of the network and, because we strive to make communications more affordable, we will make sure that your tailored network suits your needs and your budget.