[SatNews] O3b Networks today confirmed that a raft of clients, including Digicel, PNCC and Palau Telecom, have now successfully gone live on O3b's unique ‘Fiber in the Sky' satellite network.

Connected to the O3b network, these telecom operators are able to provide their customers with high speed broadband service, in some cases for the first time, improving user experience and allowing for more and better services.

O3b has become an affordable, reliable alternative to expensive undersea fiber for island nations in the Pacific. The use of O3b satellites, which are closer to the earth than conventional geostationary satellites, reduces latency, increases data rates and improves voice and video quality for the user.

O3b’s total capacity contracted in the Pacific region is now 5 Gbps. The high throughput, low latency solution has been extremely compelling for region operators trying to meet national broadband plans which are poorly supported by the high latency of GEO or the cost of fiber.  Today, O3b connects as many Pacific islands as fiber and it is anticipated O3b will outstrip fiber for international connectivity to individual countries in the region in 2015. The company’s clients in the Pacific region include: Digicel PNG, Digicel Samoa, Norfolk Island Telecom, PNCC, Palau Telecom, FSMtC Yap, Telecom Cook Islands and Timor Telecom.

Steve Collar, CEO of O3b, said, "We are delighted to be helping so many clients in the region improve their high speed Internet connection in their markets using O3b’s 'fiber in the sky'. Already we are the clear market leader in the Pacific. O3b has made enormous progress in the last year. We are now successfully providing the highest performance satellite connectivity the world has ever seen to some of the most remote parts of the world. As such, we are playing a major role in eroding the long-standing digital divide, successfully providing high performance reliable connectivity in remote areas."