01 August 2025
Gijima has teamed up with satellite engineering firm Q-KON, with over 30 years of experience across Africa, to successfully develop and trial a Voice over Satellite (VoS) solution tailored for the country’s challenging mining environments.
The innovative Twoobii-LEO system, powered by Eutelsat OneWeb, has demonstrated exceptional performance during field tests, delivering reliable and continuous communication in remote and hostile mine locations.
Effective voice communication is vital for safe and efficient mining operations, enabling coordination of activities and safeguarding workers. Traditional on-site voice systems, although designed for resilience, are vulnerable to physical damage, often leading to communication disruptions that can halt operations and escalate safety risks. Recognising these challenges, Gijima and Q-KON collaborated on a proof-of-concept site to create a dependable communication link that maintains high-quality voice connectivity despite infrastructure failures.
The Twoobii-LEO satellite service offers a stable platform capable of providing uninterrupted voice services, even during outages. The system leverages low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite technology via Eutelsat OneWeb, which delivers low latency, minimal jitter, and reliable throughput—key requirements for critical voice applications. The solution utilises PABX systems configured with alternative SIP routes, allowing calls to bypass disruptions without relying solely on traditional internet infrastructure. Field trials confirmed that even double-hop LEO links maintain excellent call quality, a crucial factor for safety-critical operations.
“Satellite voice connectivity is essential for safety, compliance, and operational continuity in challenging environments,” said Cecelia Pretorius, New Business Executive at Gijima.
“This represents a major advancement in providing robust satellite services to hard-to-reach or off-grid locations like mines. Our partnership with Gijima showcases how these services can keep critical operations connected, improving safety and productivity,” said Hendrik Bezuidenhout, Account Director for Key Accounts at Q-KON.
