Brazil, the fifth largest country in the world and an undisputed pioneer of e-voting, held general elections in October. 141 million voters were called to participate, to elect 1,709 offices among 26,131 candidates.

Smartmatic was hired to enable voice and data communication from 15 of the country’s most remote states.

The Smartitec consortium, led by Smartmatic, deployed 1,464 SABRE satellite terminals which used the Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN), to support the Brazilian Superior Electoral Court in the conduction of the elections.

Context

Since Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world, with a surface area of 8,514,877 km² and a population of approximately 196 million inhabitants, it is understandable for communications to become difficult in remote zones. 

That is why the Brazilian electoral body, the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), decided to invite specialized companies to propose technical solutions toward improving voice and data communication services in these regions.

Smartmatic’s global leadership in election technology and services, together with our successful track record, were put into practice to provide the Superior Electoral Court the most solid services and technical staff for the October 2014 elections.

Services

For the Brazilian general elections we offered a full service package to facilitate communications, which included: 

• Configuration and operation of 1,464 BGAN Sabre satellite terminals with data and voice communication capabilities
• Distribution of satellite terminals in the capitals of 15 Brazilian states
• Education of the TSE designated trainers, including two courses for selected staff
• Delivery of printed materials on the antenna operation procedures 
• Setup of a call center to offer tech support through a 24-hour toll-free number operating on election day
• Collecting of the units after the elections, including a supervised inspection of all the equipment in the presence of TSE staff to guarantee its delivery in mint condition

Technology

For the Brazilian general election, Smartmatic deployed 1,464 BGAN devices to ensure transmission form remote areas that have scant or no infrastructure.

BGAN stands for Broadband Global Area Network. BGAN devices are portable satellite antennas that belong to a network incorporating three geostationary satellites, which provide almost absolute coverage worldwide.

Thanks to their small size, these satellite terminals can operate from the most remote locations, wherever the voters may be.

In the case of Brazil, our BGAN solution was the option selected by the election authorities to facilitate voting for all citizens, regardless of the remoteness of their locations. Transporting, installing and removing a traditional VSAT antenna in remote areas of the world’s fifth largest country would be difficult and costly. BGAN antennas offer great mobility, which translates in almost absolute network coverage worldwide.

Inmarsat, the company that provides the satellite service that supports our BGAN terminals, employs rigorous authentication mechanisms for them. Their system meets the most stringent government requirements for safety and is compatible with all mainstream VPN products and encryption standards.

Having successfully offered these portable terminals for election processes in Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil and the Philippines, Smartmatic is today the main single owner of BGAN terminals and antennas worldwide.