Digicel Suriname reduces opex and provides higher quality service through installation of state-of-the-art MINK-LINK TN in the remote village of Benzdorp
Digicel was the first operator to bring full GSM mobile coverage to Benzdorp, Suriname, a village located in the middle of the rainforest near the border with French Guyana. Benzdorp is a gold mining site with very basic infrastructure and difficult environmental conditions. Satellite transmission has been replaced by Ericsson’s MINI-LINK TN, providing Digicel with both operational expenditure (opex) savings and better quality service.
http://www.ericsson.com/jm/article/2011-04-14-suriname-css-en_732377866_c
2. long distance
connections
Digicel was the first operator to bring full GSM
Making the long hop
Customer Profile
mobile coverage to Benzdorp, Suriname, a
The major challenge was connecting 98.2
village located in the middle of the rainforest
kilometers over dense rainforest, with just one
After nine years of operation, Digicel Group
near the border with French Guyana.
hop, from the existing MINI-LINK TN/Marconi
Limited has 11 million customers across
Benzdorp is a gold mining site with very basic
LH network to the new site in Benzdorp.
its 32 markets in the Caribbean, Central
infrastructure and difficult environmental
Phillip van Dalsen, CEO of Digicel Suriname,
America and the Pacific. The company is
conditions. Satellite transmission has been
explains, “In our case, MINI-LINK TN enables
known for delivering value, service and
replaced by Ericsson’s MINI-LINK TN, providing
best-in-class transmission, allowing Digicel to
network. As a core value, Digicel believes
Digicel with both operational expenditure
enhance smartphone services and improve
in giving back to the community with
(opex) savings and better quality service.
the end-user experience with fewer delays and
involvement in bringing communications
better quality calls. This was not previously
to a number of medical and educational
Satellite swap-out
programs.
In 2007, Ericsson installed an RBS 2116 in
possible with satellite transmission.”
Benzdorp to provide coverage to the site;
says, “We are very proud of this achievement,
as it provides significant opex savings, as
Satellite availability in the region was poor,
well as improves the system availability and
due to adverse climate conditions, while
Digicel Suriname reduces opex
and provides higher quality service
through installation of state-of-theart MINK-LINK TN in the remote
village of Benzdorp.
however, the only possible transmission
method available at that time was satellite.
Website: www.digicelsuriname.com
Shivendra Nautiyal, Digicel Suriname CTO,
quality, which was quite poor with the satellite
power consumption was very high, as
solution. We are proud to have link a of 98.2
the satellite station ran on a diesel-fueled
kilometers in the middle of the Amazon
generator. To address these issues, Digicel and
rainforest — one of the longest MINI-LINK TN
Ericsson jointly designed a new transmission
links in the region.”
solution using MINI-LINK TN.
Smart savings
As Ericsson is the sole supplier of Digicel
Installing MINI-LINK TN means big savings for
Suriname (for both microwave and GSM),
Digicel. Luiz Cabral, Digicel Suriname Account
the company’s MINI-LINK TN was a natural
Manager, explains, “The replacement of the
selection based on its proven performance in
satellite station with MINI-LINK TN will reduce
tough environments.
power consumption by at least 95%.” Digicel
3. MINI-LINK TN
enables best-inclass transmission,
allowing Digicel
to enhance smartphone services
and improve the
end-user experience.”
Phillip van Dalsen,
Chief Executive Officer,
Digicel Suriname