Airtel and Comtech EF Data Win Award for Best Backhaul Solution in Africa

TEMPE, Ariz. & NAIROBI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), a leading telecommunications services provider with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa, and Comtech EF Data Corporation celebrate the Best Backhaul Solution for Africa at the 5^th annual AfricaCom Awards ceremony in Cape Town, South Africa. The AfricaCom Awards reward excellence in African telecoms, media and ICT. The Best Backhaul Solution for Africa Award recognizes a fiber, satellite or wireless solutions provider that significantly improved backhaul capacity with measurable improvements in quality and reliability of service in Africa.

“Their solution is instrumental in our providing best-in-class mobile services to Africa.”

Comtech EF Data was selected by the panel of judges for its role in supporting Bharti Airtel’s satellite-based network upgrade and service expansion across its operations in 16 African countries, which is one of the largest backhaul upgrade projects for the African continent. In order to enable sustainable and profitable service expansion and subscriber growth to rural areas and remote villages in Africa, Bharti Airtel needed to upgrade its satellite-based network infrastructure. Bharti Airtel selected the Comtech EF Data satellite mobile backhaul solution to transport and optimize voice and data communications and to facilitate significant growth planned for the region.

Comtech EF Data’s award-winning CDM-625 Advanced Satellite Modem with DoubleTalk^® Carrier-in-Carrier^® bandwidth compression and the CX-U Series by its subsidiary, Memotec, were selected by Bharti Airtel. DoubleTalk Carrier-in-Carrier, based on the patented “Adaptive Cancellation” technology, allows transmit and receive carriers of a duplex link to share the same transponder space. DoubleTalk Carrier-in-Carrier is complementary to all advances in modem technology, including advanced forward error correction and modulation techniques. This allows for its successful deployment in bandwidth-limited and power-limited scenarios, as well as reduction in earth station BUC/HPA power requirements.

The Memotec CX-U Series is a dedicated mobile backhaul platform delivering Radio Access Network (RAN) optimization, A/E voice trunk compression and TDM Pseudowire. Bharti Airtel deployed several CX-U models, which are now optimizing the RAN and significantly reducing the amount of backhaul bandwidth required to support mobile services over constrained links. The combination Comtech EF Data and Memotec mobile backhaul solution is deployed globally by the top mobile network operators.

“We are honored to be the recipient of this esteemed award and to receive recognition of our significant contribution to backhaul connectivity in Africa,” commented Daniel Enns, Senior Vice President Marketing and Business Development for Comtech EF Data.

By utilizing Comtech EF Data’s bandwidth optimization technologies, Bharti Airtel reduced overall satellite transponder consumption from 17 to 12, and successfully reduced network OPEX for some satellite links by as much as 50%. Additionally, Bharti Airtel increased coverage in rural areas and was able to offer services to end users with no degradation in quality.

“We congratulate Comtech EF Data on this achievement,” said Eben Albertyn, CTO, Airtel Africa. “Their solution is instrumental in our providing best-in-class mobile services to Africa.”

Comtech EF Data Corporation, a subsidiary of Comtech Telecommunications Corporation (NASDAQ: CMTL), is the recognized global leader in satellite bandwidth efficiency and link optimization. The advanced communication solutions encompass the Advanced VSAT Solutions, Modems, RAN & WAN Optimization, Managed Bandwidth and RF products. The Company is recognized as a technology innovator, and has a reputation for exceptional product quality and reliability. The solutions enable commercial and government users to reduce OPEX/CAPEX and to increase throughput for fixed and mobile/transportable satellite-based applications. For more information, visit www.comtechefdata.com.

Carrier-in-Carrier® is a Registered Trademark of Comtech EF Data.

DoubleTalk® is a Registered Trademark of Raytheon Applied Signal Technology.

Certain information in this press release contains statements that are forward-looking in nature and involve certain significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from such forward-looking information. The Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings identify many such risks and uncertainties. Any forward-looking information in this press release is qualified in its entirety by the risks and uncertainties described in such Securities and Exchange Commission filings.