Technology start-up Transcelestial has joined hands with French infrastructure distributor Exclusive Networks to deploy its network into 10 countries in Asia Pacific.
The agreement covers the markets of Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Macau, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Under the partnership, Exclusive Networks will sell Transcelestial's solutions to its customer base of mobile network operators, Internet service providers and enterprises.
Exclusive Networks - which listed on the Euronext Paris in September – has a strong track record in APAC, having made 231.1 million euros ($354.5 million) from the market in the first 9 months of 2021.
The region's revenue made up 13.7% of the group’s total revenue.
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The partnership follows close to a 70% jump in internet demand during the pandemic, says Rohit Jha, CEO and co-founder of Transcelestial.
“[The higher demand} has brought global telecom infrastructure closer to a tipping point and it is no longer sustainable to rely on physical cables for online connectivity,” he explains.
Jha’s comment comes as the pandemic is seen to have caused delays of up to 24 months in the roll out of fiber optic cables across Asia Pacific. Such cables are typically needed in Last Mile Connectivity for 5G and for home and office broadband.
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By contrast, Transcelestial’s technology – which relies on lasers – are able to beam fiber-grade internet without the need for wires between buildings, cell towers or street-level poles.
Jha hopes that Transcelestial’s partnership with Exclusive Networks will help bridge the connectivity divide to weeks, as compared to months or years, if the countries are to use fiber optic cables.
Says Brad Gray, senior vice president for APAC at Exclusive Networks, “we see a distinct and timely opportunity here for first-movers to lead the charge and define the future of connectivity”.
Transcelestial is backed by EDBI, SEEDS Capital, Airbus Ventures and the Singapore government-owned investor Cap Vista.
Its upcoming plans include developing a constellation of small satellites positioned in Low Earth Orbit so their laser network can not only beam across cities but upwards to connect continents across the world too.
Cover image: Transcelestial & Exclusive Networks
