Bridging the digital divide in rural Japan

UDcast is collaborating with communications satellite operator JSAT Corp. to bring satellite IP-based communication to small Japanese islands and rural areas where optical fiber or ADSL is not available.

Working with JSAT, the UDcast UDgateway all-in-one appliance for broadband satellite Internet access is the first to provide data access as well as critical emergency and medical services to residents of Japan's sparsely populated rural areas on the strength of a satellite.

Supported by the Japanese government, the satellite-based medical service enabled by this project is significant as it has been difficult and costly to build diagnostic systems using optical fiber or ADSL networks in these rural islands and mountainous regions.

The UDgateway allows medical facilities in these areas to benefit from satellite with the same performances and functionality as sites with terrestrial broadband.