Satsig.net web site

Africa satellite service providers

Dish pointing in Southern Africa

Satellite dish pointing in West Africa

Satellite internet: Kenya

iDirect VSAT Sudan

Level 412 satellite communications in Africa

iDirect Africa from Geolink

Constellation Network installers

Afrika Net

IS904 Africa hemi beam C band

VSAT services from Blue Sky Satellite Communications (all Africa)

Blue Sky Satellite Comunication are based in Johannesburg, South Africa, and  provide satellite services in Africa.

Fixed VSAT dish: Broadband internet connection

The capacity you need and the monthly charges will depend on your application. The least expensive will be a VSAT for a single PC user. A kiosk service with WiFi to local mobile phone customers is next with the most expensive being a VSAT used to to provide internet trunking connection for a medium sized town ISP with hundreds of local PCs, VoIP phones and base cell phone sites included.

For home use, small business, internet cafe and kiosk operations iDirect  technology is offered. Tell Blue Sky where you are and how many PCs you want to connect and how many phones, and seek their advice as to the appropriate bit rates and sharing ratios to use.

In the coverage maps to the right are examples of where iDirect service are offered in a high power and high sensitivity Ku band beams.

Several satellites are used, including E70B, ABS3A and NSS12, providing both C band and Ku band services throughout Africa. Contact Bluesky regarding the options at your particular location.

Large business, town ISP or large corporate

For large business or ISP operations dedicated satellite capacity is appropriate and the technology offered for this may be C band to obtain the highest availability service during rain. Dedicated capacity is attractive as any congestion will be under your own control.  Point to point linking is also possible and for this larger dishes are preferred at both ends, such as 2.4m diameter.

Portable and satellite phones / laptop sized satellite internet terminals.

Bluesky also offer portable solutions for land, seas and air operations using the Thuraya, Inmarsat and Iridium satellite networks. These include Hughes, SO-2520, SO-2510, Iridium 9505A and Nera Worldphone.  Laptop sized internet terminals include Explorer 500 BGAN, REGIONAL BGAN, HNS 9201 BGAN and Worldpro 1000 BGAN.

Bluesky have offices in South Africa, Portugal, Cyprus, Beirut, Lebanon.

Contact details:
E-mail: info@blueskysat.com

Web: https://www.blueskysat.com/

Tel: +27 11 432-0075 or Toll free: 0860 18 19 20

ABS-3A satellite beam coverages
ABS-3A satellite beam coverages

C-band circular polarisation feed assembly
C-band circular polarisation feed assembly

C-band VSAT satellite dish in Africa
C-band circular polarisation VSAT dish

Address: Blue Sky Satellite Communications.  67 Steenbok Ave., Bassonia 2190, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Postal Address: Post Net Suite 201, Private Bag X4, Bedfordview 2008, South Africa

Here are some pictures below of their VSAT installations in Africa.

Note the square tube behind the feed horn.  This square tube is the polariser and has two rows of pins inside.  It may be attached at two alternative 90 deg positions (for left hand LHCP or right hand RHCP circular reception)  to the OMT junction which is in the centre of the picture.  The receive LNB, at the bottom, is joined to the OMT via a transmit reject filter.  The C band transmit BUC is on the lower left.  Note that the entire feed assembly does not need to be adjusted in rotation. Its function as either a RHCP or LHCP receive depends on the way you bolt the polariser to the OMT.  If you get no receive signal try undoing the 8 bolts and trying it the other way.

Patriot Ku band satellite dish in Africa
Patriot Ku band dish

Channelmaster Ku band satellite dish in Africa
Channelmaster Ku band VSAT dish

Patriot Ku band dish and ChannelMaster dish.  Note the high elevation angle of the Patriot antenna.  The offset configuration means then when the beam is pointed almost straight up that the surface is still tilted to avoid water accumulating during rainfall.  The strong rim prevents bending with temperature variations or with the weight and distortion is avoided.  This means an accurate surface shape and excellent beam gain and performance.


I have written this page at the request of Blue Sky Satellite Communications.  It is simply for your information and is not a paid-for advertisement.

Page started 28 June 2006, amended 26 Oct 2022.