Elodie Collins 
MetTel has deployed Starlink low Earth orbit satellite connectivity integrated with SD-WAN and zero trust security for the General Services Administration under an Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions contract, Fierce Network reported Tuesday.
Don Parente, vice president of public sector sales at MetTel, said SD-WAN is “the glue that ties it all together,” enabling agencies to combine Starlink with multiprotocol label switching, broadband and 4G/LTE networks. He noted Starlink’s low latency makes it more compatible with SD-WAN than geostationary satellites, resulting in smoother network performance.
The executive added that GSA currently operates across 800 sites globally, including in remote regions.
What Services Is MetTel Offering to GSA?
In addition to connectivity, MetTel’s managed service also provides installation, monitoring and reporting support.
“We’re not just putting a satellite out there. We’re providing day-to-day support,” Parente said. “We can install it for you, we’re going to monitor, we’ll give you reports.”
MetTel is also modernizing GSA’s voice infrastructure, converting legacy systems to a Session Initiation Protocol-based, cloud-enabled environment with multi-carrier redundancy to support critical services such as fire alarms and on-site child care centers.
The project also advanced progress toward full Internet Protocol version 6 implementation and transitioned hundreds of DSL and LTE locations to higher-performance broadband and Ethernet connections.
Why Are Agencies Adopting LEO Satellite Networks?
According to Parente, LEO is becoming a prominent player in the government connectivity market.
“If we were talking about Starlink five years ago, we would probably be talking about a bunch of RV owners putting it on the roof of their campers,” Parente said. “Today we are seeing agencies use Starlink as their primary access network.”
Aside from GSA, SpaceX has contracts with the Department of Defense for Starshield, a version of Starlink specifically designed for national security applications.
