"Bhutan's geographical terrain is extremely rugged and it is difficult to provide a terrestrial telecommunications system, so it was decided that the INTELSAT's satellite-based, thin-route DAMA system would be adopted as an alternative routing system and for rural services," said Sangy Tensing, director, Ministry of Communications, Bhutan.

"In addition, this system will be used to route to a number of other countries in INTELSATs Indian Ocean region through TES Quantum and other HNS VSATs. HNS is reputed manufacturer of satellite equipment and a leader in VSAT technology and so the Royal Court decided to purchase VSAT equipment from HNS. The Division of Communications is confident that this service will enable us to provide quality services to even the most remote of Bhutan's rural communities such as Sakten and Lingshi."

HNS will install the gateway operations in Thimphu and two other initial sites. HNS will train local technicians to install the remaining sites across Bhutan. The network will provide telephony and fax connectivity for digital and analog switches and handsets.

Compact and cost-effective, the terminal equipment is modular and can be sized to meet the customer's current traffic requirements. As it can be increased in single channel increments, TES Quantum ensures that expansion can be accommodated in a cost-effective, integrated manner.

"TES Quantum will provide Bhutan with a reliable and flexible telecommunications system that offers the nation an affordable way to extend voice, fax, and data services anywhere in the country, whatever the terrain," said Vinod Shukla, vice president and general manager, Satellite Network Division, HNS.

Bhutan will operate its TES Quantum network through INTELSAT's "Thin- Route-on-Demand" service, a demand assigned multiple access (DAMA) network. Thin-Route-on-Demand is a usage-based, digital satellite solution for PSTN traffic that provides instant dial-up connectivity at a minimal cost.

Functioning as a virtual switch in the sky and operated from a central network management control center (NMCC), the on-demand network allocates resources from a common pool of available channels. The service is charged on a per- minute basis for the duration of the answered call. Once the call is terminated, the channels return to the common pool for reassignment.

In addition, because this pool of channels has many members operating in different time zones, the "DAMA advantage" helps PSTNs address on- and off- peak differential, high congestion, and call blocking. It ensures that all regions of the world are covered and connected whatever their current infrastructure or geographical challenges.

More than 30 countries are using this new service on satellites operated by INTELSAT in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Ocean. INTELSAT, a global provider of voice, fax, data, and video services via satellite, provides space segment and network management for this service while HNS, the world's leading provider of very small satellite terminals (VSAT), provides the TES Quantum SCPC DAMA terminals.