The World Teleport Association announced that Speedcast, a leading communications and IT services provider, has achieved Tier 3 certification of its Macaé Teleport outside Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, under WTA’s Teleport Certification Program.

The Macaé certification marks the 52nd issued by WTA since the program was launched at IBC (International Broadcasting Convention) in 2015. Another nine teleports are currently engaged in WTA’s quality evaluation process. The program provides transparent, independently verified standards as a means for teleports to differentiate themselves and for customers to choose the price-performance level suitable for their applications.

The Speedcast Macaé teleport facility is an integral part of the company’s global infrastructure. Strategically located in an area with no earth station and antenna obstructions, the location offers the clearest line of sight for optimal signal. On-site network infrastructure includes access points to four different fiber providers, as well as a fully redundant, physical path to the United States. The facility includes 11 earth stations supporting key energy customer requirements for global exploration and production operations, including oil and gas drillers, operators, offshore supply and service companies.

WTA’s certifications are issued on a provisional basis after completion of a +170-item questionnaire that is evaluated against standards developed by WTA’s Certification Committee. The teleport then has six months to achieve Full Certification. To achieve Full Certification under WTA’s program, an auditor is dispatched to the teleport, provides independent validation of the data submitted in the questionnaire, and identifies additional factors that may affect the score. Full Certification is issued at a Tier number from 1 through 4, of which 4 represents the highest degree of excellence, and remains in effect for three years.

In addition to Speedcast, certifications have been issued to teleports operated by IABG Teleport, A1 Telekom Austria Group, Gomedia Satcom, Globecast, Azercosmos, Servicio Satelital, USEI, AXESS Networks, STN, Eutelsat, du, COMSAT, e&, Optus, Horizon Teleports, RADIOCOM, Talia, Telespazio, Vivacom, Cyta, PlanetCast, Singtel, Hellas Sat, Hispasat, Stellar DBS, Orange, Hawaii Pacific Teleport, Intelsat, SMS, Telstra, Primacom, Santander Teleport and Arqiva.

“We are excited to achieve Tier 3 certification of Speedcast’s Macaé teleport,” said Will Mudge, VP Engineering Operations at Speedcast. “This strategic facility supports the critical operations of key energy customers, ensuring seamless, always-on connection for crews deployed outside the realm of any other communications alternatives for their remote locations at sea.  We’re proud to continue securing certifications for our facilities in partnership with WTA, which is an organization holding the highest standards for teleport excellence.”

“The satellite and teleport business is not known for its adoption of industry-wide standards,” said WTA executive director Robert Bell. “WTA contributed its own standards for teleport infrastructure, technology and operation in 2015, thanks to the work of dedicated and experienced volunteers. We are glad to see continued growth in adoption of Teleport Certification based on those standards, especially at a time when standards are becoming crucial to the industry’s future.”