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SatMagazine Worldwide Satellite Magazine March 2009 SATELLITE BROADCASTING REVEALED Discussions with... Dr. Arunas Slekys, Hughes Drew Caplan, Sky Terra Debut: Tools of the Trade Intorels Visionic Insights GMV | NSR | Euroconsult | Near Earth LLC Newtec Cy | Newpoint Technologies & More
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CONTENTSVol. 6 No. 11 March 2009 SATMAGAZINE MARCH 200905Info Toolsby Hartley Lesser FOCUS UPLINK INSIGHT EXECUTIVE SPOTLIGHTFEATURESIndex of advertisers Page 102 11The Forrester Focusby Chris Forrester17Space Sustainability: To Preserve and Protectby Brian Weeden Secure World Foundation28Drew CaplanChief Network Officer, SkyTerra32Harmlessby Jos Caro, GMV35Use Of Extended C-Band With Mobile Antennas In Indiaby Paul Seguin, C-COM Satellite Systems39NSR Executive Brieng Satellite IPTV Pragmatism EVENT PROFILE43ISCe 2009 SATCOM Conference Is Revealing45Information Wherever and Whenever...by Carlton van Putten, Blue Sky Networks47Euroconsult Executive Brieng Broadcast Through The Crisis51Connected Home Entertainment For DBS Operatorsby Troy Brandon + Jon Iwanaga Entropic55Near Earth Executive Brieng InformaticsInfo Wants To Mash58The New Battle for The Maritime Customerby Alan Gottlieb Gottlieb International Group65High-Quality VoIP To The Worlds Remotest RegionsLBiSat68Dr. Arunas SlekysV.P., Corporate Marketing + G.M./ V.P. Russia/NIS, Hughes73The Birth Of The MSV Well Enhancerby Tim ONeill Consulting Director, YR2078Satellite Backhaul Equals Major Savings For Cell Opsby Tony Radford, Paradise Datacom821st Experiences With All-IP Broadcast Exchange Networksby Serge Van Herck, Newtec Cy87Using Control Systems To Overcome SNG Black-Spotsby Martin Coleman, Colem89The Evolution Of Network ManagementNewpoint Technologies INPUT93Tools Of The Trade: Implementing Multi-Level Systems With VisionicINTOREL06Yoel GatCEO, RaySat Broadcasting
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5SatMagazine March 2009 UPLINK Info Tools EDITORIAL + PRODUCTIONSilvano Payne Publisher Hartley Lesser Editorial Director Pattie Lesser Editor P.J. Waldt Associate Editor Jill Durfee Assistant Editor Michael Fleck Contributing EditorAsia Susan Sheppard Contributing Editor Richard Dutchik Contributing Editor Dan Makinster Contributing WriterSALES & MARKETINGJill Durfee, Advertising Director jill@satnews.co mDEVELOPMENTSimon Payne, Creative ManagerTHIS ISSUES AUTHORSBhumika Bakshi | Troy Brandon Jos Caro | Martin Coleman Ian Fichtenbaum | Chris Forrester Alan Gottlieb | Jon Iwanaga Pattie Lesser | Andrea Malter Tim ONeill | Tony Radford Pacome Revillon | Serge Van Herck Carlton van Putten | Brian WeedonSATMAGAZINEMarch 2009 Welcome to this issue of SatMagazine and to the National Space Symposium in Colorado Springs as well as the National Association of Broadcasters Military + Government Summit held concurrently with the NAB 2009 conference in Las Vegas, for which we are an official Media Sponsor All of these elements strive to accomplish one major need for all the delivery of timely and usable information to help you accomplish your goals within the MILSATCOM and SATCOM industries. In fact, to further bring SatMagazine into play for you, the Development Director for SatNews Publishers has coded in a new iGoogle Gadget that enables you to receive automatically the daily SatNews on your Google homepage! To activate the iGoogle SatNews Gadget is simplicity itself. When you visit SatNews.com youll notice an animated Google icon move from left to right directly under the Satnews banner. Select that icon and youll be taken immediately to iGoogle page, where then you click on the Add To Google button. When you accomplish this task, you should note your web browser taking you to your Google homepage with the message Satnews Daily has been add ed brilliantly appearing thereupon... now, as you are aware, you can simply move the SatNews windoid to whatever location you wish on your Google homepage. There you have it, your daily and most complete MILSATCOM and SATCOM news available right at your fingertips without having to do anything more than logon to your Google homepage. Totally mazing and convenient.But wait, theres even more! Now available is the incomparable, magnificently compiled and highly useful 2009 International Satellite Directory. If you are constantly searching for satellite data, or planning to open new markets, or doing all in your power to find and acquire new customers, or engaging in that always crucial analysis of your competition, or just searching for that one final detail for your important presentation fret not! Consider the acquisition of SatNews Publisher s 24th edition of the International Satellite Directory which will certainly meet all expectations! This issue features EXECUTIVE SPOTLIGHT interviews with leaders in the SATCOM world as well as technical articles to assist you with your satellite communication needs. Should you ever have the desire to communicate with our readers, just email me and well see if we can draft you into the SatMagazine Info Service. Thanks Hartley Lesser, Editorial Director Published monthly by Satnews Publishers 800 Siesta Way, Sonoma, CA 95476 USA Phone (707) 939-9306 Fax (707) 939-923 5 E-mail: hartley@satnews.co m Website: www.satmagazine.com 2009 Satnews Publishers Author content does not necessarily SatNews Publishers.
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6 SatMagazine March 2009 Yoel Gat, CEO, RaySat BroadcastingYoel Gat, the focus of this interview, is the Chairman and CEO of RaySat Broadcasting Corporation. This company was formed to work with AT&T to bring AT&T CruiseCastSM to market. Yoel is a well known executive in the satellite indus try, having spent more than 16 years as co-founder and CEO of Gilat Satellite Networks, a leader in very small aperture terminal satellite (VSAT) communications. During Yoels tenure, Gilat experienced sales of more than $500 million in 2000 and held significant market share. Yoel also won recognition as an industry mover and shaker as one of Time Magazines Digital Dozen for 2001 by providing the capability of Internet-oversatellite technology on a mass-market scale. RaySat, Inc., is a leading manufacturer and supplier for the vehicle, bus, and train markets for cost-effective, lowprofile, in-motion satellite antennas that enable communication on the move.SMPlease give us a little biographical information on yourself. Yoel Gat I completed my BScEE in the Technion in Israel in 1974 and worked for 13 years in the Israeli MOD (Ministry of Defense). I left my unit with three others and we founded Gilat Satellite Networks in 1987, where I was the Chairman and CEO employee number 001 until the company reached $500M in annual sales and employed 2,500 people. When Gilat underwent restructuring and a change in ownership in 2001-2002, I departed and joined RaySat as Chairman and CEO and led the companys activities. Since 2009, Ive also assumed the role of Chairman and CEO of RaySat Broadcasting Corporation, the company that provides the AT&T CruiseCast(sm) service. SMYoel, would you please describe AT&T CruiseCast? What was the genesis of this product? Yoel Gat RaySat has been building antennas for mobile satellite reception since 2005. The Raysat SpeedRay-1000 is a 40-inch diameter product with a height of 6-inches and a weight of close to 50 pounds. These antennas receive both Dish and DIRECTV services. Through experience, our Company realized these products were too big (as they required most of the SUV/Minivan roof as a footprint), too expensive (more than $3,000 installed), and are prone to LoS ( Line-of-Site) blockages. We decided to develop products that would over come such obstacles. SMHow is AT&T CruiseCast different from what is in the market today, such as products that enable DirecTV and Dish? Yoel Gat The RaySat T7 antenna is less than 9-inches in diameter, and 4-inches high, with a weight of 3 pounds. There is an immediate, noticeable difference due to the much smaller form-factor required on the consumers vehicle to receive satellite TV service; the unit is also completely quiet in operation. Secondly, we developed unique blockage protection technology based on a video memory buffer in the receiver (Set-Top Box). As long as you can receive one minute of reception for every three minutes of TV viewing, you will be able to watch uninterrupted video in the car. The existing products and services on the market today supporting both Dish and DIRECTV suffer from video inter ruptions. We feel these two key differentiations make our product and service a far superior offering and will provide a much more satisfying consumer experience. SMWho is this product geared toward and when will consumers be able to obtain it? Yoel Gat The product is targeted toward car owners and truckers. Consumers will be able to obtain CruiseCast when they purchasing a new car from the car dealer (including the financing) or in the aftermarket from retail chains, 12V dealers, or providers who can install the system on existing cars.
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7 SatMagazine March 2009 SMHow will the consumer subscribe to the service, and what is the cost for the hardware and the subscription? Yoel Gat The consumer will purchase the product (antenna and in-car receiver) from the car dealer or 12V dealer (or retailer) and it has an MSRP of $1,299. In order to subscribe to the service, the consumer can sign up online (www.cruisecast.co m ) or call a call center which will essentially complete the form for them. The monthly fee for this service will be $27.95. SMWho are your partners in terms of satellite and content providers? Yoel Gat Our satellite partner is Intelsat and we lease a substantial amount of capacity from them. We plan to provide a 22 video channel and 20 radio channel package. We will have many channels for children (geared toward the customer in the back seat), several sports channels, some news channels as well as family programming. We already have deals with MTVN for five channels (MTV Mobile, Nickelodeon Mobile, Comedy Central Mobile, the N and Noggin), NBC (for MSNBC CNBC, and USA Network) and several others. We will have our full package ready in time for our launch by the end of March 2009. SMHow long will the installation take? Yoel Gat The installation time is typically between an hour to an hour and a half.
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8 SatMagazine March 2009 SM Will you add channels and what is the channel capacity? Yoel Gat Since we use regular Ku-band capacity (FSS or BSS) we can add unlimited channels. It is only a matter of economics. We are currently leasing what we need for the initial channel line up at launch time. We will be adding channels and packages all the time. I believe in three to four years we will carry more than 100 channels. SMYoel, would you please describe the technology that enables users to have the continuity of signal wherever they go? Yoel Gat The problem with existing solutions for satellite TV in the car is they suffer from the fact they are receiving standard DBS signals. The transmission assumes there is an antenna on the roof of your home where the installer has ensured no trees or other obstacles block the view of the sky. A moving vehicle does not have that luxury there are overpasses, trees, buildings, and so on, that get in the way of an automobiles view of the satellite. A lot of error correction is required. The bits need to be transmitted redundantly to mitigate the blockage that is naturally going to occur while driving. The DBS providers dont send data redundantly as their mar ket focus is on in-home they need all the capacity they can obtain to hold their own in the high definition wars with cable and IPTV providers. As the target display in the car is much smaller than the home, and as you have to account for the antenna not being able to see the satellite 100 percent of the time, we send at a lower bit rate that affords a perfectly acceptable standard definition (SD) experience for the seven to 12-inch display thats common in most cars. We send each pixel numerous times and out of time sequence, keeping the data received in a three minute buffer on the receiver. If the vehicle is blocked by a building when a pixel is sent the first time, chances are quite good the vehicle will have visibility to the satellite when that pixel is sent the second, third, or fourth time. We have found in testing that most of our users antennas can see the satellite about 60 to 65 percent of the time while driving. During a normal satellite transmission, the customer would obtain a poor viewing experience. However, our transmission technique takes that 65 per cent and makes the video available 95 to 99 percent of the time for our customers. Add to this the fact we use a phased-array tracking antenna, which can always locate the satellite(s) while in motion, and you have a very powerful technical solution to a complex problem. SMIs the programming exactly what someone would see through cable or satellite? Yoel Gat We carry the linear channel exactly as you see it from cable or satellite providers for most content, or, in the case of some channels, the mobile adapted version. SMDoes the service also offer data, or is that service in the plans? Yoel Gat Data service will not be available at product launch, but we will eventually. Our first priority is a customized, local weather and traffic data service. Since we have a GPS in the unit in the antenna, we can geo-filter the data according to the locations. SMDo you have plans for licensing this technology or product directly to auto manufacturers?
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9 SatMagazine March 2009
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10 SatMagazine March 2009 Yoel Gat We certainly do. We are in discussions with all of the manufacturers and most have equipped a number of demo vehicles. SMJoel, what is the impact of AT&T CruiseCast on the Satellite Industry? Yoel Gat This service will create a lot of demand for capacity and will extend satellite life into inclined orbit mode (meaning the satellites orbit is off-station, and is essentially in a decaying orbit, which makes it unusable by commercial satellite TV home-based services). From a satellite operators perspective, they can make more use of the satellite even after it has been fully depreciated. Also, no satellite operator Im aware of works at 100 percent capacity. The beauty of our ser vice is that, even in a case of satellite failure, we can move to another satellite at a moments notice as all of our antennas are of the tracking variety. CruiseCast will create demand for additional capacity, more inclined orbit capacity in particular, and even use of capacity not sold yet. When this capacity is sold, we will transfer the service to another satellite that has capacity that was not sold yet. Altogether, we can increase the percentage of use of an operator fleet quite dramatically.SMThe technology for AT&T CruiseCast... is it identical to that used in your companys satellite for TV for vehicles? If not, please explain. How do the antennas differ in both cases? Yoel GatBoth antennas are using the same technology our Company have been selling in our larger version. The aper ture is smaller we own the whole infrastructure. The receiver technology, especially the blockage protection, is new and was developed by us with our partners.SMBeam lock that is mobile-enhanced must become quite complex for vehicles, ships, railroads and so on... are there minimum OEM training standards employed to ensure customer satisfaction after sale?Yoel Gat We are trying to make it easy for the installer to have a good out-of-the-box experience and the end user to be highly satisifed. There will be an installation manual as well as online installation training and certification for installers. As for the consumers, we plan to give a single page quick operation guide and we assume most people will not even read the material. The sys tem is so intuitive we can state that with confidence.SMThanks for your insight into AT&T CruiseCast, Yoel.
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Insight 11SatMagazine March 2009 Insight The Forrester Focusby Chris Forrester, ColumnistSES Americom-New Skies to be renamed Capacity demand remains strong SES Americom, which combined with SES New Skies back in July 2008, is looking for a new name. With the February 12th launch of its latest satellite, NSS-9, now safely behind it, we can expect an announcement soon. Robert Bednarek is running both entities and has now fully domiciled himself at SES Americoms Princeton HQ. At the time of the combination, SES took great pains to stress the decision to bring the two divisions together was not a merger given the sensitivities of orbital rights and operating licences. President/CEO Bednarek says theres close attention to the new name: Americom-New Skies is awkward and a bit of a mouthful and we are looking for something that conveys our message to the customer more clearly and simply. Having said that, both Americom and New Skies are very strong brand names with a great deal of equity in the market and they both stand for something, even though its quite different. For example, Americom has a 30-year history of service, reliable, in orbit excellence in the U.S. New Skies and its more recent history has been focused on breaking into new markets, putting capacity where it can challenge Intelsat competitively and so it is fair to say that it is at a different stage of its lifecycle. The challenge for us is how we might combine one name that suits both businesses. I can tell you the creative houses have come up with a lot of ideas. Bednarek brings us up to date with the latest plans, saying: We like to refer to it as a combination of the two companies. We have to be careful because, for a variety of regulatory and taxation reasons, we need to keep and will maintain the two legal entities. It is not unusual when a business like ourselves has to oper ate in multiple jurisdictions, but as to the combination, we have made a lot of progress since we announced the news in June. We were planning for about three months ahead of [the announcement]. We now have a combined management team in place and the same on sales and the various support functions. From a toplevel overview, our customers have not seen any change that causes them issues related to the combination so it really has been quite seamless from an external point of view. What we are now doing is focusing on making sure the combined systems are operating properly together with back office support and you will shortly be hearing more from us on what the theme, or plan, is as far as the entity itself is concerned going forward.He adds the combination of New Skies and Americom is very customer-centric. We try very much to address what our customers need and how we deliver that ser vice. Then, we work with customers to see what else they need and especially what their capacity requirements are in the international domain. I can say that internationally it is a very strong market today. In the U.S., the capacity need is also there, but theres also a growing need for other services, and support services in particular, as well as just capacity. We are finished now with the combination itself, although we accept it will take another few months to make sure that everything is running like clockwork. It wasnt so very long ago but not under the present ownership that New Skies Satellite was being Americom-New Skies is awkward and a bit of a mouthful and we are looking for something that conveys our message to the customer more clearly and simply.Robert Bednarek President/CEO at Americom-New Skies Robert Bednarek joined SES in Jan 2002, and was a key member of the executive team that acquired New Skies Satellite in 2006. He was appointed President/CEO in 2007 following Dan Goldbergs departure. Robert Bednarek
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Insight12SatMagazine March 2009 directly criticized for alleged discounting and ratecutting on transponder lease rentals. A need to establish itself during a period of industry-wide overcapacity didnt help the companys position. Those days are well behind it, and today the company has a very full order book and plans that extend well beyond the launch of NSS-9. But what about the economic downturn? I wouldnt say we are immunized but it is fair to say that we have not seen much of the effects of the downturn. I would say in the international domain, demand remains strong, helped by our diverse set of customers around the world and, to date, none of these customers seems to be having any issues. Their core customers remain strong and it seems the need for telecom connectivity continues to grow as markets evolve and develop. And while the credit markets and so forth are challenging the world right now, you certainly do not see a cessation of economic development. India is still growing, China is still growing, Africa is seeing a huge amount of investment being made and theyre all key markets for us at New Skies. It is probably fair to say that in the media market we are seeing something of a slow down in new channel development. In more robust times, you would see people launching new channels with new content, aggregating content for channels, and this might be slowing. However, on the other hand, the progress into HDTV in all of our developing markets is very strong indeed and the continued roll up of HDTV in the U.S. is exciting.The dynamic here in the U.S. is that households have increasing access to a larger portfolio of HD channels on their multichannel systems, whether cable or DTH. The game in the U.S. is more about market share. There isnt a new audience but it is in driving your viewer to HDTV and away from the other operator that the thrust is. The way this is being achieved is through quality. Cable, DTH and NSS Launch Manifest Craft Launch Position NotesNSS-9 February 12 183 E Replaces NSS-5 NSS-12 Q3/2009 57 E Replaces NSS-703 NSS-14 Q4/2010 22 E Replaces NSS-7 NSS-9 coverage map
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Insight 13SatMagazine March 2009 Insighttelco operators are in a race for more quality programming. The programming line-up itself is more or less the same between the platforms so the only way an operator can differentiate his line-up from the opposition is through quality. One operator might argue that he has more HDTV, while his technology rival might argue that he has better quality HDTV. Asked how much difference HDTV was making around the world, Bednarek said demand was strong. HDTV is alive and very strong in the U.S. We had a couple of folks out at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and their message back to us is that 3D looks important and that some high-end displays have the potential to generate 3D and there seems to be a lot of consumer and broadcaster interest in 3D. From our point of view, it is perfectly under standable that they would be interested, given that it will again allow operator A to differentiate his service from operator B. I accept there will be a small percentage of the population for whom 3D is important at first, but I see no reason why that number shouldnt grow over time, especially as screen costs come down in price. If the broadcasters, especially the guys covering sports, can add 3D functionality without much cost, then I can see it becoming popular. I expect progress to be made in the Pay-TV community initially and while we might ask today as to how they might monetize their services, you only have to rewind back a few years and the exact same questions were being asked regarding HDTV and look what happened in that area!NSS-9 is a key addition to the fleet. Built by Orbital Sciences, it will be positioned at 183 degrees East, and carries 44 active C-band transponders and features three beams that can interconnect on a transponder-by-transponder basis: A global beam providing coverage of the entire earth visible from the satellite; plus a West Hemi beam (covering Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, China, Korea, and the Pacific
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Insight 14SatMagazine March 2009 InsightIslands); and an East Hemi beam (providing coverage and connectivity to the U.S., Hawaii, and Polynesia).Bednarek says it will be great to have NSS-9 on station, especially following on from the Sea Launch catastrophe and NSS-8 on January 30, 2007. This is, essentially, the first satellite that New Skies has built and launched under SESs ownership and will be the first addition to the New Skies fleet for some time after the unfortunate problems with NSS-8. February 12th is the launch date for NSS-9 and after its orbital check-up, it will be located over the Pacific Ocean region where our current NSS-5 is located. Once NSS-9 is on station, NSS-5 is then free to support any number of other missions.NSS-5 is a very flexible craft with C and KU-band capacity on board. Our plans are quite flexible and our initial intent is to see it located temporarily at a couple of locations including an Indian Ocean location and will be used as a standby/back up ahead of the NSS12 launch, in the event that we have any problem with the satellite and its target position of 57 degrees East and it can offer supplementary service to our existing satellite. Then, once we get NSS-12 launched and behind us, our baseline intention now is to make it avail able for the Africa/Mid-East and AOR coverage. We see a strong demand coming out of this position, and covering that region. NSS-12 is due for launch during Q3 this year and I can tell you is pretty close to already being sold out with Africa/Middle East capacity. There are some DTH clients, but its mostly telecom clients that have taken capacity, including government applications. VSAT is also playing a part. The DTH platforms are taking 2-3 transponders, so its a wonderful spread of clients, adds Bednarek. The problems for any satellite operator in serving its client base through a period of economic downturn are that, despite the economic problems being global, the reality of the situation is that not all parts of the planet are in the same position. We all know that the credit crisis affects businesses in basic ways and covers their own ability to raise funds or extend their credit lines. But in some parts of the world, it is a fact that the project is not necessarily debt-financed in any way, and certainly not by Western credit markets. Some of our clients, while still being perfectly prudent, do not have to go to the market to raise money. Growth might slow down but I do not see any sign of a reversal in international satellite capacity. The growth rate may change somewhat but we all know there is no substitute for satellite capacity in some of these markets, said Bednarek. Also on New Skies launch manifest is NSS-14, one of a pair (with NSS-12) dramatically ordered with Space Systems/Loral and designed to be fast tracked with a high commonality of parts and components. NSS14s mission is somewhat different to NSS-12 in that she will also carry an Ion propulsion system and extra C and Ku-band capacity (72 Ku-band on NSS-14 compared with 48 on NSS-12). The end result of all this activity is a net gain of more than 200 transponders to the New Skies fleet and the flexibility to start exper imenting with new locations from replaced craft. On February 2nd. SES New Skies announced that CapRock Communications, a global provider of satellite communications to remote and harsh environments, has contracted 18 MHz of C-band capacity on the NSS-7 satellite at 338 degrees East. CapRock also renewed an existing contract for 5.8 MHz in Ku-band on that satellite. Bednarek on the challenges aheadThe challenge, as always in this business, is to properly position yourself for the future. Not over-reacting to a downturn but being prudent while staying as close to market demand as it is possible to be. We know the lag time in the business and have to account for that in our longer term planning. Then, once the capacity is in place, how can you efciently ensure redundancy of that capacity on a cost efcient basis? Our markets are frequently embryonic and we have to serve those markets in a very efcient manner and keep the space segment pricing at appropriate levels while still maintaining a protable business for the shareholders.
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Insight 15SatMagazine March 2009 However, while this is all good news and theres more to come last year there was a glitch in the expansion plans for SES Americom when it cut its IPPrime service from the USA. Our decision to drop the IP-Prime service reflects the challenges inherent in any IPTV rollout, explained Bednarek. The particular market that we were serving by satellite was known in the U.S. as Tier 3 and Tier 4 operators, the smaller telcos. IPTV in the U.S. is alive and very well indeed. AT&T and Verizon have a couple of million subs and fast expansion and are showing themselves as real competitors to DTH and cable. But these are big players with billions of dollars at stake and firmly backing their products rollout. What we were trying to do is to foster a service and make it easier for smaller telcos in much smaller markets. Our thoughts were that if we build the head-end and assemble the programming, it would be a major help to these smaller operators. It worked insofar as we won a few very nice contracts. However, the real issue was that from the time the ser vice touched the ground to deployment to a meaningful number of homes in these smaller markets, such became a major undertaking. There were software is sues, there were technical compatibility issues on the ground and in small markets trying to compete with limited funds against some very heavyweight rivals. Moreover, the cable incumbent or the DTH incumbent who were direct rivals had been in business for 20 or so years, with deep pockets. Life was very difficult. The telcos were coming in with their new product offering and with little or no video experience and suddenly competing with cable or satellite this was a tough environment. Anxieties became evident as to how long it might take to build a meaningful market share to justify the continued operation of the service. It is entirely a timing question and we realized it is going to take years. My sense is that we were just a little early in the market and in tying up that much space segment for that length of time, all while we waited for the market to develop this was a major issue for us. This is not an indictment on the IPTV sector at all, it is the speed at which IPTV will be deployed at small telcos in the US., thats what this was all about.
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Insight16SatMagazine March 2009 Bednarek remains optimistic about Africa in general, notwithstanding the bankruptcy of GTV (see separate story, and not a New Skies customer). Africa is a great market across all applications. The most obvious one is in the telecom sector and all forms of telecoms applications but increasingly in broadcast and DTH. You have some legacy terrestrial broadcasters which might be stateor to a smaller extent privately owned. The bottom line is that it is much less expensive to put a digital bouquet up on satellite than to replicate a similar service terrestrially. The region will inevitably be geographically diverse and challenging enough in those regards and satellite more than fits the bill. I think we will see a growing uptake in satellite-based television services, which might be Pay-TV but equally could be free-to-air. It might be state transmission or it might be private transmission. It is simply the right technology for the market today. The operators do not have competition in the form of cable, and telco-based IPTV is not likely to be a strong competitor. We can ask whether services will be panAfrican in nature or regional or country-specific and the answer could be all of the above.About the author London-based Chris Forrester is a well-known entertainment and broadcasting journalist. He reports on all aspects of the TV industry with special emphasis on content, the business of film, television and emerging technologies. This includes interactive multi-media and the growing impor tance of web-streamed and digitized content over all delivery platforms including cable, satellite and digital terrestrial TV as well as cellular and 3G mobile. Chris has been investigating, researching and reporting on the so-called broadband explosion for 25 years. NSS-14 satellite
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17 FeatureSatMagazine March 2009 Space Sustainability: To Preserve And Protect...by Brian Weeden Consultant, Secure World FoundationThe diverse array of benefits space has provided to our activities on Earth has greatly increased over the last few decades. Over this time period, many space applications have been turned into profitable commercial enterprises and important civil programs, bringing with them immense change and incredible socioeconomic benefits. Space-based remote sensing has revolutionized human and environmental security, while spacebased navigational systems have created massive efficiencies in the global transportation network and together with satellite communications provided the foundation for globalization.More recently, we have also learned that the Sustainability of the space environment is the responsibility of all actors in space, and only by Limited Natural ResourceAn increasing number of States and private operators number of satellites providing space-based services now own or operate satellites in Earth orbit, including such recent notables as Algeria, Nigeria, Venezuela, and Vietnam1 capability to place satellites into Earth orbit2 the launch of Sputnik in 1957, the satellite catalog of objects in Earth orbit has grown to almost 13,000 objects, with another almost 5,000 objects tracked but not cataloged3 consists of debris, dead payloads, and spent rocket stages used to put satellites in orbit, with the Figure 1: Total Satellite Catalog by Object Type4
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18 FeatureSatMagazine March 2009 degrade or even destroy the long term sustainability In example, see the sidebar extracted from that daily SatNews regarding a recent satellite collision in response to this is the big space theory: space is so vast that it is hubris to think that humanity can orbit from the upper edges of the atmosphere out to this argument ignores some fundamental facts that Keplerian have proven to be the two regimes where the most FEBRUARY 11, 2009 A commercial satellite collided with a Russian satellite over Siberia on February 10th. This yielded a cloud of fragments, according to a NASA scientist tracking space debris.The collision between the commercial satellite, belonging to Iridium, and a defunct Russian satellite, was the rst event of this kind, says Nicholas Johnson, chief scientist at the NASA Orbital Debris Program at Johnson Space Center in Houston. In the past almost 20 years, there have been three other accidental collisions between objects in orbit, but theyve all been very minor, Johnson says.The military sky-watchers who track satellites in orbit picked up the collision 490 miles (790 kilometers) above Earth on Tuesday. The actual crash appears to have occurred just minutes before noon, Eastern Standard Time. Johnson says NASA has already determined that the debris cloud poses no signicant new risk to the International Space Station. The next space shuttle mission should be in the clear as well, according to the space agency. Most, if not all, of the satellite debris should burn up in atmosphere re-entry. Such a collision between two intact spacecraft may be unprecedented, but it is not completely unexpected. There are no rules of the road in space, Johnson says. Anybody can y anywhere they want. Even concerted efforts to track and guide spacecraft in orbit are subject to some uncertainty in trajectory estimates. At seven miles (11 kilometers) per second, Johnson says, a little error means a lot.In an Iridium statement concerning the crash, the Company stated nothing so catastrophic as this incident has occurred before, with only three other accidental collision between catalog objects. In their statement, Iridium acknowledges the loss of their satellite as the result of a collision with a non-operational Russian satellite thats been orbiting for ten years. The Iridium constellation remains healthy due to its design to withstand events of this nature.
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19 FeatureSatMagazine March 2009 will succumb to the pull of Earths gravity and fall Earths atmosphere the pull of gravity is stronger and satellites here must move faster to maintain combines with the Earths atmosphere to dictate Above 1,000 kilometers the lifespan of objects is Fengyun-1C weather satellite5 pieces of trackable debris created by this event was forced to conduct collision avoidance maneuver due to close approaches with pieces of Fengyun-1C debris, including NASAs $400 million Terra satellite in Sunsynchronous orbit6
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20 FeatureSatMagazine March 2009 the subject of a recent AIAA paper8 from the close approach of Cosmos 1961 and Eutelsat W6 5,000 pieces of trackable debris would have spread have spread them through many orbital regimes, was under full control and thus able to maneuver to 10 unable to maneuver to avoid collisions, comprise due to the nature of Sun-synchronous orbits, the vast majority of the objects in these orbits cross paths at the Three-Part SolutionGiven the above analysis, it is in the interests of all space actors to invest in the long term sustainability 7
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21 FeatureSatMagazine March 2009 advantages and disadvantages that works in concert generated in the launch, on-orbit and re-entry phases agencies around the world formed the Interagency Space Debris Coordination CommitteeIADC Figure 3: Debris from simulated collision between Cosmos 1961 and EUTELSAT W69
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22 FeatureSatMagazine March 2009 through collisions between each other12 way to tackle this problem is by developing methods technical and economic feasibility of this is currently 13 space 11 Figure 5 The Three Main Thrusts of Space Sustainability14
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23 FeatureSatMagazine March 2009 traffic managementSTM probability, and collision avoidance, maneuvers a limited list of important military and civil satellites will probably prevent it from performing this service Many space actors are beginning to realize the space situational awarenessSSA awareness evolved from the military concept of space blacked out while looking at a GPS unit, oblivious
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24 FeatureSatMagazine March 2009 SSA as the Foundation all relevant objects in space to all actors to enable can provide a needed service while simultaneously addressing the security and privacy concerns of both only one point in its orbit only gives you an accurate predict where it will be in the future you need while the Earth rotates underneath them, making it folly to try and produce an accurate orbit from a have tried to tackle this problem have done so with States military has successfully developed the capability to maintain an accurate catalog of both low the polar-orientated missile warning network, paucity of deep space telescopes, and almost complete lack A true SSA system also needs to be more than just which dictates the decay rate of low Earth satellites, but also can generate massive solar storms and Current SSA and STM Efforts United States Air Force 15 known as Commercial and Foreign EntitiesCFE Space Track website and Orbital Information GroupOIG16 Two Line Elements TLEs Phase 3 of the CFE Program, which is intended to provide advanced service implemented in this manner would not meet
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25 FeatureSatMagazine March 2009 National Security Space OfficeNSSO took charge of the program and there have been a much more open manner, including some two-way A second promising service is the Satellite Orbital Conjunction Reports Assessing Threatening Encounters in Space for Geosynchronous SOCRATES-GEOCenter for Space Standards and InnovationCSSI17 Satellite Tool Kit Figure 7: Sample SOCRATES-GEO Screenshot18
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26 FeatureSatMagazine March 2009 International Scientific Optical NetworkISON 19Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics in Moscow, capability was highlighted in several cases recently defunct INSAT-1B SES ASTRA 1 cluster at 19.2 E longitude meters of ASTRA 1F SES ASTRA to plan the appropriate avoidance maneuver, which increased the commercial providers are underway to determine if be greatly improved accuracy on the debris and other public database, independent analysis puts the error for geosynchronous objects somewhere between 50 and 75 kilometers20 some cases down to just a few kilometers of error, A Glimpse of the Future those commercial providers who are partners, and is operator data on their satellites or data collected from would be free to provide only the data that met their for geographically distributed sensors would create need for any one State to spend incredible amounts Each participating entity would be able to access all the pooled data and make their own independent analysis. Those entities without indigenous capability to analyze the data would have access to conjunction assessment, collision avoidance, and anomaly resolution services. The entire system could be managed by United States Air Force Integrated Space Command
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27 FeatureSatMagazine March 2009 an international non-profit, possibly modeled after the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which has a mix of governments, non-governmental organizations, and private businesses on its Board of Directors. This would ensure that the interests of all entities are represented equally and that no one government had exclusive control over the system.In addition to addressing the immediate need for data in support of conjunction assessment and collision avoidance, such a system would also have many other benefits. It would increase the available data on space debris and the space environment, enabling additional research into the problem and potential solutions as well as educating all space actors on the severity of the problem. Such a system would also enhance the transparency and cooperation among States which could provide stability and reduce the likelihood of conflict resulting from fear, paranoia, or mistakes. And it could also serve as verification for a potential Code of Conduct in space, setting the stage for future space governance models. Such an international civil space situational awareness system is not a dream. All of the essential technical elements exist and there is a demonstrated need. What is lacking is the political will on behalf of both private industry and States to come together and create what is truly needed for the benefit of all humankind.About the author Brian Weeden ( brian.weeden@gmail.com) is a technical consultant for the Secure World Foundation and former U.S. Air Force officer with a background in space surveillance and ICBM operations. Footnotes1 http://celestrak.com/satcat/boxscore.asp2 http://www.spacesecurity.org/SSI2008.pdf3 http://celestrak.com/satcat/boxscore.asp4 http://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/newsletter/pdfs/ODQN v13i1.pdf5 http://www.centerforspace.com/downloads/files/pubs/ AMOS-2007.pdf6 http://www.space.com/news/070706_sn_china_terra.html7 http://www.centerforspace.com/downloads/files/pubs/ AMOS-2007.pdf8 http://pdf.aiaa.org/preview/CDReadyMAST08_1856/ PV2008_7375.pdf9 http://pdf.aiaa.org/preview/CDReadyMAST08_1856/ PV2008_7375.pdf10 http://lfvn.astronomer.ru/report/0000028/index.htm11 http://pdf.aiaa.org/preview/CDReadyMSPOPS08_1436/ PV2008_3547.pdf12 http://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/newsletter/pdfs/ODQN v12i4.pdf13 http://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/newsletter/pdfs/ODQN v12i4.pdf 14 http://pdf.aiaa.org/preview/CDReadyMSPOPS08_1436/ PV2008_3547.pdf15 http://celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/notice.asp16 http://celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/notices/ CFE_Fact_Sheet_v4.pdf17 http://www.centerforspace.com/downloads/files/pubs/ AAS-05-124.pdf18 http://www.celestrak.com/SOCRATES/top10maxprob.asp19 http://lfvn.astronomer.ru/report/0000029/index.htm20 http://www.soe.ucsc.edu/~elkaim/Documents/space GNSS08.pdf
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28 SatMagazine March 2009 Drew Caplan Chief Network Ofcer SkyTerraSince January of 2007, Drew Caplan has served as SkyTerras Chief Network Officer. You may recall the company was formerly known as Mobile Satellite Ventures. Drew is responsible for the companys network engineering and technology functions, as well as leading the development and deployment of the companys nexgen network. He is a 25year veteran of the telecommunications industry, having consulted with venture capital and private equity firms interested in investing in telecom and technology companies from 2005 until 2007. Drew also served as Executive in Residence for Columbia Capital. From 1996 to 2005 he founded and led Nextel Communications national engineering organization, responsible for development, engineering, planning, and deployment of new technologies, products, and services. His work with Nextel was highlighted by the introduction of that companys nationwide and international Push-to-Talk feature. He was also responsible for managing all aspects of Nextels interconnections and purchases from other carriers. Prior to joining Nextel, Mr. Caplan served in progressive engineering, operations, and product development roles with MCI Communications, from 1983 to 1995. As a founding member of MCImetro, MCIs CLEC startup, Mr. Caplan oversaw the launch of the companys first services, building out 20 markets. He also authored and delivered significant portions of MCIs testimony in state and federal hearings surrounding the Telecommunications Act of 1996. We were delighted he could find the time in his busy schedule to talk with SatMagazine regarding SkyTerras nexgen network.SM Mr. Caplan, would you please explain SkyTerra Communi cations next generation satellite-terrestrial network?Drew CaplanSkyTerra is in the advanced stages of building its nextgeneration integrated satellite terrestrial network. The network will allow users for the first time ever to roam seamlessly and transparently between cellular and satellite networks on handheld devices virtually anywhere throughout North America. Consumers will be able to purchase handsets similar in price and size to those cur rently in the marketplace. In addition, SkyTerras next generation service will add very little cost to the wholesale cost of a handset and offer a flexible broadband platform supporting a host of advanced services.SkyTerras ancillary terrestrial component (ATC) technology will offer breakthrough developments in hybrid services, such as common air interfaces, frequency reuse capabilities, and reduced signal interference. The technology represents a landmark development by bringing wireless communications to areas where coverage has traditionally been spotty, and by enabling seamless transfer between the networks. SMHow is the integration of satellite into cellular devices going to impact cellular operators? SkyTerras nexgen satellite
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29 SatMagazine March 2009 Drew Caplan SkyTerra believes satellite augmentation of cellular systems as long as there is no impact to device form factor or cost provides a meaningful and significant increase in their utility. The major national carriers all focus on ubiquity of access in their marketing campaigns, but the reality is that the U.S. geography can not be ubiquitously covered by terrestrial systems. Based on SkyTerras ongoing primary research and analysis, the company believes consumers will perceive a satellite application to be a meaningful differentiator and one for which they would pay. The implications of this for operators delivering ser vice in an undifferentiated marketplace are significant, as historically minor differences in product have yielded extraordinary shifts in consumer expectation and demand. Satellite services extension, as a differentiated product, answers questions that are critical to consumers and enter prises alike. It provides coverage when terrestrial networks are unavailable due to catastrophes and it provides coverage in areas that cant be economically served terrestrially. These are the types of services that build customer loyalty and could yield decreased churn in an ever-more competitive environment. SMWhat are the benefits of an ATC network for end-users?Drew Caplan Consumers today demand the portability of small, lightweight cellular devices. They also increasingly
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30 SatMagazine March 2009 want better coverage in order to stay in constant contact with friends, family and co-workers. Until now, its been difficult for people to stay in touch when traveling to a remote area, or following a disaster which often results in terrestrial landlines becoming congested or destroyed. The development of an ATC network will mean individuals have a reliable means of staying in touch. In addition, the satellite-terrestrial network will enable a wide range of consumer telematics services, including vehicle security, infotainment, and remote diagnostics, unique multicasting applications, as well as web-based content and mobile broadband services. For the public safety and emergency management community, the development of a hybrid network means the mobile devices officials use everyday could become the same device they reach for during an emergency. This will ensure all public safety professionals know how to use the equipment and will be able to communicate during a disaster. SMDrew, given current economic conditions, is it less likely that ATC deployment will be undertaken?Drew Caplan The longer-term trend of increased usage of mobile data isnt going to change and the demand on spectrum resources are going to continue to increase. SkyTerra believes that its spectrum assets provide a powerful platform for 3G and 4G ser vices in conjunction with the right set of partners, while our satellite capability and space assets provide a powerful synergy to the ultimate service offering. SMIn September 2008, SkyTerra signed a deal with Qualcomm. Please explain the significance of that deal.Drew Caplan SkyTerra and Qualcomm announced a 15 year agreement in which Qualcomm will integrate satellite and cellular communication technology in select multi-mode mobile baseband chips, including Qualcomms first LTE modem. As a result, for the first time ever, satellite connectivity will be enabled in mass-market wireless handsets and devices, enabling these devices to have ubiquitous mobile communications coverage from anywhere in North Ameri ca, including areas where traditional cellular service is currently unavailable or unreliable. Agreements like this are just the first of many partnerships between satellite companies and wireless manufacturers and operators. They illustrate how the two industries are taking advantage of opportunities to offer consumers increased geographical coverage and new applications on traditional cellular-sized handsets and other small mobile devices. SMWhen will phones be available?Drew Caplan The chipsets that will power the integrated satelliteterrestrial devices are scheduled to become available starting in the second half of 2010. While we are not announcing specific device plans at this time, hand sets and PC cards could be available as early as 2011. SkyTerras Napa, California, facility
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31 SatMagazine March 2009 SMWhat will manufacturers and carriers have to do in order to integrate Qualcomms chipset and satellite capacity into their handsets?Drew Caplan Device manufacturers will need to add certain discrete components, such as radio band filters, to their units to support L-band. Importantly, this is not any differ ent or more costly than the addition of any other new band, such as 700 or AWS. Outside of cost, there will be no impact on form factor or power. A regular cell phone will be able to reliably communicate with SkyTerras satellite when outdoors, with unobstructed view of the sky. The satellites will have extremely high receiver sensitivity and will work together to combine receive signal power, which, along with the efficiency of Qualcomms satellite adapted EVDO protocol, will allow for reliable satellite service on a cell phone. SMICO and TerreStar have signed similar deals with Qualcomm. What does this mean for SkyTerra?Drew Caplan SkyTerra, ICO, and TerreStar recognize the importance of working cooperatively with one another and with Qualcomm in order to make ATC a reality, and will continue to partner on this specific technology platform. We may be competitors in the marketplace, but we are all trying to do what is right for our industry and for consumers.SMWe appreciate your time, Drew.
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Insight 32SatMagazine March 2009 Harmlessby Jos CaroWith the technology sector rapidly expanding, satellite navigation technologies have the ability to, and should be integrated across, real world disciplines and throughout the world. In order to demonstrate the capability and importance of expanding the use of these technologies, the 6th Framework Program, co-financed by the European Commission and participating companies and organizations, instituted the HARMLESS study to advocate the use of satellite navigation systems as the technology of the future. Reporting to the European GNSS Supervisory Authority, GMV coordinated the study to examine the benefits of using satellite navigation systems in various emergency management applications, including everything from humanitarian aid to law enforcement. GMV, with nine other organizations from five differ ent European countries, hopes this model HARMLESS study will encourage the development of similar studies across the globe to extend satellite use to various everyday applications. In this article, we will demon strate how the use of Galileo and European Global Navigation Overlay Service ( EGNOS ) satellite systems could be used in emergency management, humanitar ian aid, and law enforcement.Emergency ManagementThe priority emergency management applications that were studied in detail to assess the technical, market, and social benefits of satellites included: General survey Route guidance Tracking and monitoring of dangerous cargoes Team location during trials Team location tracking Monitoring and control Increased safety Regarding general survey, the use of satellite navigation software allows for increased capability to update the cartography and more efficiently manage each situation. These benefits in turn allow emergency management staff to more easily merge geographic information with positioning information to identify the most ideal route for the fastest response. In addition, some of the specific technology with the satellite navigation system allows for improved applications. For example, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS ) accuracy helps to track and monitor danger ous cargoes. Also, Galileo audit capabilities guarantee service and enhanced availability to increase current utility. The system also allows for coupling with applications, such as route guidance, to improve tracking team locations. With a community of users needing an improved navigation system, this market is ideal to target. In addition to Galileo providing future improvements to fur ther develop the effectiveness of satellite applications for team location tracking, monitoring and control, the hierarchical system is well-fitted to fulfill important emergency management objectives. This user community truly demands this type of improved technology to provide search and rescue and other critical disaster management functions.Humanitarian AidThere are numerous organizations and international agencies that share a common humanitarian aid agenda. When studying satellite navigation systems in such a crucial field, HARMLESS research analyzed the following applications: Damages assessment Personnel security Search and rescue coordination Internally displaced person(s) and refugee camp management Global monitoring and tracking of aid shipments Epidemiological mapping With such a large number of humanitarian organizations involved with satellite technology already, the navigation system integrates the damage assessment criteria that were established by the United Nations (UN) Spatial Data infrastructure. The damage assess ment system also serves as a precursor to sectorial needs assessments.
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Insight33SatMagazine March 2009 In addition to improving staff security and resource management and providing essential cross cutting applications for personnel security, the study found that the navigation system also provided considerable growth in security budgets for humanitarian aid operations in risk areas. Signal augmentation technologies helped to develop search and rescue coordination, and future improvements offered by Galileo systems will allow for additional enhanced coordination of these efforts. The HARMLESS study concluded that refugee camp management also significantly improved with satellite navigation systems. The system is scalable in such a away that implementing regular use would present much cheaper and sufficient activity for smaller camps. Specifically, Galileo services guarantee a signal that significantly improves tracking and monitoring of aid shipments. Plus, when operating in dangerous ar eas, users may benefit from the participation of Galileo to the COSPAS SARSAT system (space system for the search for vessels in distress) for epidemiological mapping applications. With such a strong need by non-government organizations and health authorities in this discipline, the epidemiological mapping system aided by specific satellite systems would increase effective communication and related applications within humanitarian aid.Law EnforcementBenefits of satellite management systems within law enforcement may not be as easy to recognize, but the HARMLESS study identified applicable priorities to include: Management of patrol units Police tracking and dispatch Tracking of rejected asylum seekers Tracking in parole and probation Suspect tracking and bait activation Most of the existing systems are limited to vehicles rather than personnel or other portable assets, allowing law enforcement patrol to use the technology easily. In addition, use of these technologies reduces costs by improving the efficiency and minimizing risk. The European GNSS will also introduce additional functions, thus enhancing the perceived value of the system for
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Insight34SatMagazine March 2009 both management of patrol units and general police tracking and dispatch.Tracking, whether rejected asylum seekers or suspects, or for parole and probation enforcement, is a very important, potential market for these technologies. The study suggests high maturity for both the GNSS receivers and software, allowing for increased tracking ability. In addition, the necessary software for suspect tracking demonstrated a high level of maturity, and Galileo acts as a significant enabler for parole and probation tracking. There is a significant potential for the future of this application as well; for example, the combination of Galileo within the GNSS scenario should help to increase the usage of suspect tracking. When law enforcement applied satellite navigation to bait activation, the pursuit of a luxury bait car could lead the police to a network of stolen cars. This can create significant financial and social benefits, which can be recognized from the decrease in theft rates in cities where this system is currently being used.ConclusionGMVs HARMLESS study illustrated that there are numerous practical applications for satellite navigation technologies within the emergency management, humanitarian aid and law enforcement disciplines that addressed and improved safety concerns. Using this study as a model, the research should be repeated across other sectors internationally in order for the technologies to continue to improve navigation, search and rescue efforts, public regulated service, and other critical functions within the studied user communities. With the HARMLESS research serving as a demonstration that future applications of navigation technologies in everyday fields exist, GMV urges other technological business groups to take similar steps to integrate satellite navigation as a practical technology of the future.About the author Jos Caro received his Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics in 1996. He joined GMV in 1998, as part of the Global Navigation Satellite System division. Since then, he has worked in satellite navigation related projects, most of them in the EGNOS program (the European SBAS), as one of the designers and developers of the facility in charge of computing the SBAS GEO corrections. He is currently the head of the GNSS Advanced Systems Division, where he manages several projects that apply GNSS to emergency management. These projects include FP6 studies (coordinator of HARMLESS, participation in MAGES) and the development of the osmgrafoTM, a proprietary system that determines the area covered by the smell sense of search and rescue dogs.
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SatMagazine March 200935Focus Use Of Extended C-Band With Mobile Antennas In Indiaby Paul Seguin, author, & Bhumika Bakshi, contributor, C-COMFrom dial-up in the 90s to broadband connections in the early 2000s, and now to mobile satellite communications, Internet connectivity in the Asian sub-continent has evolved exponentially over the past decade. A growing demand for high speed Internet in the cities as well as in remote areas has led to an early penetration of satellite broadband in these countries.C-COM entered the Asian market in 2005 when the Company sold its first iNetVu 1.2m mobile autopointing antenna system to Korea, followed by sales to other countries such as Australia, China, Japan, India, Malaysia, Indone sia, and Vietnam, to name a few. With huge popula tions in China and India, satellite communications is on the upswing and has an enormous potential for growth in these regions.In mid 2008, C-COM received an order for six iN etVu systems from India. The order consisted of four Ku-band systems and two 1.8m extended C-band antenna systems with iNetVu 9000 controllers and high wattage transmitters (BUCs). Standard C-band is frequently used for broadcasting television signals, Internet delivery, data communication, voice telephony, and aviation systems. As it is less susceptible to rain fade than Kuband, it is often used in tropical areas where heavy rainfall would interfere with standard Ku-band transmission.Although Ku-band satellites broadcast at a higher power and higher frequency, this does not translate into more available bandwidth. In the past, VSAT operators migrated from C-band frequencies to Ku-band in order to benefit from smaller dish requirements, and lower equipment cost. Over time this trend has freed up bandwidth on Cband transponders, and thus now C-band is more readily
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FocusSatMagazine March 200936 available and typically less expensive.Four of the iNetVu Ku-band systems were configured to be fully integrated with the Wavestream 25 Watt SSPA BUCs. This task required the iNetVu antennas to be modified to handle the Management and Control (M&C) features that were specific to the Wavestream BUCs. Physically, the iNetVu platforms could easily handle the size of the Wavestream BUCs, although a new method of attaching these BUCs had to be designed and developed. The Wavestream BUCs have intelligence built into them and have the capability to provide a number of feedback features via a group of LEDs. Certain elements of their operational characteristics can be managed by discrete switches or by software using the M&C port. In an effort to provide the cleanest most user friendly solution possible, C-COM decided to design and build a Wavestream compatible rack mountable Power Supply with M&C port, LED display panel and control switches. This device was connected to the platform using a multi-conductor cable which provides for a very clean installation. The platforms were configured and needed to be tested in-house for full functionality before they would pass the Quality Assurance ( QA ) checks. This presented a challenge as the LNBs used were designed for a frequency range used in India this frequency was not readily available in North America. A decision was made to await shipment until the units preceding the order were fully tested in Canada. Following further investigations, it was found that by pushing the envelope slightly on the frequency range, we could test the LNBs for operational status. The BUCs were also functionally tested and verified as were the BUC Power Supplies before the units were QA tested and prepared for shipment. When the systems were installed in India, all of the Ku-band systems were deployed with the clients modem. The Ku-band systems were operating on a satellite where a DVB car rier was available that enabled smooth deployment of the systems. Standard C-band is mostly used by SNG and TV operators and there is heavy employment of this bandwidth over existing satellites, whereas C-band linear extended transponders (often called Extended C-band) are more powerful and generally tend to be under-utilized. In countries such as India where the climate is dominated by monsoons, convective thunderstorms are extremely common. Many satellite communication systems operate on C-band and extended C-band frequencies to minimize the rain fade effect and perform better under such adverse climatic conditions. On the other hand, clear weather fading can also affect the link reliability for satellite communication in a similar way as in rain or storm. C-band and extended C-band usually require bigger dishes due to lower density of signal but have the advantage of covering a wider geographical area and avoiding the need to double hop.This was the first time C-COM had the opportunity to work with an extended C-band antenna system requirement that needed extensive customization by the client.We were able to identify the wave guides for the extended frequency range for INSAT satellites. Our mechanical engineers custom designed a motorized polarization assembly to integrate the extended linear feed assembly. The polarization assembly then needed to be prototyped, manufactured, and tested with the 1.8m antenna. This entire process was completed within a month as it required only partial modifications from the standard linear C-band iNetVu antenna system. iNetVu 1.2m and 1.8m units being tested in Delhi iNetVu 9000 controller
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SatMagazine March 200937Focus The C-COM antenna controllers were designed to use one of three methods for locating the correct satellite. This particular client presented a situation whereby none of the existing methods could be used. The first method of finding the satellite that C-COM developed on their original iNetVu 5000 controller was the RF Search with modem confirmation. This method requires the iNetVu controller communicate to the modem in its native language, allowing the modem to confirm the satellite found was the correct satellite. While this method is deployed around the world with many users, in this case, due to the limitation of not knowing the frequency used until after the satellite had been locked onto, the modem could not confirm the appropriate satellite as correct. The second method developed by C-COM was the DVB carrier method. DVB parameters are loaded into the on-board DVB receiver and through a custom software application, once the correct satellite is found, confirmation is given by the DVB receiver. In this particular case the satellite being used did not have a DVB carrier in the required band and polarity. The third method uses DVB plus modem confir mation. As the client does not have an available DVB carrier, this method could not be used either. It was at this point that the engineers at C-COM had to look at an alternative method to locate the satellite for the client. C-COMs integration team began to investigate how to implement this extended C-band system solution, one that would allow the iNetVu 9000 controller to find the appropriate satellite the customer wished to use. Unfortunately, there was no DVB carrier in the extended C-band range. To use the RF with modem verifi cation was not an option, as the particular modem the customer wanted to use was not yet integrated with the iNetVu controllers. Given these were the only ways the iNetVu controller could locate the satellite, it was concluded that C-COM
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FocusSatMagazine March 200938 had but two options possible to make this system work. One was to integrate the iNetVu controller with a beacon receiver, and the second was to integrate the customer specific modem to work with the iNetVu controller. As beacon signals are not always unique, CCOM decided to pursue both options to assure system scalability and provide flexibility to the customer. A technique exists in the satellite world of using a beacon signal provided by the satellite operator to allow remote clients to determine the attenuation or power of signals in such situations. A device that can lock onto this beacon signal is called a beacon receiver. It measures the RF input level of a signal with very specific electrical characteristics and provides this infor mation to a control system. The main application of this device is in antenna tracking systems where the receiver provides the tracking signal level to the anten na controller. Other applications using this technique are used in pilot measurement and control loops such as uplink power control. C-COMs engineers integrated the iNetVu 9000 controller with a beacon receiver much the same way they would integrate an off the shelf satellite modem. They made it possible for the iNetVu 9000 controller to communicate with the receiver which would confirm to the controller that the receiver has located the required satellite. The next step was to identify the modem the customer intended to use and gather all the parameters required to properly interface the modem to the iNetVu controller. Firmware and software was developed to allow the customers modem to interface with the iNetVu controller. This 1RU duplex modem covers virtually all Satellite IP, Telecom, Video and Internet applications. The iNetVu controllers now support two models of this off-the-shelf commercially available modem. The customization for the system was not yet fully completed. After integrating the iNetVu controller with the modem, the engineers moved on to building a beacon receiver interface. This external 19-inch rack mount self contained 1U unit can detect the power density of the satellite beacon (930MHz 2300MHz) and connects to the controller via an RS232 serial port interface. It has been integrated to work with all the iNetVu controllers. The success of this project was that C-COM fully addressed the client requirements and added a Beacon Receiver solution as the fourth method to locate the satellite, the other three methods being RF, DVB, and RF/Modem. C-COMs CTO, Bilal Awada says, Our engineers have used their combined talents to come up with a unique solution for this specific application and we are very pleased with the outcome. It was a winwin situation for both of us. The customer got what he wanted and C-COM can now add two new integrated products into its product portfolio. To provide a comprehensive solution for the 1.8m extended C-band antenna system for India, C-COM used its in-house expertise in satellite RF, electronics, mechanical design, and software development. To ensure complete customer satisfaction, C-COM sent its RF technologist to the customers site in India to demon strate both integrated solutions to the customer and to confirm the integrated solutions the customer was seeking worked as expected. This project, which was accomplished in a relatively short time, considering its complexity, confirms the flexibility of the iNetVu controller and the ability of the high quality engineering talent at C-COM. This team was able to create an imaginative and useful custom solution for this specific application which will be sold to many other customers world wide, who are looking for this type of flexibility. C-COM has received a significant follow up order from the same customer in India as a result of this effort, who was very impressed with the speed with which this solution was completed, the quality of the product he received and the ease of use of this unique custom application said Dr. Leslie Klein, President and CEO of C-COM Satellite Systems Inc.About the author Paul Seguin is a Satellite Application Specialist with C-COM Satellite System Inc. Prior to joining C-COM, Paul spent 5 years working as a C-COM value added reseller, selling mobile and fixed systems throughout North America and the Caribbean. Paul has more than 18 years of communications experience which include developing software, hardware as well as communication and security applications for the Canadian Banking industry. Contributors to the ArticleDr. Leslie KleinPresident & CEO, C-COM Bilal AwadaCTO, C-COM
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39SatMagazine March 2009 Insight NSR Executive Brieng Satellite IPTV Pragmatismby Carlos Placido, NSRTechnology pragmatism is clearly a stamp on todays competitive television environment. Much focus is often given to cross-platform moves made by last-mile distributors. However, the current situation of content abundance and bandwidth bottlenecks also has implications for wholesale players, some with satellite-based advanced offerings that intend to bring efficiencies to the food chain at the B2B level. In this category we find a number of players including Avail Media and EchoStar in North America, as well as those with regional scope in Latin America including IPTV Americas and Telefonica.The Retail PictureWith TV digitization, PC-TV convergence and growth in HD screen penetration and services, it is no secret that television is going through the single most profound transformation since the arrival of color TV in the 1970s. As Internet pressures build up and consumers begin to take back their atten tion from traditional media, it could even be argued that the long-term impact of the mass-personalization forces transforming television is rather on the league of the impact experienced in the 1950s, with the arrival of broadcast TV itself.Content owners realize that multiple distribution channels are the only way to reach the largest distributed audience, and are thus rely ing on a mix of technologies and approaches. Best examples can be found in U.S. broadcasters, who in order to regain eyeballs going to cable TV and the Internet are increasingly putting their content online as well as planning free digital mobile TV offerings. Another, perhaps even surprising, example is CNN that is now relying on a mix of client-server and peer-to-peer ( P2P) distribution for their live video feed at CNN.com. The company providing the P2P plug-in to Flash video players is reportedly also working with European broadcasters exploring P2P distribution.
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40SatMagazine March 2009 Insight NSR Executive BriengPushed by both content owners and consumers seeking liquidity to find one another through multiple means, Cable MSOs, telcos, and DTH operators are all adopting pragmatic strategies across traditionally competitive platforms. Such strategies have the objective of keeping and expanding their user base while containing competition from bundled offerings as well as from emerging over-the-top (OTT) providers, which squeeze the net neutrality Internet principle to offer services without ownership of last mile resources. This platform-agnostic competitive situation leads NSR to believe that platform-bounded service competition is ending. Examples abound, but the following iconic cases can be highlighted: EchoStar launched a telcodeveloping Slingcable and WiMAX The Wholesale PictureRecently, a number of developments highlight that technology pragmatism is the name of the game even in wholesale offerings. While the U.S. sector is still recovering from the news of SES dropping its IP-Prime linear satellite IPTV offering, both Avail Media and EchoStar believe they will succeed through a more converged approach. Avail Media has adopted a service model that combines linear and non-linear delivery service. It has recently reached 1 million non-linear IPTV subscribers helped by its acquisition of VOD content distribution company ViewNow. Avail Media is also pitching both small telcos and cable operators to use its services. It is able to do so with their existing service by performing edge processing adaptation, so that the IP-encapsulated service can be used both by telcos in IP native format across their DSL plant, as well as by cablecos via transmodulation to QAM for last mile digital cable distribution. EchoStar, on the other hand, is pushing forward a platform-agnostic multi-screen strategy via a combination of moves that could at times look spasmodic or unrelated but that are aimed to converge over time. These include launching a telco-friendly parallel IP
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41SatMagazine March 2009 Insight NSR Executive Briengsatellite lineup called VipTV targeted at small U.S. telcos, despite possible cannibalization implications for some Dish Network DTH subscribers. EchoStar is also on the path of integrating DVR technology with Sling Media, effectively taking both the time and place tyr annies out of TV distribution. Its developments around the recently announced Sling-loaded HD-DVR, the 700 MHz spectrum acquisition being vacated by broadcasters, and manufacturing devices for the cable industry (including Tru2Play set top boxes and HD-DVRs) clear ly places the company in a platform-agnostic path.The Latin America CaseIn NSRs forward-looking assessment of trends in IPTV via satellite titled IPTV via Satellite, 2nd Edition (released in 2007), it was stated: Despite operators need to diversify their business, satellite IPTV in Latin America is expected to grow slowly due to obstacles including existing legislation, low broadband penetration and competitively-priced cable TV offerings. Lack of local-loop unbundling legislation in countries such as Mexico further deters competition. In the short-term, telcos will rely on DTH partnerships to offer bundled triple play, while continuing with pilot IPTV projects. NSR expects that either Telefonica or IPTV Americas will make use of satellite capacity to effectively distribute content as broadband access spreads into lower density cities. Fast forwarding to 2009, such assessment in early 2007 could not paint todays reality better, as both IPTV Americas and Telefonica are now moving in the anticipated direction. In January 2009, IPTV Americas announced a partnership with SES New Skies to provide a wholesale IPTV distribution via satellite in Latin America. Almost simultaneously, in November 2008, Telefonica announced at NexTV in Buenos Aires that it intends to use its DTH platform for white-label wholesale distribution to small and medium-sized operators in the region.IPTV Americas initially attempted to offer a wholesale IPTV service to major Latin American telcos by hosting its super-headend at the NAP of the Americas in
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42SatMagazine March 2009 Insight NSR Executive BriengMiami, Florida, and distributing such pre-packaged ser vice via submarine and terrestrial fiber to major telcos in the region. Such an approach implied that it would only be able to reach fiber-reachable major cities in the region, which were clearly in the hands of major PTTs such as Telefonica or Telmex, who can build their own TV headend systems. Reaching the more fragmented cable and small to medium-size telco market geographically distributed across the region and without advanced terrestrial backhaul infrastructure would require the use of satellite distribution. This is what IPTV Americas now intends to use, possibly gearing initially toward the more fragmented and TV satellite-receptive cable sector.Telefonica knew that replicating its DSL-based Imagenio IPTV service from Spain would involve new challenges in Latin America. While IPTV pilots have taken place, the large geography in the region, coupled with language and content commonalities, moderate-to-low ARPU and less developed DSL broadband infrastructure clearly facilitated the case for a DTH approach with regional scope. Telefonica currently has around one million DTH subscribers across the region in countries like Brazil, Chile, Venezuela and Peru. In Chile, Telefonica has even been able to capture almost 20 percent of the pay TV market after just two years. More recently, it decided that it could tap into the existing consumer-packaged DTH service to also service at a wholesale level telcos introducing IPTV and cable operators digitizing, although clearly not on a non-discriminatory basis whenever this means competition to itself.Clearly, NSR anticipated specific events with regional impact that started to materialize 20 months later. Such anticipation did not come from insider information; as the report was written possibly well before the companies even planned for such offerings, but rather from a holistic regional analysis of the forces shaping the business involving factors such as players power balance, pay TV penetration, cable play and broadband penetration.Holistic AnalysisAs stated in other articles and research studies, NSR strongly believes that the business of television can no longer be analyzed without looking into the conver gence forces shaping the business. While this holds particular relevance in developed markets with high Pay-TV penetration and churn-fighting contexts, such an approach has also proved to be effective in predicting industry behavior in regions such as Latin America where pay TV has plenty of room to grow. Technology pragmatism is the rule of the game in the new converged services area, a context clearly influencing the decision of major players at both retail and wholesale ends of the TV distribution spectrum.Source Information for this article was extracted from the NSR report entitled: Mobile TV and Mobile Video, 2nd Edition
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43 Event ProleSatMagazine March 2009 ISCe 2009 SATCOM Conference Is RevealingThe Military NGOs First Responders Government Agencies all require secure and viable access to SATCOM solutions in order to respond to their crucial missions with success. Such is becoming increasingly difficult to ensure SAT COM environs continue to change as new technolo gies and new processes are brought into play, capacity is hard to acquire, and increasing costs can play havoc with budgets. How can one update their knowledge as to these changes, quickly and effectively?One path to an updated understanding of changing environments is the ISCe 2009 event SATCOM Solutions For Military and Civil Agencies in a Changing Environment. This conference is going to be conducted from June 2nd through June 4th at the fabulous San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina in San Diego, California. Co-sponsored by the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) and the Global VSAT Forum ( GVF), the venue is also the home for the 3rd Annual Navy Commercial SATCOM Users Workshop.This year, there are special pre-event training workshops presented on Monday, June 1st. Workshop A is Communications for Disaster Relief and Emergency Management, which will be offered from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with emphasis on...Review of CEM program requirements (experience, education, professional contri butions and more) Explanation of the Associate Emergency Manager program requirements; applica tion procedures, and tips for successful program completionAn overview of the CEM / AEM exam, the standards upon which the exam is based, sample exam questions along with a Q&A period.
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44 Event ProleSatMagazine March 2009 The instructor is Nick Crossley, the CEM Commissioner. Additionally, two certifications will be offered by the IAEM, those being the Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) and the Associate Emergency Manager (AEM).Workshop B, also a full day session, is focused on Satellite Technology and Networks and is presented by UCLA Extension and Application Technology Strategy, Inc. ( ATSI). Presented will be the fundamen tals, applications, and approaches for satellite networks used in military and civil government environs. Presenting the course is Bruce Elbert, MSEE and MBA, President of ATSI. Those attending will receive infor mation regarding and how these can be overcome of the military for mobility and broadband network and the approach for using commercial satellites at State-of-the art approaches for emergency commuThe conference will be presenting VIP speakers in the mornings, at breakfast, and a number of intriguing sessions to follow each day:Tuesday, June 2 10:30 a.m.Civil ISATCOM Solutions Helping to Overcome the Toughest Challenges for Emergency ManagementMilitary IHosted Payloads: Cost-Effective Solutions for Gov-ernment Requirements in Space Session 1:30 p.m. Civil IIIntegrating SATCOM with Terrestrial Networks to Meet the Needs and Requirements of National Civil AgenciesMilitary IIGround Systems and the End User Networked Mobility and Portability4:00 p.m.Closing Plenary SessionTelcom and SATCOM: Key Tools for Reconstruction and Nation-building 5:30 p.m.Evening Reception, hosted by SSPIWednesday, June 3rd9:00 a.m.Plenary PanelInterview with Military Leaders: Effective SATCOM for Military Users: Accomplishing the Mission within Fiscal Realities11:00 a.m.Civil IIISATCOM Technologies to Facilitate Broadband Mo-bile Applications for Civil AgenciesMilitary IIIAdvanced MILSATCOM Systems Update: 2010 and Beyond! 1:30 p.m.Civil IVKuand Ka-band Terminals, Systems and Solutions for Civil AgenciesMilitary IVCombatant Commands Perspectives3:30 p.m.Closing Plenary SessionNew Administration, New Priorities: Whats the Im-pact on the Industry from New/Modified Federal Requirements?5:30 p.m.ISCe Awards Dinner and ReceptionSelect the graphic below or enter http://www.isce.com/registration for more information.
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SatMagazine March 200945Focus Information Wherever and Whenever...by Carlton van Putten, Blue Sky NetworkToday, most people cant imagine taking a road trip without a cell phone. What would happen if you got lost trying to follow directions, or ended up on the side of the road with a flat tire? Each scenario could be a problem if drivers didnt have at their fingertips the ability to call and speak with a friend who could get them going in the right direction, or for the assistance of a local towtruck driver who could replace the tire. Given this reality, why would one fly in any aircraft without these same sorts of reassurances? Affordable technologies exist enabling every aircraft to be equipped with devices that ensure they are never off the radar and are in constant communication with those on land and in the air.Higher Levels Of ControlDevices that allow for the tracking of aircraft anywhere on the globe while providing constant communication are Blue Sky Networks D1000A and D1000C satellite communications kits. The GPS tracking of aircraft ensure managers have near real time details on a fleet. With tracking technologies, it is made known where a flight is going, if it is delayed, tracks the current speed, the amount of fuel onboard, or if the flight is off path. With a proven Iridium transceiver and compact control unit, the D1000A is able to be connected to a laptop, PDA, or EFB. This device can send and receive messages between aircraft and ground including automat ed aircraft position reports. The D1000A also offers a built-in, or remotely mounted, control head that has an On/Off switch, LED indicators for signal and message
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FocusSatMagazine March 200946 waiting along with a Mayday alert button. Furthermore, through Blue Sky Networks web-based asset management portal, SkyRouter, information can be accessed from anywhere. With this sort of information comes increased flight safety as managers know the location of a flight at all times and can respond accordingly. Combine proven tracking with voice capabilities and a flight becomes even more secure. If any issues arise en route pilots are able to contact controllers on the ground and get necessary assistance. Likewise, those on the ground are able to speak or text message those in the air and exchange information. Blue Sky Networks C1000A offers ultimate versatility for Iridium satellite voice and dial-up data. With the option of integrating the solution with an existing telephone system or wire analog handsets throughout the aircraft for voice connectivity.Increased ManageabilityWith the D1000A supported by Blue Sky Networks SkyRouter, air transport and flight operations managers, dispatchers, and even customers have the power to control aviation assets from their desk, or anywhere, with an Internet connection. SkyRouter is an entirely unique global web portal designed to support dispersed critical assets worldwide. This web portal provides a global mapping solution with near real-time views of fleet activity. Operators are able to use the built-in flight planning tools for scheduling flights for an entire day and calculate the effect of re-routing and re-scheduling. In the event of an emergency, SkyRouter has built-in alerting notification mechanisms, either in the map display or via e-mail/SMS.Accessing SkyRouter allows aviation asset managers to:Access advanced flight following on a global, layered map Configure/update transceiver remotely Receive event notifications for emergency, take-off, landing, minimum en-route altitude, quick position / Mayday alerts, inactive units and more Send and receive two-way email messages Manage alert settings Create FAA-type flight plans Receive telemetry data Create additional user accounts Manage account, such as billing, data usage, and account information Cougar Helicopters (Newfoundland, Canada) uses SkyRouter in the tracking of its helicopters and work boats. This enables Cougars managers to login and locate any equipped supply vessel or helicopter, elimi nating the need for them to call ahead for updates on its location, or to find out if they can beat bad weather. Before having such capabilities, logistics mangers spent a significant amount of time determining where cargo shipments were in relationship to their route. Now, managers find those cargo shipments more easi ly and can even offer access to the information to their customers so they, too, can track their shipments. Not only did the Cougar experience direct cost savings, improved communications, and higher levels of control, but their customer satisfaction increased as well. The benefits and needs for tracking capabilities aboard aircraft are clear, the most obvious being in the event of an emergency, every aircraft should be capable of sending a distress signal, which can be traced to its location. A craft should never go down undetected and a technology such as the D1000A ensures such does not happen. Furthermore, if you are a fleet and logistics manager looking to streamline business as you increase security voice and data technologies are critical to have aboard your craft.About the author As Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Carlton van Putten is responsible for worldwide sales and marketing for Blue Sky Network. His responsibilities encompass sales and channel management, corporate communications, and product marketing activities. In more than a decade of senior management experience, Carlton has filled several senior management positions at start-ups and multi-national corporations, including COO of Maredy Corporation, President of Rivus Internet Group, and as Vice President of Marketing at Stream International and Focus Enhancements.
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47SatMagazine March 2009 Insight Euroconsult Executive Brieng Broadcast Through The Crisisby Pacome Revillon Managing Director, Euroconsult As Euroconsult and many others in the industry have regularly underlined, TV broadcasting is the leading revenue driver for FSS satellite operators, with over two thirds of operators involved in distribution of TV channels. In recent years, demand for satellite capacity for TV broadcasting has grown by up to 10 percent per year, with broadcasters signing long-term contracts sometimes for the lifetime of the satellite. As such, they provide satellite operators important visibility and stability over time. Large decreases in capacity usage generally only occur when there is a failure or a merger of satellite pay-TV platforms, both of which have proved to be very limited. Even mergers usually result in stronger market players which tend to result in new channel additions and capacity requirements over time. Crisis = Mixed Impact On Satellite Pay-TV PlatformsAs a business to consumer ( BtoC) industry, satellite pay-TV platforms have heavy exposure to the current economic crisis. Overall expectations are for a slowdown in subscriptions to pay-TV services, while nearly every country will be impacted by this recession of historical proportions.Still, a major decrease in the number of subscribers remains unlikely in most markets. This is due to a number of different factors, including yearly subscription commitments and the addition of a number of services such as digital video recording, which have succeeded in reducing churn levels in recent years. Simultaneously, satellite pay-TV platforms derive most of their revenue from subscriptions rather than advertising. This
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48SatMagazine March 2009 may lighten the impact of the crisis on them, as compared to free-to-air ( FTA) TV channels. However, the crisis may still result in the failure of platforms that have recently launched as they may not be able to reach criti cal size. GTV in Africa recently declared bankruptcy, and other cases may follow in the coming months. In markets where satellite pay-TV only recently took off, and where several platforms are in head-to-head competition to sign subscribers, consolidation similar to what followed the telecom and media crisis of the early 2000s could be expected. Competition To Still Drive GrowthWhile certain market players may suffer deeply during this crisis, several factors may still point to continued growth in capacity demand for TV broadcasting in the next two years. First, a number of new platforms that were recently launched and are still striving to reach critical mass may still need to add channels to their initial packages. This may be especially relevant in markets where several platforms are in competition. Second, a number of the newer platforms are backed by telecom operators eager to provide TV services on a national scale as part of their triple play strategies. Such platforms are expected to enlarge their offerings significantly over time in order to compete with established platforms. This, in turn, should result in demand for satellite capacity. Third, while satellite is considered by many a complementary network for optimizing distribution, the economic crisis is expected to result in a decrease in investments in fiber optic and other terrestrial broadband networks. Satellites very high level of cost effectiveness for TV distribution could increase its impor tance telecom operators strategies in the medium to long term. Fourth, beyond Direct-to-Home ( DTH) satellite reception, competition between terrestrial networks is expected to result in increased demand for content, which could result in more satellite capacity used. Thematic TV channels, eager to recover losses in certain markets, may also seek additional distribution rights on new platforms and countries, which could benefit satellite operators.HDTV A Growth DriverChannel additions may still slow down in 2009 as TV broadcasters become more cautious regarding investments. However, there is one area where growth is expected high definition television (HDTV).Insight Euroconsult Executive Brieng Euroconsult report: HDTV in Europe
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49SatMagazine March 2009 HDTV, already largely developed in the U.S., is on the cusp of strong growth phase, at least in Europe. As a just-released Euroconsult report on prospects for HDTV in Europe points out, the number of networks offering HD tripled in the last two years. As HD is about to become a standard feature of TV sets in Europe, the addressable market for HD services is growing strongly and could reach a penetration rate of 51 percent of TV households by 2010. Households actually receiving HD ser vices, which stood at around 4 million last year, are expected to reach 39 mil lion households by 2012. Consequently, increasing demand for satellite capacity for HD is expected in the region over the next three years as broadcasters expand offerings to address increasing demand. In other regions, while HDTV offerings are expected to remain more limited, a large number of satellite pay-TV broadcasters in Africa and Asia indicated last year they expected to launch at least limited HDTV offerings of up to three channels in number. While the crisis may force some to postpone certain services, HD is expected to represent a support for satellite demand through the crisis. Mobile Digital Broadcasting Facing A Market Redenition In recent years the mobile audio and radio broadcasting market has appeared to face a real challenge to its business model. For this segment, the crisis may lead to a restructuring and redefinition of the market. In the US., the recently merged Sirius XM, provider of mobile digital audio broadcasting ( DAB ) services, appeared to be on the brink of Chapter 11 before a saving lifeline was tossed to them by Liberty Media. While the drop in car sales in the US has undoubtedly been a blow to operations and growth prospects for the DAB service provider, difficulty reaching break even after eight years of operations underscores the challenges of the related business model and of the critical market Insight Euroconsult Executive Briengsize required to survive. Worldspace filed for bankruptcy in late 2008, jeopardizing initial plans for a DAB ser vice that was launched in Italy in 2009. Mobile video services are still in definition phase. However, it appears that ultimately, satellite would likely play a gap filler role for terrestrial coverage in most markets, with services to be packaged by cellular oper ators. However, the market still faces major uncertainties that are only exacerbated by the current crisis.
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50SatMagazine March 2009 Market players in many countries are still struggling to define revenue distribution in function of the value each brings including terminal manufacturers, cel lular operators, other network operators (towers, satellites), pay-TV packagers, TV channels, and content producers. Negotiations may become quite tense, due to potential limited revenue prospects in terms of subscribers, ARPU, and advertising revenues at least in the short term. For operators the challenge remains establishing a role as a key node in the distribution network, from the start of service. While the ICO-G1 satellite completed testing in early January, agreements for national ser vice distribution have yet to be announced (beyond short-term, geographically limited service tests). In Europe, allocation of spectrum by the European Commission is still an ongoing process. While a choice among the four confirmed bidders is expected this year, a delay in the decision process could complicate satellite operators ability to negotiate with terrestrial market players, potentially limiting their ability to take advantage of future market growth.For FSS operators, strong orbital positions for TV broadcasting will be key assets through the crisis Continued strength of satellite TV broadcasting should limit the impact of the crisis for FSS operators. While some market players are exposed to the risk of failure of certain TV broadcasters, the crisis will once again stress the importance of having strong and attractive orbital positions. Those assets may represent the primary element of value of operators and their best protection through the crisis. About the author: Pacome Revillon is Managing Director of Euroconsult since 2003, a leading international research and consulting company specialized in satellite communications and broadcasting with over 560 clients in 51 countries. Pacome contributes to numerous consulting assignments in the satellite broadcasting and communications markets for international companies including satellite operators, satellite TV platforms, TV channels, media groups, manufacturers, investment banks, private equity funds and public institutions. Pacome is the editor of several Euroconsult research reports, the Satellite Communications and Broadcasting Markets Survey, ten-year World Markets Forecasts; the Satellite TV Platforms, ten-year World Survey and Prospects; the HDTV in Europe, key Economics and ten-year Prospects and the World Mobile Satellite Communications Market Survey, ten-year Prospects. For more info: www.euroconsult-ec.co m. Insight Euroconsult Executive Brieng
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SatMagazine March 200951Focus Connected Home Entertainment for DBS Operatorsby Troy Brandon + Jon Iwanaga, EntropicSatellite, Cable, Telco or even free broadcast TV how is a consumer to make the correct selection? Subscription cost is certainly a key factor, but if it were the sole criteria, the operator with the lowest monthly cost would grab the entire mar ket. Instead, consumers look for features that provide genuine value to them. In a business where competi tors all have access to the same media content the challenge is how an operator can bring to bear a distinctive value to the subscriber. This provides the opportunity for service operators to establish brand loyalty, especially if that value is unique to the operator. Service operators have rolled out pay-per-view ( PPV), video-on-demand ( VoD), digital-video-recorders ( DVRs) and added high-definition ( HD) content to their networks in order to increase average revenue per user (ARPU) for existing subscribers and to attract new subscribers from another operator. What an operator really needs are features that increase ARPU and attract new subscribers as well as increasing switching costs for subscribers so a switch to another operator becomes more difficult. A home network, set up and managed by a service operator, can enable features and services that provide these results. Pure-play satellite TV operators already come to the game somewhat handicapped as they are unable to offer high-speed broadband access themselves. However, just because a DBS operator doesnt own a broadband connection does not mean a home network would not be useful in increasing ARPU and reducing churn. According to Parks Associates in their recent report Home Networks for Consumer Electronics, home networking will reach 167 million households worldwide by the end of 2008 and is forecast to reach 250 million households by year-end 2013. The home entertainment networking segment is expected to grow even faster. Parks Associates forecasts home entertainment networking penetration to grow from 6.4 million at year-end 2008 to 52 million by yearend 2013 a compound annual growth rate of more than 50 percent.Entropic Communications provides silicon and software solutions that enable DBS operators to overlay a high-speed home network on top of their existing broadcast video services. Using the same coax cable that is used between the low noise block ( LNB) converter and the set-top box ( STB), Entropics MoCA (Multimedia over Coax Alliance) based network solutions enable a 175 Mbps network to be formed between STBs.Additionally, by using Entropics Channel Stacking Switch products in conjunction with the home networking solutions, operator installations can be simplified to the point of a having a single wire from the LNB able support the home network and the video services.
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FocusSatMagazine March 200952 The Multimedia Home NetworkRemember the time before DVR, when only a few consumers knew what it meant to pause, fast-forward, and rewind live TV? It was difficult for consumers to under stand the value of digital-video-recording unless they actually used the technology. But once used, many consumers found they couldnt live without their DVR. Similarly, would you want to return to the days of the dial-up modem? At that time, some questioned the need for anything faster than 56k, but as more broadband users came online, more Internet content appeared that required higher speeds to offer a far richer experience. The point is that the technology in these cases outpaced the consumer and created the desire. Today, the multimedia capable home network is in its early stage consumers and operators are just starting to realize the benefits this technology can deliver. A MoCA home network enables DBS operators to broaden their product offerings. For example, by using the network to connect DVR STBs to non-DVR STBs, the operator can offer room-to-room video streaming. A show recorded in the living room can now be watched in the bedroom or in any other room with an equipped STB. Dad can still watch the time-shifted game on the big TV in the family room and the kids can watch their recorded shows in bedroom, even though the recorded content sits on the family room DVR.A MoCA network has enough bandwidth available to handle four or more simultaneous HD video streams around the home. By attaching a PC or network attached storage device to the operators network, subscribers can access their pictures, music, personal videos and stream that content to the TV perfect for those family gatherings when relatives and guests are sitting around the TV and the subscriber wants to share the content. When connected to a broadband modem, the multimedia home network becomes even more enriching. A MoCA network can enable the DBS operator to offer additional services such as HD VOD, remote DVR programming, and channels of personalized content. Once a network is established, room-to-room gaming, on-line gaming, or social networking becomes possible through the operators STB. A DBS operator can go so far as to manage other aspects of the subscribers home by offering services such as remote PC data backup, home security, and automation. Imagine being able to easily view security camera images from around your home to your TV with the click of a menu item. New, high value features such as these can differ entiate an operator from competitors and create value for a subscriber, leading to a long-term relationship. MoCA for the NetworkOf course, many consumers have set up their own home networks using Ethernet or WiFi gear, but these are primarily used as data networks rather than multimedia networks. We differentiate between data centric networks and multimedia networks because multimedia networks require an additional level of robustness and performance that data centric networks dont offer. For example, although WiFi is perfectly suited to transferring files or browsing the Internet, try streaming, not downloading, multiple HD videos across it. Bandwidth will vary across different points in the home and, even though some bandwidth may be available, current WiFi Ensures co-existence with other services on the same cable
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SatMagazine March 200953Focus technology cannot guarantee enough bandwidth is available to ensure a pristine viewing experience.A multimedia network such as MoCA offers enough bandwidth for multiple streams of HD video and ensures the bandwidth is available at every coax outlet in the home. Operators require this level of robustness, as they cannot tolerate a situation where their home network only works in some areas and with undeter minable bandwidth. The Multimedia over Coax Alliance represents a large cross-section of companies with a common vision to enable the distribution of entertainment media and data throughout the home. MoCA has representation from OEMs that build equipment such as STBs, gateways, and routers; service providers that sell the consumer servic es; and silicon companies who produce the technology that is used to power the network. MoCA is a fully defined network MAC/PHY standard that can establish a full-mesh communications network using existing coax cables found in typical residential dwellings. The targeted application for a MoCA home network is to open the path to previously isolated pockets of multimedia content, providing access to enter tainment content such as HD video, audio, and data traffic in any room with a coax outlet.Coaxial networks provide an ideal physical medium for a high-speed networking as it offers wide bandwidth, a shielded and relatively low noise environment, and is conveniently collocated next to televisions. Unlike other network technologies focused primarily on transferring non-time critical data, MoCA focuses on achieving the key performance specifications critical to support streaming multiple streams of HD video around the home. CSS Value for the Operator By adding Channel Stacking Switch capability to a MoCA home networking solution, DBS operators gain
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FocusSatMagazine March 200954 the opportunity to offer new services and reduce the capital costs associated with new subscriber installa tions and current customer upgrades. In traditional DBS installations, a single cable is run from the outdoor dish or multi-switch to each STB tun er within the home. DVRs have two tuners to support watch and record, so a typical home with four DVRs would require eight unique cable runs. The CSS technology allows these same eight tuners to be supported from a single cable run using standard satellite band splitters. In most cases, the DBS operator can reuse the existing cabling within the home. This pre-existing network has historically gone largely unused during a non CSS DBS installation, resulting in a lost opportunity to leverage the existing cabling and extra labor and material costs to the Operator. A single cable MoCA network allows video-on-demand (VOD) and pay-per-view (PPV) support with only a central, conveniently located internet connection versus a connection at each STB location. The CSS frequency agility is of added benefit as it allows a DBS Operator to create large chunks of BW within the 950MHz -2150MHz band. This entire band is reserved for DBS service which provides the Operator flexibility in where to place the MoCA channel today and reserve band width for the next generation MoCA technology. Cost Savings + More...In the highly competitive pay-TV business, DBS operators will need an array of new services and operational tools to keep providing value to its subscribers. An Entropic MoCA home network enables operators to expand their service offerings and create new value for subscribers and thereby increase ARPU. By combining MoCA and CSS together, DBS operators can gain cost savings from a single cable structure that also supports whole home entertainment networking. Together, MoCA and CSS offer DBS operators proven, ready-to-deploy technology solutions that are future proof, reliable, and cost efficient. Entropic based multimedia home networks yield increased revenue, while its Channel Stacking Switches help minimize costs to provide a net positive impact on the operators bottom line. MoCA plus CSS offers DBS operators and its subscribers a true win-win for connected home entertainment.About the authors Troy Brandon is the Product Line Manager, DBS ODU Solutions at Entropic Communications. He may be reached via his email, troy.brandon@entropic.com Jon Iwanaga is the Product Line Manager, Home Networking at Entropic Communications. He may be contacted via his email, jon.iwanaga@entropic.com
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55SatMagazine March 2009 Insight Near Earth Executive Brieng Informatics Information Wants To Mashby Ian Fichtenbaum, Near Earth LLCOn February 2nd, 2009, Google did something that made its users see red. This reaction was neither the embarrassed states of its many corporate rivals, nor the rage of information privacy advocates, but instead the result of a new release of one of Googles most pop ular and acclaimed pieces of software, Google Earth. Tucked away in this shiny new version was a new feature sure to delight fans of planetary science and imagery at last, users had the option of viewing the planet Earth as well as the red planet, Mars. Through the imagery of NASAs Mars exploration fleet and the prowess of Googles image processing and geospatial capabilities, astronomical aficionados can explore the ridges and valleys of the red planets surface with as much ease as they can now spy on the layout of their own home town. Mountains of imagery that often languished in large NASA databases have now become more accessible to a much larger audi ence. Returning back to Earth, it bears mention ing that so much has happened in how we use pub lic and commercial satellite imagery that we ought to take a step back and see how far weve come and how fast. Only just a little more than a decade ago, not only did Google Earth not exist nor did almost the entire commercial satellite imaging market. IKONOS, the first high-resolution commercial imaging satellite, would not be launched until late 1999 and other satellites years afterwards. Mountains of data from government-operated imaging satellites did indeed exist (as they still very much exist today) but, just like the Mars data, they existed in an obtuse format useful sometimes to experts but inaccessible to the vast majority
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56SatMagazine March 2009 of the public. Even when comprehensive imagery servers, such as the famed Microsoft TerraServer, came online in 1998, common users would still need considerable agility before they could even exclaim I can see my house from here!Underlining this is a fundamental problem with satellite imaging and remote sensing. Human ingenuity has been exceedingly good at building machines that churn out petabytes for megabucks, but it has done a patch poor job of making the data actually useful to people when they need it that is, channeling information from photons to electrons to neurons exactly when those very same neurons need it most. It is here that image collecting meets its match and more sophisticated analysis comes into play. Over the last couple of decades, a very healthy industry has arisen to fill this need for geospatial analysis by bringing to bear processing techniques and interpretation algorithms to weave a fabric of knowledge from the wool of information. To some, this industry is known as geomatics, the gathering, storing, processing, and delivery of geographic information, or spatially referenced information.We can go farther take geospatial imaging and add the wonders of GPS-based navigation, a telecommunications network, databases of transport networks, routing algorithms and some simple machine intelligence and now we have the fast growing multibillion dollar industry of asset tracking and GPS navigation. This, too, has a name many call it telematics.Truth be told, both geomatics and telematics should not be thought of as two separate disciplines but rather as subsets of informatics the analysis of information in general. Information about place, position, and time are just a few different kinds of information that can be brought together to bring forth greater understand ing of the world. To these we can effortlessly add demographic, cultural, medical, conversational, culinary, legal, horticultural, ethical, mathematical, conceptual, and many, many more forms of information. Under the correct circumstance, all of these strands can be combined together into something that can tell us more than the sum of its parts. All of which brings us all the way back to Google Earth and its cousin, Google Maps. The real trail blazing part of the software and the service was not merely the accessible presentation of geography, but the open software architecture which allowed anyone to cross-reference map data against any other readily available data. Hence, the phenomenon of the socalled mash-up: user-created real-estate maps drawn from classified listings, or charts of crime incidents drawn from police reports, or many other similar creations. Informatics in the modern world not only means that all the aforementioned information sources will end getting mashed together, but will do so as a direct consequence of user demand. What will this mean for the business of information? First, as demand grows, expect to see raw data (i.e., raw images and unprocessed databases) becoming more commoditized and for margins to shrink. Conversely, players on the right hand side of the value chain, those who specialize in processing, mashing and interpreting data for geomatics, telematics, and informatics will boast heftier margins, but in a fragmented field. Commodity data providers will eventu ally find themselves either seeking greater scale along the horizontal (a satellite image company moving into other sources of images, such as aerial imagery) or Insight Near Earth Executive Brieng
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57SatMagazine March 2009 expanding into informatics services themselves either through organic growth or by acquisition. Corporate strategists, however, should take note if weve learned anything about the mash-ability of data, its that the sophisticated end-product of today will eventually become a commodity data-point for another mashable tomorrow. The value chain is always moving to the right and they must be ready to move with it. Perhaps the greatest opportunities exist for those who can build platforms for information that become the most widely accepted. Googles greatest success has been in becoming a de facto standard for serving up and organizing the worlds information. History shows that to have such a position is always an enviable one. As Jerry Seinfelds neighbor, the hapless mailman Newman, wisely put it When you control the mail, you control information. If this is indeed the case, then one hopes that Google will use its dominant position in the marketplace more responsibly than Newman was often depicted. If not, its users will, no doubt, find more than a few reasons to see red.About the author Mr. Fichtenbaum is an Associate for Near Earth LLC. Hailing from Canada, he is a graduate of the Master of Management program at the University of British Columbia as well as a Bachelors of Engineering at McGill University. Since graduation, Ian has built a variety of business experience in both the satellite and financial worlds, having worked at the financial firm, Divine Capital Markets, and advised the Montreal-based small satellite startup, CANEUS NPS. He also worked at UBCs Center for Operations Excellence, providing quantitative analysis and decision support tools to industry clients. He is fascinated about the intersection of business, finance and advanced telecom and aerospace technologies and the ties between these fields In addition to his undergraduate and graduate studies, Mr. Fichtenbaum is also a proud alumnus of the International Space University. Insight Near Earth Executive Brieng
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58 FeatureSatMagazine March 2009 The New Battle For The Maritime Customerby Alan GottliebAs the demand for fixed price broadband soars at sea, legions of VSAT providers are invading the maritime market with new services targeted at Inmarsats market. Gottlieb International Group is pleased to provide an overview of the new players, their services, their strategies and how they are likely to emerge as the new leaders in broadband maritime communication.The Maritime market is rapidly evolving. Thanks to the proliferation of Ku-band availability over deep ocean routes, new seamless C-band connectivity, automatic IP switching devices and automatic re-positioning of Kuand C-band antennas at sea, it is no longer necessary to depend on L-band services that are charged by the byte. Fixed price broadband at sea and over deep ocean transcontinental routes is now available and practical for any ship spending more than $3,000 per/ month on pay-by-the-byte Inmarsat services. As the demand for high volume transmission at sea rises, Gottlieb International Group predicts that Lband usage will be confined to a back-up role for large fleet owners with high data demands, or a primary ser vice for those vessels with very low data transmission volumes, typically ships using 100 to 300 megabytes per/month of data transmission with monthly by-thebyte billings of less than $3,000. This dramatic market shift opens huge maritime opportunities for traditional VSAT providers, and the biggest players are rushing to take advantage of what is proving to be a stunning market opportunity.The OpportunityWhile market estimates vary by shipping segment, containerships and tankers alone constitute over 10,000 vessels. Even with the recession, these segments are still growing around 10 percent per/year. In addition, car carriers, general cargo vessels, off-shore oil service fleets and other vessels constitute an additional 30,000 40,000 vessels, many of which would be targets for the new fixed price broadband services. While the revenue opportunity suggests that todays available market is around $360 million for just the containerships and tankers, adoption by other segments and the sale of broadband dependent maritime software applications and services could drive the market size to well over $1 billion in the next threeto five-years. The availability of this market to VSAT is only a recent event driven by the proliferation of Kuband services over deep ocean and new technological innovation. According to Esben Flo, COO of Ship Equip in Norway, only around 800 vessels out of the 10,000 tankers and containerships have VSAT, so the potential for growth is significant.Barriers to EntryGottlieb International Groups market research has conclusively demonstrated that vessel owners and operators have little knowledge of the satellite alternatives available to them as well as the numerous poten tial economic benefits derived from the installation of fixed-price broadband. After meeting with dozens of operators in Greece, Ger many, and Denmark, we found that while savvy on IT issues, vessel owners and operators long-standing dependence on Inmarsat has left them devoid of knowledge regarding other voice and data communication alternatives. Therefore, successful market penetration requires that vendors of VSAT services come armed not only with a dependable, fixed-price broadband pipe but are able to offer access to services and applications that make use of the resource and thereby justify the investment in the new technology.Satellite CoverageKu services are rapidly proliferating across global ocean routes making it possible in the very near future to circumnavigate the globe by roaming across approxiFigure 1 World Ku-band coverage
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59 FeatureSatMagazine March 2009 mately 20 satellite beams. Telesat did launch Telstar 11N and the satellite will cover a substantial portion of the Atlantic and facilitate sailings from the continental U.S. and Europe to South American Ports. GE-23 now covers major Pacific Ocean routes and Eutelsat has recently announced plans to fill among other areas, the last major Ku gap over the Southern Indian Ocean. Intelsat, on the other hand, has recently introduced a promising new C-band service with seamless global coverage as part of its GlobalConnex network. Using this service, vessels can maintain a constant IP address while transversing the globe, as well as enjoy the advantages of automatic beam switching. Hence, depending on individual need, shipboard space availability and budget, ship owners will have a choice of VSAT options available. Both the Cand Kudepend on the latest hardware innovations. Hardware TechnologyFor the Ku providers, two new developments have made services practical. As Ku-band is not always available across every possible ocean route and is sometimes disrupted by rain fade, L-band is a necessary back-up solution. Hardware provider Virtek in Norway is the leading developer of IP switching hardware. They produce an innovative product called the Commbox that facili tates least-cost-routing via automatically (or manually) switching between IP streams. In addition to least cost routing the Virtek Commbox has a unique store
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60 FeatureSatMagazine March 2009 and forward feature that facilitates storing non-urgent, broadband intensive transmissions until the vessel is in range of Ku-band beams. Using the Virtek infrastructure, vessels use Kufixed price broadband whenever available, and only employ Fleet Broadband or Iridium s new OpenPort when Ku is unavailable. Most Kuand C-band systems depend on automatic beam switching technology developed by iDirect and Vipersat. Use of either system facilitates automatic re-pointing of the satellite antennas as a ship transits the globe. It is the combination of automatic beam switching and IP least cost routing combined with greatly enhanced Cand Ku-band coverages of ocean routes that has opened the door to an unprecedented rush by VSAT providers into the maritime market. Here is a review of the new offerings from Intelsat/Hughes Ship Equip, KVH, Speedcast, SingTel, Iridium, and Globalstar all of whom will compete in the merchant segment with existing players, Vizada ( Marlink), SeaMobile Radio Holland and others.The New ServicesIntelsatIntelsat has two major maritime initiatives underway according to Jay Yass, Intelsat Vice President of Network Services. The satellite operator offers an enter prise grade global, seamless C-band service called Network Broadband Global Maritime, featuring always on broadband access, constant IP address and automatic beam switching via the iDi rect platform. While originally focused on world oil and gas shipping markets, the C-band service is gaining greater acceptance in commercial shipping segments. For those operators undeterred by the higher initial antenna cost and additional space requirement, a C-band maritime communications system is a solid choice. Schlumberger and KT of Korea, among others, are currently reselling Intelsats Network Broadband Global Maritime service. In addition to offering a C-band service to oilfield and commercial shipping, Intelsat is also providing a commercial grade Ku-band service to the yachting market via a Hughes Network Systems platform. The Ku-band service is available in the Carib bean, Gulf of Mexico, and Coastal U.S., and runs on the Hughes DVBS2 platform, featuring a 60cm spread spectrum antenna. Intelsat is also exploring value-added services that can be offered, at a distributors or re-sellers option, to their end-user customers. This is designed to allow the distributor to either add value with its own service, or, if it prefers, re-sell one offered by Intelsat. Ship EquipShip Equip is the de facto leader and early pioneer in the installation of both Kuand Cband VSAT systems aboard commercial shipping. Based in Alesund, Nor way, the company is a first mover in the provision of both Cand Ku-band turnkey global and regional ser vices, marketing its offerings under the brand name Sevsat. Gottlieb International Group recently spoke with Esben Flo, COO, regarding trends and the future Figure 3 Ku-/L-band Hybrid infrastructure with Virtek Commbox
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61 FeatureSatMagazine March 2009 of VSAT in maritime. According to Flo, adoption of both C-and Ku-fixed priced broadband is being driven by increased requirements for transfer of data from ship to shore and vice versa, the need to manage and upgrade software applications, crew welfare and shipboard machinery going IP. In par ticular, the trend toward monitoring and control of shipboard systems and equipment is of special interest.In the future, notes Flo, ship owners will be able to monitor the performance of most shipboard systems, predict failures and diagnose problems, all from shore over broadband IP links. As more and more systems and equipment are equipped with sensors, the ability to make use of the resultant data for efficiency improvement will further drive the need for always on VSAT connectivity.At the moment, Flo sees no significant letup in the demand for VSAT systems despite the recession and, in fact, Ship Equip has actually seen a significant increase in business in recent months. He notes that both Kuand C-band systems are popular and points out a sur prising trend in the growth of the C-band installations. Undoubtedly, a major contributor to the Companys success is its product offerings (iDirect platform, automatic antenna re-pointing with constant IP address and wide band L&B) and turn key rental plan.Flo sees 2008 as turning point in the adoption of VSAT services and expects much greater market penetration in 2009-2010. In order to meet rising demand in the coming years, the company has purchased three transponders of capacity on the Telstar 11N satellite covering Europe, Atlantic, and U.S.KVHAn intriguing and technologically innovative new offering to the Maritime space comes from KVH in Middletown, Rhode Island. Launched in October 2007, the Mini VSAT service is unique in many aspects and could become the de facto standard for delivery of marine VSAT services. Gottlieb International Group interviewed Brent Bruun V.P. of Sales and Business Development for KVH,
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62 FeatureSatMagazine March 2009 to gain an overview of the systems unique features.Unlike the other services that rely on either the iDirect TDMA technology or Vipersat and employ a 1.2m antenna, Mini VSAT uses a Viasat Arclight platform and a 60cm spread spectrum antenna. According to Bruun, the platform relies on an innovative spectrum re-use scheme that overlays send and receive signals thereby minimizing the need for transponder resources. The result is 512 X 256 Kbps with two VoIP ports service that will offer global coverage at an under $3,000 per/ month (ex-hardware) price point. In addition to the highly competitive bandwidth pricing, the system has other strengths:All hardware components are sold as a ready to install fully integrated package thereby eliminating the need to source antenna, satellite modem and other components from separate suppliers. The hardware cost of the complete package is as much as a one-third less than a comparable 1.2m Kusystem.Unlike a conventional 1.2m Kuantenna, the 60cm unit weighs only 60 lbs. This means a crane is not required to hoist the antenna aboard a vessel, significantly lowering installation costs. While a 1.2m unit can take up to two days to install, the fully integrated KVH unit can be installed in four to six hours and be accomplished while the ship is underway, a huge advantage due to the limited time most containerships are in port. Installation costs are estimated at $2,000 or less vs. $5,000 to $10,000 for a 1.2m unit. The small size of the antenna makes it practical to mount on a high mast significantly reducing the potential for blockages and likely negates the need for a second antenna, a solution that may be needed with conventional 1.2m systems. In terms of coverage, KVH expects to offer full global coverage by the end of 2009 and has already contracted with GE-Sat for the critical Trans-Pacific route. In addition, KVH is offering a hybrid configuration that combines the Mini VSAT with Inmarsat Fleet Broadband, a configuration that uses Kuas the primary car rier with Inmarsat as the back up assuring full cover age no matter where a ship might travel. Since its launch in October of 2007, the system has successfully operated over North America, North Atlantic, Caribbean, and European areas, a proven perfor mance that has led to a recent agreement with Thrane & Thrane to distribute the system under Thrane and Thranes own private label. Both Thrane and Thrane and KVHs own global network of distributors will handle sales, distribution and hardware service. Network operations have been, and will be, handled by Viasat. Assuming successful global deployment and a high quality of service, the unique features of the mini VSAT are compelling.Speedcast/EutelsatSpeedcast and Eutelsat have invested significant technological resources and are aggressively pursuing the maritime market together. The two companies have jointly expanded their Ku-band coverage to create an expansive coverage and service network. Marketed Figure 4 KVH 60cm Antenna allows mount ing on high masts above superstructure, which reduces blockages
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63 FeatureSatMagazine March 2009 under the slogan Connecting Oceans, the service represents a serious challenge to established L-band providers and a boon to vessel operators demanding fixedprice broadband services at affordable prices. With 15 beams deployed and with automatic beam switching enabled, they offer coverage of most of the worlds shipping routes. Kuantennas ranging from 60cm to 1m are available as well as C-band coverage with 2.4m antennas. The entire network is monitored and controlled from a Hong Kong teleport under a Global NMS and employing the same technology platforms at associated teleports. While service level and technology are well served, the companies acknowledge the importance of sales and marketing.While they acknowledge that the market is highly competitive, they believe that misinformation leading to confusion in the marketplace entertained by certain players who do not accept the technological evolution underway is likely the greatest barrier to market entry. To address this issue, Speedcast and Eutelsat have partnered with Furuno of Japan and others. Furuno is a major manufacturer and provider of maritime sys tems with an extensive global distribution and sales presence. We believe that the joint effort by Speedcast and Eutelsat supported by their extensive satellite coverage and versatile platform will make a significant impact in the maritime market. Hughes Network SystemsHNS is actively deploying its own HughesNet maritime service featuring the innovative HX DVBS2 TDMA platform using a 60cm stabilized antennas and above. The offering leverages best of breed technology features such as DVBS2 outroute with Adaptive Coding/Modu lation, Adaptive Inroute Selection with TDMA channel spreading, and industry leading integrated data compression and acceleration technologies. According to Ramesh Ramaswamy, HNS Assistant Vice President International Marketing, the HNS service is possible due to the combination of a superior platform and Hughes extensive service experience gained as the largest satellite broadband managed provider in the world. Currently the service is available in Europe and the Caribbean in a variety of speeds from 128K and above upstream and up to 2 Mbps downstream. In terms of pricing, HSN delivers the services at highly competitive price levels. Initial market focus will be the Oil & Gas industry with expansion into the global maritime mar ket. The HX platform is also being used by Intelsat to offer services over the Caribbean for leisure markets in the Coastal Maritime brand. While they believe the technology and experience of HNS sets it apart as a VSAT market leader, Ramaswamy agrees that successful distribution; and marketing and sales will be critical. In that regard, HNS will be facing numerous competitors most of whom have a significant maritime presence and established sales and distribution channels. However, in view of the fact that the maritime VSAT market is growing and relatively untapped, there should be significant opportunity for HNS.SingtelSingtel has recently launched a C-band maritime ser vice offering speeds from 15k Kbps to 1 Mbps using 1.5 and 1.5m antenna. The new service permits si multaneous voice and data communications ship to shore and is primarily targeted at vessels operating the Southeast Asian region.IridiumIridiums recent product offering, OpenPort, is a significant challenge to Fleet Broadband (FB) at the lower end of the market. Essentially it offers speeds up to 128 Kbs and, like FB, is charged by volume. Virtues of the system include charges approximately one-third less per/Megabyte and a clever lightweight and small pie-shaped Antenna that weights less than 20 lbs., and costs under $5,000. In response to OpenPort, Iridium has announced Fleet Broadband 150, a service designed to compete directly against the OpenPort product.GlobalstarGlobalstar new constellation is scheduled for launch beginning in 2009. Combined with the accompanying ground network upgrades, the new networks represent a significant technological advance over its existing satellites and, according to Tom Colby COO, will support a significant upgrade in existing capability as well as new offerings to the maritime market. To date, Globalstar has offered a simplex personal distress device known as Spot and a commercial
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64 FeatureSatMagazine March 2009transponder-like device to manage commercial fishing fleets through provision of location information. In addition, through integration with a partners duplex device, the commercial device will be re-programmable to provide distress notification. These services are available using the existing satellite constellation. Like the current Globalstar network, the new constellation will provide S-band for 2-way voice and duplex data communication and L-band to support its asset tracking and spot products. More significant is the fact that the legacy constellation uses channel sharing and compression to achieve up to 256 Kbps data speed. In addition to supporting the legacy products, the next generation satellites and network will also offer 256 Kbs speeds without channel sharing or compression making them significantly superior to the current offer ing. In addition, S-band antennas are small and lightweight ranging from a one square inch patch antenna to pole-like configurations ranging from 4cm to onehalf meter in height.While coverage of the service will be limited to coastal shipping and North Atlantic coverage due to the need to communicate with land-based ground stations, this arrangement results in lower latency, reduction of echo and superior voice communication. Based on convenience and low installation costs, we expect Globalstar services to be a viable alternative Inmarsat and Iridium OpenPort in regional, low data requirement applications.More Choices and TechnologiesThe market that was once the exclusive domain of Inmarsat is rapidly becoming a battleground as Ku-, Cand competitive L-band services invade the maritime space. Vessel owners now have more choices and technologies to choose from than ever before, many of which are highly sophisticated and backed by major companies with established reputations and major sales and distribution networks. As the demand for Internet connectivity at sea rises, new leaders are emerging to satisfy the rising demand for fixed priced connectivity. These new services offer the potential for new IP based communication, enhanced ship operation and, for the crew, an end to the isolation of the deep ocean. About the author Alans firm, Gottlieb International Group Inc., specializes in market research, business development and sales and business development of satellite and wireless communication technologies to numerous vertical markets. In particular, his firm specializes in assisting satellite providers in penetration of Oil & Gas, Maritime, International Construction and Mining markets. His career encompasses an unusual diversity of sales and marketing background in many segments of the wireless industry including VSAT, Cellular and Mobile Commerce. He has served as Vice President of Sales for Audiovox Communications, Director of Sales for Southeast Asia for COMSAT and Aether Systems, and Corporate Market Research Manager for a Division of Baker International (now Baker-Hughes). Mr. Gottlieb has been responsible for initiating and managing successful market entries into Southeast Asia and the South Pacific Markets and assisting satellite and wireless related companies with diversification into new market vertical niches and international geographies. Major clients have included Intelsat, Inmarsat, Verestar, Globecom Systems, Sonic Telecom, Frontier Technology, and THISS Technologies, (Singapore), Sonic Telecom, the National Technical Information Services and the Office of Post and Telecom of French Polynesia. He is a native of Washington, D.C. and holds a Masters Degree in International Business from Thunderbird Graduate School and a B.A. from Stetson University. He has published numerous articles in Sat News and is a frequent speaker at Offshore Communications, ISCe, the Washington Satellite Exhibition, and other industry events. He can be reached at +1703-622-8520. Website: www.gottliebinternationalgroup.co m
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SatMagazine March 200965Focus High-Quality VoIP To The Worlds Remotest RegionsLBiSat has been a global provider of satellitebased telecommunications services to remote regions of the world for more than 25 years. In 1986, the company pioneered voice products using T1 lines. Since 1997, the Company has used the Internet to offer basic dial tone satellite services to its growing customer list.After an exhaustive search, LBISat was led to Alianzas hosted VoIP platform, LBiSat added Class-5 type functionality to its voice services. Alianzas fully integrated platform provides the high quality and low latency needed to communicate by satellite with remote sites. LBiSat can now leverage a broader range of IP telephony and voice applications with no capital expenditure. The ChallengeLBiSat provides complex network solutions via satellite for a wide variety of voice, video, and data applications. Applying in-depth expertise in engineering, project management, integration, and network ser vices, LBiSat tailors each solution to meet specific customer requirements.With a full-service teleport in Utah and partner teleports in Maryland and Australia, LBiSat provides products and services, including a 24x7 Network Operations Center, to more than 100 countries around the world. The companys satellite-based solutions are used primarily in locations where traditional terrestrial communications are not an option. Among its customers are government agencies, such as the U.S. Forest Service and USAID, and large corporations within the mining, oil and gas industries. LBiSat can also provide a hosted service for telephone companies and Internet providers.
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FocusSatMagazine March 200966 As latency is an issue for all satellite communications, LBiSat uses iDirect hub technology because of its superior ability to support IP in a satellite environment. With this leading technology in place, LBiSat wanted to expand its VoIP services to include Class 5 functional ity. But it also needed to be able to do so without compromising the high quality customers depend upon. Many of our customers are involved in emergency and disaster recovery efforts in remote areas, said Mike Lyman, Director of Project Management for LBiSat. The nature of their work demands high-quality, lowlatency VoIP services, which can be a challenge for satellite-based communications. Add to this a growing need for service beyond the dial tone, and its quite a challenge to find a single vendor who can do it all. The SolutionIn 2007, LBiSat began evaluating partners that could help it meet the challenge of VoIP. We found one company that could make us E911 compliant (Enhanced 911 or E911 service) where PSAPs (Public Safety Answering Point) have upgraded their equipment. This automatically provides call takers with the mobile telephone number and the estimated location of the 911 caller to assist them in dispatching emergency assistance). We found another vendor that could get us DID s (Direct Inward Dialing) at a decent rate. And yet another supplier that could handle the billing, said Lyman. But Alianza was the only one that could provide exceptional voice quality, minimal latency, and Class-5 type services on a single VoIP platform. It was a onestop-shop that enabled us to add a fully-functional voice offering to our satellite Internet service with no capital expenditure.
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SatMagazine March 200967Focus The ExaminationLBiSat also provides the hosted Alianza VoIP platform to telephone companies and Internet carriers in remote places like Alaska. Alianzas platform is built on a Service-Oriented Architecture ( SOA) and Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) design. It includes a carrier-grade session border controller, soft switch, carrier interface, virtual PBX, billing support system and device provisioning module. It also features a logic layer, applications programming interface ( API), account management portal, and an administrative center for back-office management. Alianzas technology supports advanced voice compression and prioritized data packets so we can control bandwidth and latency and still ensure good voice quality, Lyman added. And we can use Alianzas soft switch and data relating to call set-up and tear-down to tweak the system even further. The ResultSince the introduction of Alianzas hosted platform during April 2008, LBiSat has implemented VoIP for several existing contracts and received orders from several new customers. LBiSats largest voice customer provides services to offshore and onshore oil drilling rigs. Because the Company is growing exponentially, it wanted to use a single platform for all satellite ser vices, including VoIP communications. According to Lyman, This customer was extremely pleased with the quick implementation and quality of service of the Alianza VoIP platform. Now that its a proven platform, they are adding 20 to 30 additional lines each week. LBiSat also provides the hosted Alianza VoIP platform to telephone companies and Internet carriers in remote places like Alaska. In addition to handling switching and call termination, Alianzas platform enables them to generate billing data for the carrier, if required. Partnering with Alianza for Class-5 type VoIP services has made LBiSat more competitive. According to Lyman, the following benefits will significantly impact the companys ability to expand business: Voice/Call Quality and Latency: Alianzas voice platform works with iDirect hub technology to shape packets traveling over the Internet so that latency is low and the quality of the voice call is consistently high. Application Flexibility: Alianzas Application Programming Interface (API) allows LBiSat to launch voice communications services quickly. Because the Alianza platform uses SIP as a protocol, it integrates easily and transparently to legacy PBX systems and PSTN networks. Pricing Reduction Advantages: Alianzas pricing model enables LBiSat to commercialize voice services without investing any up-front capital expenditures. Alianzas pricing model includes a fixed monthly fee per line/extension that is deployed. Pricing varies by product/feature set and pre-set volume levels. LBiSat also provides mobile emergency response trail ers to the U.S. Forest Service. With deployment of the Alianza voice platform, first responders now have satellite phone service over the Internet during natu ral disasters. Making phone calls and faxing over the Internet is a huge logistical benefit, said Lyman. It should also save the Forest Service money, because we can start and stop service on a month-to-month basis using Alianzas hosted voice platform. Instead of leas ing a T1 line all year, they can initiate voice only dur ing the fire season.
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68 SatMagazine March 2009 Dr. Arunas Slekys Vice President of Corporate Marketing, HughesThe subject of this Executive Spotlight is Dr. Arunas Slekys. He happens to be both the vice president of Corporate Marketing and the vice president and general manager of the Russia & NIS Business for Hughes. In these dual positions, he is responsible for managing all of Hughes marketing communications and advocacy initiatives worldwide, along with overall P&L responsibility for the companys broadband satellite business in Russia, Ukraine, and the NIS (Newly Independent States) countries. Previously, Dr. Slekys served as vice president of the Wireless Networks Division at Hughes and was responsible for the TDMA networks product line business comprising the AIReach family of digital cellular mobile, wireless loop, and wireless data (CDPD) systems. During this period, he was elected and served for several years on the CTIA board. His telecommunications career started more than 25 years ago at Caltechs Jet Propulsion Laboratory where he worked as a digital communications research engineer, developing deep space network and pulsar tracking systems. He later joined Bell Canada and subsequently Bell Northern Software Research, managing switched-network related systems development and advanced technology programs. He holds a bachelor of applied science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Toronto, a masters degree from the University of Illinois, and a doctorate in computer and communications engineering from UCLA. He is co-author of a founding patent for CDPD ( Cellular Digital Packet Data) systems and is a frequently published author writing about satellite and wireless communications.SMGood day, Dr. Slekys, and thank you for the opportunity of speaking with you. As the Vice President of Corporate Marketing as well as the General Manager for Russia and CIS Business, you have experienced many challenges and opportunities with Hughes. What prompted you to consider Hughes for your management career in the first place? Dr. SlekysI joined in to head up the new wireless networks business for Hughes. At that time, the cellular industry was moving from analog to digital and Hughes was looking to expand on its leadership in satellite-based TDMA networks and technologies. This presented an exciting opportunity for me to move into a business role after having managed R&D for over 15 years. SM Would you be kind enough to inform our readers about your background? Where have you employed your skills within Hughes, and please tell us about your current management duties? Dr. Slekys I was born of Lithuanian refugees in a U.S. zone in Germany and grew up in Canada with hockey, basketball and becoming an astronaut in my blood. Following a BASc in E.E. from the University of Toronto I was drawn to the U.S. space program and earned an MS at the University of lIllinois (Urbana-Champaign) developing a data acquisition system for ionospheric rocket probes. This landed me at NASA/JPL in Pasadena, where I developed hardware/software systems for the Deep Space Network, such as FFTs for pulsar detection. In parallel, I completed a PhD at UCLA in computer/communications systems. Subsequently, I led the development of switch-network systems at Bell Canada/BNSR, before starting up the R&D at NovAtel Communications in Calgary Alberta. We developed some of the early cellular technologies, such as a lowcost distributed cellular system that opened up the U.S. rural markets areas where spectrum was liter ally given away in lotteries as nobody believed this was a viable business. Fast forward to Hughes today, where the fastest growing part is broadband satellite services in rural America.
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69 SatMagazine March 2009 But Im getting ahead of myself. Breaking new ground happens daily at Hughes, inventors of the VSAT network and many SATCOM-related digital technologies. It shouldnt be surprising that just a few short years after I joined the Company, our team introduced a very high capacity digital wireless system, eventually delivering more than 1 million lines to customers in emerging economies such as Tatarstan, Russia, Czech Republic, China, Indonesia and Vietnam, to name a few. Stateside, we succeeded in winning a $500Million+ digital cellular systems order from BellSouth and also went on to lead the marketplace in delivering CDPD, the industrys first wireless packet data network, forerunner to todays 2.5 and 3G data services. Entering the new millennium, Hughes decided to focus totally on the huge broadband satellite networks business and it was a natural shift for me to take over managing the Russia/CIS business. My enjoyment at presenting and writing about technology earned me a second day job as the chief marketer of Hughes, globally. SM What are the most appealing reasons for working at Hughes? And your current divisions? Dr. Slekys Hughes is all about challenging conventional wisdom and pushing the envelope, a unique place where most senior people are engineers, including our CEO. That culture has been a natural fit for me and means every day presents a new opportunity to help define a novel product or service; or to expand our broadband business by signing up new service partners, which we now have in over 100 countries; or to better promote the company and its offerings with a new website, or introduce a new brand, or present the benefits of broadband satellite to foreign leaders and indeed to our own
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70 SatMagazine March 2009 elected representatives on the Hill. How true it is that often the most difficult sale is in your own backyard. SMGiven your myriad duties with Hughes, the overall goal is to drive viable and competent solutions to the market. What is the importance of such to the SATCOM and MILSATCOM environments? And given that there are different needs within the commercial and the military environs, how do you successfully manage to market Hughes solutions to such diverse segments? Dr. SlekysWhether in commercial, SATCOM or MILSATCOM worlds, time to market and cost-effectiveness are equal imperatives. Rick Lober, head of our newest business group, DISD Defence and Information Systems Division, and Tony Bardo, who heads up Government Solutions, are both actively marketing the wide breadth of Hughes core technologies and successful commer cial products and services. Many of these services are ready immediately or can be quickly packaged as COTS-based solutions. Its now our priority mumber one to get that story out. For example, this includes SATCOM OTM ( OnThe-Move) technology that builds on our commercial mobile satellite products and capabilities developed for the worlds leading providers. And as last years successful service launch over North America, it encompasses the dynamic, mesh networking power of our next generation SPACEWAY 3 satellite system the worlds highest capacity satellite at 10Gbps throughput and the first with on-board switching and routing. You may know that DISA recently developed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Hughes to study Network Centric Enterprise Architecture validation of IP networking with the Regenerative Satellite Mesh ( RSM-A) standard, which is employed by the SPACEWAY 3 system. Under this CRADA, Hughes and DISA will perform research and development that supports overall IP convergence as the basis for seamlessly integrating DoD SATCOM networking and information needs with the GIG.SMGiven the global interest by various nations in developing their own SATCOM and MILSATCOM solutions at extremely competitive pricing, how does Hughes manage to remain in the top tier of suppliers of product? How can price pressure from other nations be countered? Dr. Slekys What sets Hughes apart is not just our record of innovation, but equally importantly, our diversity. By that I mean diversity in developing advanced technologies that enable leading-edge products and services. We, in turn, then implement for our service partners around the globe and employ ourselves as a successful service provider in diverse market sectors from enterprise, to consumer/SMB, to government and military. Many arent aware that Hughes is the largest satellite Internet service provider in the U.S. and that we oper ate successful service businesses in Europe, India, and Brazil. This means we are customers of our own solutions, giving our customers the benefit of field-tested and proven deliverables. When it comes to price, few can compete due to our dominant position in high volume manufacturing of satellite broadband products more than 1.5 million systems shipped to customers in over 100 countries, with more than 300,000 shipped in 2008 alone. SMThe global financial crisis is calling for all sorts of remediation and corporations are slicing budgets what is Hughes doing to be able to continue producing product while keeping an eye on the bottom line, without hurting quality and timeliness? Do pricing pressures offset final quality? What could be said about ensuring long-term viability versus short-term cost savings? Dr. Slekys The global crisis is real and we are expecting worse. But as noted above, our diversity in technologies, products and services globally gives us multiple legs to stand on and to weather the storm. Were holding the line on expenses but certainly not compromising quality in any way. Our plant in Gaithersburg, Maryland, is able to quickly expand or contract capacity as demand
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71 SatMagazine March 2009 dictates. Thankfully, weve not yet experienced any significant change in demand for satellite broadband domestically, and so far we have a manageable balance of ups and downs internationally. SMWhat challenges do you see ahead for the industry during 2009? Where do you feel will Hughes parlay their experience and product wealth over the next few years?Dr. Slekys 2009 is a year of toughing it out, which is everyones singular biggest challenge. But Hughes never stands still, and our R&D investments are proceeding at a healthy but affordable pace. Overall, the satellite industrys continuing challenge is to keep driving down both product and service costs to expand the broadband market. Product costs are volume driven, so were in a unique position to yield lower product costs as we drive the service business. The goal is to squeeze ever more capacity into each hertz of spectrum, always pushing on Shannons limit. As an example, the DVBS2 with ACM capability we introduced over a year ago is now returning significant savings in satellite band width costs to our service provider partners, as much as 50 percent compared to DVB-S. And the installed price of our newest modems for high-speed internet access is now below $300. Weve also introduced a new and successful leasing option which eliminates the up front cost of ownership, lowering the barrier to entry and bringing affordable broadband to the more than 10 million households in the U.S. that arent reached by terrestrial broadband. This spurs the demand, which helps grow the volume, which helps lower the product cost, which expands the market and the synergy is obvious. Call it the road to mainstreaming of satellite. SM Given Hughes interest in MILSATCOM for the military, governments, first responders and NGOs, how is Hughes concern for the warfighter and first responder parlayed into product that protects and serves? How close is the relationship between the company and the in-theater enduser? Is Hughes also becoming more involved in the UAV/ UAS arenas?Dr. SlekysCommunications-On-The-Move ( COTM ) are essential for mission success, providing the line of site and ubiquitous service that ensures that our soldiers can
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72 SatMagazine March 2009 access needed intelligence from their command and report activities on the ground. Using common SAT COM technology for fixed and mobile applications ensures uninterrupted connectivity, enhances interoper ability, and adds to the security of communications. For example, the Hughes HX System a FIPS compliant, IP-based network can be configured to provide Quality of Service (QoS) tailored to each individual ter minal. The HX System bandwidth allocation scheme for managing traffic requests reallocates bandwidth based on inactivity, freeing up unused bandwidth and allowing an operator to make more efficient use of space segment resources. Recently, Hughes initiated COTM trial programs for the Special Forces Community and stands ready to provide the necessary responsiveness and support. Regarding the UAV/UAS community, Hughes is prepared to apply the latest bandwidth efficiency schemes as implemented in its DVB-S2 with ACM offer ings to relieve spectral interference and crowding SM Would you please tell us about some of the latest projects Hughes is working on?Dr. Slekys We recently demonstrated the dynamic networking power of our Ka-band SPACEWAY 3 System to deploy an Inter-Government Crisis Network ( IGCN), which can rapidly connect multiple levels of federal, state, and local officials to enhance information-sharing and decision-making during critical times of an emergency. Were also continuing to develop our Ku-band family of smaller footprint HX and larger HN Systems, adding capabilities such as mesh networking, and implementing mobile versions for maritime and airborne applications. For example, Row44 is a new U.S. provider now poised to launch high-speed Internet services on commercial aircraft utilizing our HX platform, which will give them the only global satellite delivery system in the world today, with 30Mbps capacity per airplane. SM Dr. Slekys, are there any other items you wish to present to our readers? Dr. Slekys Ill close with a universal thought: Consistent, reliable communications is the backbone of mission success, both in the commercial and military space. Whether its the DoD creating the GIG, or a large or small business trying to expand the applications and benefits of broadband, or government agencies cooperating in an emergency response situation all share that common objective and deserve no less than the best. Im proud to be part of a company where we measure ourselves by how well we can deliver on that promise to our customers. SM Thank you for your valuable time.
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73 FeatureSatMagazine March 2009 The Birth Of The MSV Well Enhancerby Tim ONeill OldcommguyConsulting Director, Business Development, YR20This article documents the commissioning and build out, and especially, the advanced electronics, that will support the MSV Well Enhancer which was built for the Well Ops fleet, a Helix Company The keel was laid and the vessel was built at the IHC Merwede yard at Krimpen, Rotter dam, in The Netherlands. The vessel, based on the Merwede Type-22 design, is a cost-effective, high performance and efficient vessel. The design was adapted to accommodate the multipurpose tower, an 18-person diving bell saturated diving system with two moonpools and a twin work class Remote Operating Vehicle (ROV) system. A moonpool is an opening in the hull of the ship that permits direct passage for the working deck to the sea. This is used in offshore operations to pass remotely operated vehicles, subsea equipment and such. This durable platform design allows for future upgrades as needed. Most of the photos will be from the eyes of the YR20 Team who were contracted to build out the electrical and electronics of the vessel. While currently there is much negative news about the economy and its effect on the SATCOM market, this new vessel, equipped with the latest technology is a prime example of several positive facts: technology that demands bandwidth and access to
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74 FeatureSatMagazine March 2009 Companies are willing to update and improve their are being built to meet the demands of the worlds Other positive elements to consider... At the 11th session of the International Maritime Or ganization, using the SEAWAYS Database to forecast, it is believed the number of new keels that will be laid the estimate is 540 ships (greater than 100 gross ton nage and having a ballast capacity less than 5,000 cubic meters) will be constructed and have their keels laid in 2009, with each of these needing the latest satellite access, according to information from Hyundai Heavy Industry News, October 2008 edition. These estimates do not include new cruise ships, personal crafts (the big ones), new or updated war ships, nor the demand for updated sea vessels of all other kinds.The Reason For The MSV Well EnhancedWith an increasing number of aging oil wells and shrinking oil reserves, it becomes increasingly critical to maintain and extract the maximum amount of product from the wells. The requirement was to develop astate-ofthe-art well intervention and diving support vessel (DSV), hence, the MSV Well Enhancer, which is suited for the North Sea as well as worldwide operation. The vessel outfitting was conducted at the Huisman shipyard facility at Schiedam Rotterdam under the watchful eyes of Mr. Graeme Alexander of the Helix Corporation. Most of the following pictures of the Mer wede Shipyard B.V. are courtesy of the YR20 Team charged with the electronic build out and testing of the MSV Well Enhancer.The MSV Well Enhancers SpecsThe MSV Well Enhancer, a 10,000+ ton, 132m long vessel, is a custom designed, dynamically positioned, offshore well intervention and saturation diving vessel. The vessel features an advanced intervention tower with generous deck space supported by the latest proven and durable, state-of-the-art communications technology.The MSV Well Enhancer is the latest design for a rapid response and very mobile vessel that can handle a wide range of offshore well tasks and testing procedures with its 150 metric ton capable multi purpose tower, 100+ ton crane, 18-man saturated dive team, 900+ foot diving bell, 550+ sq. ft. of moonpools, one observation and one sophisticated work class ROV, two on-board bulk cement units, the latest electronics, stabilized and redundant satellite communications, and positioning systems, variable and powerful propulsion thrusters, three engine rooms with triple redundancy, dive and ship redundant generators. Plus, there is a large open deck for transporting all the supplies necessary to complete even the most difficult intervention tasks, tasks that normally require a very slow and expensive semi submersible and support vessels. The entire vessel has the most current video monitor ing technology and all major functions are monitored and controlled from a central area that overlooks the MSV Well Enhancer photos courtesy of Merwede Shipyard B.V.
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75 FeatureSatMagazine March 2009 work deck. The safety and security during intervention work is guaranteed by a gas closure system using over pressure to protect the vessels accommodations, crew and divers, and is guided by the most recent navigational systems and controls.More Technology To Support Operational SuccessThe Well Enhancer also has the Optima suite of tools, to assist with the challenges of drilling and well operations in deepwater, high currents and other environments that pose significant risks to successful operations and enhance overall operational safety. The Optima suite also assists with on-board riser management with its advanced tools to monitor and plan operations for drilling, completion or workover, and LWI (Light Weight Intervention) risers, explains Alan Dougan, head of the Structural Monitoring division of Fugro GEOS which supplies the system in partnership with MCS the foremost experts in riser analysis software. The Optima range of technology provides both the operators and drilling crew with significant benefits that can translate into substantial cost savings as well as enhancing safety and integrity. Communication Access To Keep Operations RunningWithout communications, all operations on the vessel will shut down for safety reasons. All of the above technology becomes moot if communications fail. The MSV Well Enhancer was designed to mitigate such situations by incorporating two KU-band VSAT stabilized systems and antennas (SeaTel 6006) and one TVRO antenna (SeaTel 4006), Iridium L-band for OBM and one Iridium as the emergency voice system for human communications, plus the usual RF technology aboard all sea going vessels.The vessel has four non-VSAT communications systems and two Inmarsat Mini-C systems for IMO/SOLAS compliance. The vessel must have at least two working and live voice communications systems operating before divers or the bell can enter the water. The YR20 team, along with the designers and the Helix team, maintained their cooperative goal of building the highest quality on-board systems that are reliable, safe, meet and exceed all SIL ( Safety Integrity Level) requirements and will continue to be reliable and safe in the future. Additionally, the network core must be flexible enough to remain flexible enough to remain valid and sustainable for at least 10 years as well as ccommodates new state-of-the-art products, services, and technologies over the next 20 years.The termination boxes and cabling support, all DNV certified, were provided by Nexans. All the data cabling is CAT7 Marine Grade.Basic Wiring StatsThe length of CAT7 STP cable run just for the Ethernet LAN and data, CCTV and digital voice is more than 7,000 meters (7Km). This equates to more than 5x the length of the vessel. The length of cable pulled just for the VSAT BDE ( Below Deck Equipment)/ADE (Above Deck Equipment) is over 400 meters long, which equates to more than 3x the length of the vessel. As of this writing, more wiring continues for the deck areas for the skid control systems that will consist of CAT 7 and fiber optic cables. The estimate for the deck control systems is another 3,000 meters (3Km) of cable. That is a serious amount of cabling, with a great deal of terminating work and testing to prepare the MSV Well Enhancer for a its long term of duty on the seas. The key design of this vessel is one of over all safety, flexibility, reliability, sustainability, and quality. The following photo presentations afford you an inside look at the commissioning and outfitting teams, as well as the Helix team, working to ensure the aforementioned goals are met.Ensuring SATCOM SuccessMike Hinz, CEO of YR20 says YR20 with our combination of close customer contact, engineering excel lence, sophisticated network testing and analysis background, has provided all the key elements in delivering to the Helix Team a safe, reliable vessel, with all of its modern and proven technology, ready to provide valuable services to the Offshore Energy Industry now, and for many years to come. The Helix Team working with YR20 focused on deploying the best and most reliable technology to assure the MSV Well Enhancer would have a long, safe, and successful work life. If you cannot communicate you simply cannot work, viably and safely! Dependable satellite communications are the basis of all offshore and remote areas success! The photos on the following pages are courtesy of the YR20 Team of Consulting Engineers.
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76 FeatureSatMagazine March 2009 This photo reveals one of the many hundreds of feet of cable troughs, especially designed for intense marine cables are for RF going to and from antennas, VSA, etc., and the comm rooms. The grey cables are Nexans CAT This is a picture of an overhead cable trough. These troughs are designed to safely hold and protect the cables as well as make them locatable and available protect them from the vessel movements. A YR20 Team member wiring the cables into one of This picture shows the SeaTel VSAT controllers, one antenna, The ComTech L-Band modems and switch hardware are all in the rack, ready for wiring and technologically alive!
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77 FeatureSatMagazine March 2009 This photo shows the port VSAT antenna using Cap monitor mounted in the middle of the pad. There are dozens of cameras on the deck area for visual right. One of these two antennas will be mounted on the upper structure, one on the port side and one on the starboard size to ensure the ship remains in Heavy Duty Kenz crane. The specialized escape ves available to assist in any deep data analysis. This lab has been designed to support network challenges and issues through remote monitoring and analysis worldwide for YR20 customers. Will H. is readying to analyze data for one of those customers of the Helix group
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FocusSatMagazine March 200978 Satellite Backhaul Equals Major Savings For Cell Opsby Tony Radford, V.P., Paradise DatacommUsing satellite to backhaul ABIS links is cer tainly nothing new. A vast array of technologies and products provides numerous options for operators to choose from when designing networks. But with the rising cost of satellite bandwidth and the need for more of it to support an ever increasing number of voice, data and now video services, operators must seek ways to reduce both their hardware investment costs and operating expenses, especially when fierce competition forces them to provide these new services without raising their rates.Satellite ModemSatellite modems have evolved over the years, both in terms of flexibility and complexity, to become one of the most significant elements of a backhaul terminal. This is most certainly the case when technologies and features typically offered in outboard boxes such as TCP/IP Link Accelerators, IP Encapsulators, multiplexers, test instrumentation performance monitoring and so forth are incorporated into the modem where they can exist symbiotically as a feature of the modem, able to be controlled and monitored by the modems front panel. The result is a reduction in required rack space, fewer spares, reduced system complexity, reduction of box count and associated interconnecting cable and most importantly reduced cost.Migration To IPIn todays cellular networks, it is common to have multiple traffic channels of varying formats at a BTS site that need backhauling to a BSC. Paradise Datacoms engineers developed MultiMux, a unique and highly advanced feature that can accomplish this feat by multiplexing as many as four channels of G.703, Serial data and/or IP traffic formats into a single carrier by a single modem. In the case of G.703, Drop and Insert can be performed on any or all channels simultaneous ly with the aggregate carrier size determined by the bit rate of the modem, as opposed to a pre-set rate as is the case for most outboard multiplexers.Not only does MultiMux allow the operator to reduce the number of modems required to support the network, but the transition from non-IP to IP (i.e. CDMA to GSM) is possible without changing or adding modem hardware.Network Diagnostics + MaintenanceIn order for a network to operate, a minimum contingent of test instruments is necessary to perform critical monitoring and diagnostics functions required to keep the network healthy. Some of these instruments include a Spectrum Analyzer, Bit Error Rate Tester (BERT), Constellation Monitor Oscilloscope and, in some cases, IP Traffic Analyzer. This list represents tens of thousands of dollars in capital expense for an operator. Paradise Datacom includes these functions in their satellite modems and has continually refined their properties and performance. Though some other modem manufacturers tout similar features, they usually possess limited functionality and generally lack sufficient sophistication to actually replace external test equipment.Spectrum MonitorParadise Datacoms integrated Spectrum Monitor runs on the modems motherboard and is available in all of
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SatMagazine March 200979Focus their modem families. It features multiple bandwidth settings, the widest of which allows for the monitor ing of adjacent carrier traffic on the transponder. This monitor can be used while the modem is carrying traffic and uses a peak-hold function that has been used successfully to identify interfering carriers such as WiMax in cellular networks. Similar to the other diagnostic tools in the modem, it is accessible over the Internet with a PC or laptop from anywhere in the world, or accessible over the satellite link itself.EZ-BERTLike the Spectrum Monitor, this Bit Error Rate Tester is a fully functional facility and is actually superior in some ways to a free standing instrument. The set up is easier, in that you can simply copy the configuration of the modem being tested and receive immediate sync. The EZ-BERT offers identical test patterns to a FIREBERD tester, including the ability to setup custom patterns. Features include error injection, plus display of error count, BER, and link latency. Constellation MonitorThis invaluable tool allows a graphical view via web browser of car rier modulation integrity, with a user selectable persistence feature to capture momentary or intermittent events. This monitor allows system debug capability including detection of phase noise, carrier cycle skips and interference.IP Trafc AnalyzerA number of graphs are available via a web browser showing detailed IP performance against time for the IP Traffic port, Satellite Traffic, and M&C port of the modem. Graphs include packet throughput, dropped packets and errored packets with individual graphs for transmit and receive data in all cases.
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FocusSatMagazine March 200980 ABIS Link OptimizationWith backhauling costs representing as much as 30 percent of an operators total cost of operation for a mobile network, link efficiency becomes a key factor in making the business model work. We can begin to increase link efficiency of voice circuits at the baseband level by removing unnecessary information through the use of sophisticated voice compression technology. For Paradise Datacom, this technology resides in an internal ABIS Optimization Interface card and is available in the Evolution and Quantum series modems. Addressable from the modems front panel, the optimizer samples the ABIS data stream and removes the silence packets in the digitized voice traffic. It also removes null packets from the signaling and data traffic. This feature can represent 30 to 50 percent reduction in the bandwidth required to support the link.Paired Carrier Multiple Access (PCMA)Depending on specific network elements, such as earth station antenna and amplifier sizes and the actual satellite being used, further link optimization may be available by overlapping carriers on the transpon der. Paradise Datacom has licensed ViaSats patented Paired Carrier Multiple Access ( PCMA) technology, which can be used either in addition to, or as an alternative to, previously mentioned efficiency schemes. PCMA is available as an external box and will soon be available as internal feature on Evolution and Quantum modems. PCMA can be used to reduce satellite band width requirements by up to 50 percent by overlapping transmit and receive carriers in the same space segment. Adaptive self-interference cancellation is used to subtract the units transmitted signal from the composite received signal, leaving just the desired signal. Using Paired Carrier, uplink and downlink carriers overlaid, can save on space segment. Paired Carrier is designed for use in point-to-point links. For pointto-multipoint operation, the Paradise PCMA-70 Satellite Bandwidth Extender can be used to overlay several smaller carriers on top of a larger carrier and then cancel the larger unwanted carrier using a single PCMA-70, before feeding the output to the individual demodulators responsible for processing each of the smaller carriers Cellular network operators can realize major savings in capital and operations expenses by selecting the correct modem, technology, and features. HOT DEBUTS FROM PARADISE DATACOM!Paradise Datacom has just released an expanded SSPA product offering as well as a number of new RF products that will debut at this years Satellite 2009 Convention. For uplink operators that require large amounts of linear power, PowerMAX provides a scalable SSPA architecture that allows the option of starting with lower levels of transmit power and adding modular blocks to achieve power levels of up to 5,000 watts. Were supplying the industry with a high-power solid state solution not previously available, states Steve Turner, V.P. of Engineering. PowerMAX architecture consists of an expandable stack of up to 16 SSPA modules arranged in a soft-fail (switch-less) redundancy configuration. In the event of a module failure, output power levels of the remaining modules are automatically adjusted to compensate so a consistent system output power level is maintained. Each block features a hot-swap removable RF module for ease of system maintenance and N+1 redundant power supplies for superior reliabili ty. Plus, thanks to our involvement in a growing list of military programs and successful completion of DISA certification testing, Paradise Datacoms X-band SSPAs have gained market notoriety as one of the most reliable designs in the industry.John Restivo, President and CEO, adds the following, Due to the increasing demand for our military products, weve made a significant investment in our X-band SSPA product line and have developed our new line of Ka-band
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SatMagazine March 200981 a very affordable price. For a STAR network, a single Canceller can be installed in the hub and injected with as many carriers as will fit in 36 MHz of contiguous bandwidth. Each remote can be fitted with a Quantum or Evolution modem that has the PCMA embedded. This greatly reduces the amount of PCMA hardware required to support the network. For a simple point to point application, the embedded or external units can be employed on either end. Visit the Paradise booth (#421) at Satellite 2009 to view these and other Paradise Datacom products on display visit the Companys website at...http://www.paradisedata.com amplifiers, LNAs and LNBs. Our engineering team in our new Phoenix facility will be releas ing a new line of rack-mounted RF-converters. With the great success of Wideband Gapfiller and growing demand for XSTAR services, we have taken our field-proven X-band technology to new extremes. From our extremely-small BUCs and vBUCs to our rugged medium-power Compact Outdoor packages and our ultimate Power MAX, we can address virtually any application. Our new Ka-band SSPA products will provide our customers with unique Tri and Quad-band solutions that allow band swaps in mere seconds. Paradise Datacom is also debuting bandwidthsaving features for their satellite modems with the launch of Sat-ABIS, an internal ABIS Opti mizer feature for their Evolution and Quantum modems. Engineered to help cellular operators backhaul BTS traffic efficiently and cost-effectively, Paradise Datacoms Sat-ABIS interface card is a satellite-specific ABIS implementation.Spectral efficiency is achieved by eliminating unnecessary data from the ABIS TDM link. Removal of silence voice packets, idle time slots, and idle data packets can reduce required satellite bandwidth by up to 50 percent. Being inter nal to the modem, Sat-ABIS provides a number of benefits over the use of external boxes such as reduced rack-space, lower power consumption, simplified configuration and operation, no interconnecting cables and provides a single user interface for all satellite functions. A single interface will allow the transmission of up to two full or four partial E-1 streams simultaneously, further reducing box count. These announcements come on the heels of recent releases detailing Paradise Datacoms partnership with ViaSat to gain access to their patented Paired Carrier Multiple Access (PCMA) bandwidth-saving technology, to be available in all of the Paradise Datacom modem product lines. By combining uplink and downlink transmissions into the same transponder bandwidth, this technology can provide up to 50 percent reduction in the satellite space segment cost. When used in conjunction with their currently avail able Hub Canceller, customers can experience significant gains in satellite spectrum usage at Ethernet M&C
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Insight82SatMagazine March 2009 1st Experiences With AllIP Broadcast Exchange Networks by Serge Ven Herck, CEO, Newtec CyThis article describes how the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) has become the first broadcasting union in the world to successfully migrate towards a full IP based integrated Radio and TV exchange system. Three main topics are covered:The evolution of technology that ASBU implemented since the Sydney Olympics in 2000. The main advantages that have been experienced during the first six months of operation of the all-IP exchange network.The way ASBU plans to cope with future technology evolutions.ASBU + The Evolution Of TechnologyThe first Ordinary General Assembly of Arab States Broadcasting Union convened in February 1969 at Khartoum, Sudan, to officially declare the creation of the Arab States Broadcasting Union ( ASBU). The ASBU is a professional, non-profit organization which groups all the Arab governmental radio and television corporations. Since 1996, various Arab privately owned radio and television channels have also become member. The ASBU has been joined by non-Arab, foreign radio and television corporations as Affiliate Members The ASBU strong professional relationships with inter national and regional broadcasting unions. The ASBU members exchange video and radio content amongs each other using what is called a broadcast exchange system. In the old days, this exchange was performed in a straightforward way, transmitting analogue video content over satellite from one member to another member. In 1999, the ASBU implemented the first fully auto mated digital audio exchange system over satellite, which contained web based reservation, telephony and intranet functionality. In 2000, during the Sydney Olympics, the ASBU was the first to exchange video via a digital television exchange network using 8PSK. In 2002, the ASBU acquired an IP based training sys tem to enable its members to benefit from distance training. The system was set-up in cooperation with the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization ( ALECSO ). ALECSO is a specialized agency having its headquarters in Tunis with one main mis sion: enhance and coordinate educational, cultural and educational activities in the Arab world. In 2004, the ASBU achieved another first by transmitting, during the Athens Olympics, fully BISS-E encrypted TV signals. During all those years, the ASBU relied on Newtec to help develop and introduce those groundbreaking technological evolutions. By introducing those ser vices and those distinct technology platforms during this period of eight years, the ASBU started facing major challenges:How can ASBU introduce new services that are requested by its members, for instance file transfer, intranet access, archiving and VoIP? How can the ASBU increase its revenues by adding other users to its network? How can the cost of the satellite transmission be reduced? How can a small technical team continue to cope with an increasing number of platforms and technological complexity? How can errors, due to manual planning of the transmissions, be reduced? How can capital expenditure into new technologies be limited? The multichannel, multiplatform universe that is in place with most of the broadcasters and broadcasting unions requires massive investment to keep pace. The cost of keeping up with technology evolutions such as
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Insight 83SatMagazine March 2009 DVB-S2, MPEG-4, VoIP, store and forward, digital ar chiving, digital file exchange, email and Internet access increasingly fuels the need for a radical change in network architecture. Integrating the video world with the IP world enables the technology revolution, providing a solution to all challenges the ASBU was facing.Implementing MENOSThe ASBU, Arabsat, and Newtec signed a partnership agreement in June 2006 to develop and implement a revolutionary, cost-effective IP-based satellite exchange service. The goal was clear; provide one network solution that provides one solution to all challenges mentioned before. The all-IP based ser vice was named MENOS (Multimedia Exchange Network Over Satellite) and was launched on Ar absat BADR-4 in Ku-band. MENOS is intended to be used daily by all 28 members and associated members of ASBU in or der to exchange real-time or file based radio and TV content. MENOS is an industry revolution as it includes all of the following capabilities:Fully automated radio and TV exchange sessions More efficient transmis sion of high quality audio and video, reducing satellite usage costs Store and Forward File Transfer using always on broadband connectivity VoIP Voice Coordination Channels Secure Virtual Private Networks Archiving of audio and video content Internet/Intranet access Video and Audio conferencing Distance learning and training Automated billing of consumed services The new MENOS service is based on one network platform and replaces all previously existing satellite systems used by the ASBU members.
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Insight 84SatMagazine March 2009 MENOS is fundamentally different. With IP as the core-protocol, all exchanged material transits through a central hub station, which also provides permanent two-way satellite IP connectivity to all remote stations of the members. The multimedia content, whether it is audio, video, or data, can be transmitted in realtime or be transferred as data files. It can also be archived in the central hub station for later access by other stations. The reservation of the bandwidth and the line-up procedure are fully automatic and the uplink stations are smaller and much less expensive than traditional systems. The two-way IP connectivity is ideal for VoIP coordination channels, e-mail exchange, Intranet and Internet access, other collaboration tools and IP services.MENOS is also unique in the way it uses the satellite capacity. Advanced DVB-S2 modulation technology, combined with the statistical multiplexing of the data, voice, television and radio signals, ensures the optimum efficiency of the bandwidth usage and thus reduces operational costs.Among MENOS key advantages is its deployment of easy-to-use terminals. Once installed, MENOS terminals are connected to the network in an always-on mode. All network services and terminal features are available on a single graphical user interface. Starting a video or audio transmission requires no line-up procedure as the bandwidth reservation is done automatically.Different types of MENOS remote terminals are avail able, depending on the type of applications performed at the remote site. Data terminals only provide data and VoIP connectivity and can be used for Internet, Intranet, Private Networks, and interactive collaboration tools. Radio terminals provide all the service of a Data terminal in addition to radio exchange services. Television terminals provide all the service of a Data terminal in addition to television exchange services. MENOS terminals can also be integrated into mobile units, in the form of DSNG trucks or Fly-Away kits. Through a MENOS certification program, three suppliers have already been accredited to build MENOS DSNG trucks: Sematron (U.K.), OmniGlobe (U.K./Canada) and NDSatcom (Germany).Another key advantage is the lower terminal cost. As all communications are established via a central hub, MENOS terminals require much less power and smaller dishes (1.2-1.8m) than point-to-point media exchange systems. The transmission equipment in the terminal is IP-based, resulting in an overall terminal cost that is only a fraction of the cost of other types of satellite TV or radio uplinks. This in itself is a revolution in the world of high quality video content transmission.A MENOS system offers higher flexibility, as the band width is negotiated dynamically or reserved automati cally depending on the requested speed of delivery and the nature of the exchanged material. The multimedia material can be stored anywhere in the network, including in a central archiving system where it can be previewed and accessed by any other remote station, via another satellite transmission. Lower operational costs are obtained by using the most advanced satellite transmission technologies such as DVB-S2. By dynamically sharing the available bandwidth among various applications, MENOS reduces the costs linked to the space segment. On the ground, operational costs are also kept to a minimum thanks to the ease of use of the terminals and the automation of the network management. The integrated billing and reporting system automatically collects and formats billing and accounting data according to specific business rules.MENOS is much more than a system to exchange video and audio: it offers an additional source of revenue for the ASBU by allowing the development of many other IP-based services such as Voice over IP (VoIP), corporate VPNs and Internet broadband access services.The ChallengesThe ASBU has held the rights to broadcast the Olympic Games to the Arab region since the Olympics in 1976. With each Olympics, the challenges for the ASBU are increasing. The ASBU needs to ensure a maximum exposure and audience penetration for the Games in the Arab world, and must meet the ASBU members and viewers expectations. During the 2008 Olympics, this included live TV broadcasts of the major Sports and two daily summaries with Arabic and English commentaries, generated mainly from the IBC ( International Broadcasting Centre)
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Insight 85SatMagazine March 2009 in Beijing. The operational challenges for the ASBU were huge in Beijing: logistics, training, and facilities needed to be taken care of for about 165 people, oper ating a 600 square meter facility at the Beijing IBC. The 2008 Olympics also saw the first use by the ASBU of Newtecs MENOS. The introduction of this new automated and all-IP platform required implementing new workflows, new coordination and planning methods, and setting up of a 24/7 support organization. Training and communication with all members was important for the new system not to mention the time differences between Beijing and the Arab world. The technical challenges included the use of the new exchange system with IP and DVB-S2 at its core, archiving all Olympic content and delivering store & forward services and backup scenarios to the ASBU members. Some ASBU members also had no direct satellite coverage to China, so a dual-satellite-hop transmission link with the use of Intelsat and Arabsat satellites had to be set-up especially for those members.While together, the ASBU, Arabsat, and Newtec intensively prepared the implementation of MENOS for the Olympic Games, the timing to realize the project was challenging. In only six months, the entire MENOS system had to be shipped, installed and put into operation. Newtec finalised the installation of the MENOS hub in Algiers in March of 2008. On May 8, 2008, the Olympic Torch Relay was covered and transmitted back to ASBU using Newtec equipment on Mount Everest .The MENOS system saw customer acceptance in May. ASBU members training began in June 2008 with extensive training workshops, which took place in Oman, Algiers, and Sudan. More than 160 people from the different ASBU members were trained in terminal selfinstallation and operation. On June 24, 2008, the first live MENOS transmission was realized and in July 2008, testing, planning, and final preparation for the Beijing Olympics was signed off. August 6, 2008, was the beginning of the Games, for both ASBU and MENOS.In Beijing, the ASBU transmitted Olympic content to viewers in the Arab region using the satellite capacity of Intelsat and Arabsat, and for the very first time, transmitted over IP and DVB-S2 via the brand new ASBU-MENOS system. Based at the Beijing International Broadcast Centre, ASBU exchanged an average of 55 hours of programming per day, over 11 satellite channels and two MENOS channels, which were continuously archived and redistributed over the MENOS system. The automatic archiving capability of MENOS proved to be particularly efficient to assist the ASBU members in their coverage of the Games. MENOS at the 2008 Olympics represented a major step forward that boosts the ASBUs services to its members, and opens up many more possibilities.It was seen as a very successful Olympics for ASBU and its broadcasters: 19 days of support and coverage of Beijing 2008, using 11 satellites Offering 55 hours of programming a day 115 sessions were booked and transmitted using MENOS 223 hours of TV content was exchanged using the MENOS network 223 hours of TV content was archived into the central storage server 10 operational MENOS ground stations took part in Sudan, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, Lebanon, Tunis and Algiers After six months of ASBU working with MENOS, the system has proven to be very reliable, also including outstanding performance and quality of satellite VoIP. Thanks to the fully automated way of working, the manual amount of work for coordination and administration has reduced tremendously. ASBU members were quick to use the web based automated booking system and the automatic archiving, as well as the store and forward services. The local storage capacity on the MENOS terminals also proved particularly efficient in helping the members operations. The deployment of MENOS is set to have a substantial
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Insight86SatMagazine March 2009 impact on ASBUs operation, with a steadily growing revenue stream from services, and reduced operating expenditure, thanks to the implementation of one allIP platform. Operational skills of the technical support team are increasingly transitioning toward the IP and ICT domains. The extended service provider role of the broadcast organization requires an adapted or ganization, as MENOS is set to transform the traditional broadcasting union business model.Future Technology Evolutions Looking to the future, MENOS will help ASBU incorporate future technology changes, as the star topology of MENOS and the All-IP approach allows faster technology introductions, including the expected switch from MPEG2 to MPEG4, the evolution from SD to HD, moving to file based fast news gathering over IP and ever further satellite bandwidth optimizations. Future ser vice expansion will include fast file transfer, distance education and more efficient and feature rich collaboration tools. Expanding the ASBU MENOS network to other customers is also on the horizon, as the role of ASBU is extending to be a service provider also offering MENOS services to non-ASBU members. In addition, ASBU sees benefits for local broadcasters exchanging content within the country of origin, reaping the benefits that MENOS has to offer.According to Abdelrahim Suleiman, ASBUs technical director, from the opening ceremony onwards, MENOS played a key role in archiving and redistributing two major feeds from the Beijing Olympics and was a crucial element in the successful coverage of the event for ASBU members. Newtec will be presenting this infor mation during the upcoming BroadcastAsia 2009 conference see below...
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SatMagazine March 200987Focus Using Control Systems To Overcome SNG Signal Black-Spotsby Martin Coleman, ColemSatellite news gatherers are under constant pressure from consumers to provide up-to-the minute news coverage from across the globe. SNG equipment is becoming increasingly efficient and automated to meet with this demand. Often, SNG teams unknowingly are faced with signal black-spots, costing them valuable time and consequent loss of broadcast availability.Up-to-the Minute NewsConsumer expectations for broadcast news have increased thanks to SNG technology. Crews really can get to the action fast and be setup and filming in a fraction of time previously required, thanks to SNG. However, consumer expectations continues to increase and SNG teams are finding less and less room for er rors or hold-ups. One of the all-too-prevalent problems facing SNG crews is satellite or wireless camera black-spots, especially in city centers. The problem is many elements can get in the way of the SNG crew and its ability to broadcast, such as skyscrapers, tree cover, and so on. Having encountered a black-spot, the time it takes to pack up, move the team and equipment to another location, and then setup again can cost valuable cover age time. The other problem is, of course, that with no prior knowledge of black-spots in the area, the SNG crew could very well go through that whole process only to once again encounter a bad signal area.Tracking the Black-SpotsAlerting SNG crews in advance of where the blackspots are means that avoiding them becomes easy and minimizes setup time. Colem has developed a technology manage just such needs. Embedded into Colems X-Mobile & Camera control systems, it uses the avail able GPS monitoring and local area map to warn the SNG crew when they are in, or near, a black-spot area before setting up.In the case of SNGs using Colems automated control system, many have a choice of operational satellites. Each satellite has its own uniquely mapped black-spot record displayed to the operator at start up and well before deployment. If the crew finds that the SNG vehicle or flyaway terminal is already in a black-spot area, they can check the map for a new, more suitable location. In a new or unmarked area, specific information displayed shows direction and elevation of the required satellite before deploying the antenna. At this point, an operator can check, manually, the line of
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FocusSatMagazine March 200988 sight to the satellite location and make a judgment on whether it is possible or not to deploy. If unsuitable, the location can be marked as bad. If the antenna deploys but cannot lock onto the satellite, the operator again has the opportunity to record that area as a black-spot. For a wireless camera operator, the receiving site controller monitoring the camera operators location and signal level has the ability to set a threshold of receive level at which a black-spot area is marked automatically. The receive level threshold is usually set to a value of SNR between 0.0 and 9.9dB at the receive site. In this case, the control system continues to monitor the received level and mark bad signals areas when found. Implementation of this feature will be available to the next generation of Link Research HD and SD wireless camera control systems.The system allows any operator to manually mark a bad transmission area. This is useful in situations of poor location, ambiguous signal areas, or areas where operator experience may better judge received results. Whether used for SNG or wireless cameras, the system continues to build database records and a graphical representation of both user-determined and automatically detected black-spot areas to avoid for future broadcasts. Regaining ControlDetecting and avoiding those SNG and wireless camera black-spots means that SNG crews will be able to go to anywhere in the world and already know the areas to avoid. Of course, this will save them vital time in setting-up, rather than missing that all-important coverage.Colem sees this application especially impor tant for military satellite ground operations where setup time is crucial. Knowing about problems encountered in previous missions in various ter rains would prove to be invaluable. Having such knowledge will allow fixed and mobile satellite installations to be set up reliably and quickly.As Colems technology develops, the companys vision is to add the ability to up or download black-spot data from any system, via the Internet, to a database managed by Colem. The database will hold a record of GPS position, satellites suitable for SNG, receive site for wireless cameras, signal level, and any other useful information noted by an operator. This will allow all compatible systems to be updated with the latest black-spot area information available to date. For further information, visit the Companys web site at http://www.colem.co.ukAbout the author The author, Martin Coleman, started at Colem as an engineering services and design consult. Using his previous experience in management systems within British Telecom, he developed his own unique satellite and broadcast control system based on the industry standard iFIX Process Control platform from GE. Martin has worked with a number of broadcasters and satellite operators to help improve their processes and control projects.
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Insight 89SatMagazine March 2009 The Evolution of Network ManagementThe growth in the capabilities of the monitoring and control (M&C) solutions available for satellite network operators has been staggering over the last 10 years. M&C products originally designed to provide the operator with the ability to remotely control the stations uplink and downlink equipment for a single antenna from a PC rather than equipment front panels. For each antenna that was installed, a new M&C computer was put into the operations room to allow operators to control the equipment. This resulted in operators having to learn multiple M&C systems just to manage the equipment in their facility. Todays M&C Solutions have evolved into true Network Management Solutions (NMS ), which allows operators to manage all the equipment associated with all the antennas from a single operator terminal in the control room. For larger network operators, they can manage all their antennas across all their facilities from a single terminal located in their Network Operations Center (NOC). From this single terminal, they can control the equipment located half way around the globe as if standing right in front of it.These new NMS Solutions also provide expanded scope into what could be managed. Traditional M&C Solutions focused on the antennas RF equipment. Todays NMS solutions are being asked to manage all the equipment associated with the distribution of the network services. While this certainly includes the antenna RF equipment, it also includes the encoding/decoding equipment, matrix switches and routers, as well as the IP Network located at the facility (hubs, servers, gateways, firewall, etc.). The NMS is also required to interface with the ancil lary equipment associated with the facility such as the facility alarms (fire, temperature etc.), HVAC systems,
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Insight90SatMagazine March 2009 Security Systems, and Power Systems (UPS, Generators, fuel tank levels, etc.). All of these new capabilities certainly have made operators much more efficient in their day to day task of managing the equipment associated with their station or network which has in turn reduced the time to recover from any equipment failures when they do occur. Improved automation tools in the NMS products have also allowed them to automate much of the manual control that was required in the old M&C environment. Tasks such as switching from on-line to back-up equipment, or even an entire uplink or down-link; or per forming uplink power control to account for rain-fade conditions can now all be automated.What hasnt changed, until now, is the way the operators manage the network or facility. Since the very beginning and initial installs of the M&C Systems, operators have always been provided with a Graphical User Interface ( GUI) that consisted of a block and level (B&L) screen display (See Figure 1 below) of the antenna uplink and downlink equipment. When an equipment failure occurred, operators would receive a pop-up notifying them of the failure, the icon on the screen would change color, and they would get an audible alarm to warn them a failure had occurred. Operators could then use the M&C GUI to identify the cause of the problem and work to resolve it. The same basic concepts 20 years ago are still being employed today save some minor changes based upon the new graphical capabilities of the software development environment today.But the demands on the operators of these networks are changing and so are their requirements. With the ever increasing demand for satellite capacity and with the unique advantage satellite offers when serving rural as well as under developed and developing countries with communications services (voice/data/video), more and more network service providers are entering the marketplace, and existing network service providers are expanding out their networks at a rapid pace. Probably most importantly, the customers that are using these networks for their communications requirements are demanding that the network service providers meet higher and higher availability requirements for their mission critical applications. These requirements are funneled down to the network service provider through Service Level Agreements (SLAs) which demand 99.99 percent availability on the network, which is about an hour of system downtime Figure 1 antenna uplink and downlink equipment
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Insight 91SatMagazine March 2009 per year. In order to meet these requirements, they need the tools which can quickly allow them to deter mine how equipment failures on the network effect their SLA obligations to their customers. They need to stop managing the equipment on the network, and start to manage the services or traffic on the network. Until recently, there has been no solution on the mar ket that tied the services or traffic on the network to the physical communications equipment which serves as the backbone of the network. NMS Solutions have been focused on managing the equipment and have not provided the capability to manage the actual ser vices that are being car ried on the network.Newpoint Technologies, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Maryland based Integral Systems, is one of the leading suppliers of NMS Solutions to the satellite marketplace and is looking to change the way network service providers are managing their network and in June will release a new TrueNorth Service Manager Application which will run on top of their Compass NMS solution.The new TrueNorth Ser vice Manager will allow operators to manage the equipment on the network through the use of traditional block and level displays as well as also provide Service Management Views of the system. Oper ators will be able to see all the services that are cur rently running on the network and by selecting any service, they will be able to see the equipment used to transport the service from its source (entry point on the network) to its ultimate destination (exit point on the network). This can be limited to within a single facility, or can be across a network of satellite earth stations (See Figure 2). As new services are added or removed from the network, the GUI is updated to reflect the current traffic for the operators. While managing the services, if the operator moves a back up unit (HPA for example) into place for another one on the network as a result of a failure or to perform maintenance, the service views for the traffic using that device with in the system are
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Insight92SatMagazine March 2009 automatically updated to reflect the change in the new equipment path. As the TrueNorth Service Manager is fully integrated with the SAT Corps Monics and DSA Carrier Monitor ing Solutions ( CMS ), the satellite carrier that is used by the service can also be included as part of the ser vice. So failures on the transponder, rain fade conditions, and carrier interference can also be used to determine the status of the service, and when an alarm occurs on the CMS solution, operators can see the ser vices affected by the loss of the carrier. When a failure does occur on the network or CMS, the operator is not only alerted as to the details of the equipment or carrier failure in the traditional sense but is also notified of the service or services which are affected by this failure. Based upon the established SLA agreements, each service can be assigned a priority level, so that when failures do occur, operators can focus their attention into recovering the higher priority servic es on the network. This allows network service providers to maximize the revenue on their network by allowing the operator to respond to the failures which will cost the most based upon the established SLA agreements. In addition to providing the real-time management of the services and the equipment which are generating the revenue for the service provider, important information regarding the operation of the network is logged for later analysis. Users can print reports based upon Figure 2 Service Level View w/CMS Data the performance of the network such as the availability of each of the ser vices in the network, MTTR of each service, and MTBF for each service which is carried on the network. This information can be used to feed billing and provisioning systems and to demonstrate the reliability of the network to their customers.NMS Solution providers continue to evolve their products at an alarming pace to keep up with the ever dynamic satellite network management requirements. Newpoint continues to lead the way with the new TrueNorth Service Management System which allow operators to manage their network the way they manage their business. For the NMS to stop managing the equipment on the network, and start focus on the ser vices and traffic on the network, and aid in maximizing the SLA agreements and revenue that can be generate from the network.
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93SatMagazine March 2009 Input: Tools Of The Trade Implementing Multi-Level Systems With VisionicThis tutorial will present various methods of how to connect several Visionic stations into one single system and how to monitor and control such in the simplest manner possible. In the past several years, nearly every satellite and broadcast system in use has been monitored and controlled from a dedicated, typically PC-based, M&C system. A number of Visionic stations have been deployed, controlling a range of equipment in the receiving, production and output stages of the signal path. As the complexity grows, the NOC operators were presented with a growing number of systems or screens, as theyre popularly called. In order to prevent overload of information, a system needs to be designed to offer the NOC operator the ability to monitor and control several systems, all from a central (NOC) location. Additionally, there could be several NOC stations installed; each of them should provide a complete view of all systems on the network. How to implement such a system? As with most engineering challenges, there are several ways and architectures to enable the implementation these goals. Each of these systems is fully autonomous and tracks its own devices and functions. Installed individually, the system provides in-depth functions for complete overview and control of the system. After installing several such systems, there is the need to manage them from a central location. The second scenario covers usage of SNG vehicles and VSAT stations, how to connect the arrays of these stations to the central operational center, and the deployment of GUI workstations.Visionic Client & Server OverviewThe Visionic GUI client communicates with the Visionic server using a TCP/IP connection. The communication is based on the SOAP / HTTP messaging protocol (standard web protocol) on the servers port 6062. The server also notifies clients about changes in the system by sending UDP messages to subscribed clients.In order to establish the connection between the Visionic client and the server, it is required that the TCP/ IP port is open on the servers side and that the client does not block UDP messages sent from the server.Typical Network ScenariosThere are several typical examples of how Visionic can be connected into a multi-level monitoring and controlling system...:Flat / one-level systems (small to medium installations) Manager with direct access (medium installa-tions, one LAN) Manager with proxy (medium to large installaSNMP (3rd party systems)Each of these architectures has its strong and weak points. The following table can help you decide which architecture you can employ.Flat SystemsFlat systems are the simplest remote Visionic installations. Here are a few typical examples of the Visionic communication. In this case, there will be only one level of stations, controlled from a central location. Each system has its own independent GUI client running on the NOC computer:
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94SatMagazine March 2009 Input: Tools Of The Trade This network scenario is named peer-to-peer, flat, or one-level system. This architecture is good for smaller installations as it is relatively simple to install, understand, and offers good performance on corporate, fixed networks and is a good selection for smaller cor porate installations with 1 to 10 different systems. The disadvantage of this architecture is that NOC PC clients start to experience significant loads after 8 to 10 clients run in parallel. Also, the operator screen can become somewhat cluttered with all of these cli ents running in parallel. However, the user must run all remote GUIs continuously to remain informed about any changes in the system. Thus, this model does not scale well. Also, it is difficult for remote users, who might be connected via slow VPN lines, to receive an overview of all stations in the system. This model requires a constant, fixed connection between NOC PC and Visionic servers, making it unsuitable for SNG and flyaway stations. This architecture happens to be the easiest to realize the system engineer installsl all remote GUI programs on all NOC PCs no additional configuration steps are required.How To Implement Flat SystemsOn the remote NOC PCs, install appropriate VisionicsETUP_CLIENT.EXE files for appropriate projects.Direct Access ManagerThe second scenario uses a dedicated Visionic server to collect information about Visionic stations. This is called a two-level system, or Manager-Of-Managers (MoM ). The special Visionic system (another runtime system) is used to poll different Visionic systems (A, B, and C in this case). The polling is done in a simi lar method as is accomplished with other Visionic devices, this time using a TCP/IP network connection to other Visionic servers. The Manager station is running a separated Visionic project, depicting remote stations (possibly on a geographical map or something similar) The Manager system (which is also a regular Visionic Server) polls remote stations (A/B/C) and extracts the most important information from them (such as any alarms in the system, and so on). Each remote station (A/B/C) is recognized as one device in the Managers station.The worker servers (A/B/C) do not require a permanent connection to the Manager; when connection is established. They will be polled, but if the connection is interrupted, Visionic Manager System will report a Figure 2 Direct Access Manager architecture
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95SatMagazine March 2009 Input: Tools Of The Trade This architectures assets are:Scalable for internal LAN applications Allows overview of the com-plete system Suitable for 10+ remote stations Suitable, but not perfect, for Visionic stations that are connected via satellite linksThe price to pay is increased complexity in one more Visionic system (Visionic Manager System is a proper Visionic server). The system can be improved for situations when worker systems (A/B/C) are located on a WAN or satellite network.How To Implement Direct Manager SystemsHere is the short list outlining steps required to make the direct manager system:Create the schematic for the Visionic Manager station. Use Visionic Remote Stations stencil from the Visionic Extension stencil for this job Install the Visionic Manager System Visionic server On each NOC PC install the remote GUI for the Visionic Manager System On each NOC PC install the copy of the remote GUI for each remote Visionic station (A/B/C)This implementation, similar to all of the others that follow, requires a separate Visionic Runtime service for the Direct-Manager server.SNMP-BasedSystemsIn some installations, it is required to provide data from the stations (A/B/C) to third party systems, using SNMP protocol. Such examples include providing telemetry data for the TTC systems; providing QoS data such as Eb/No, EIRP, and similar for measurements and billing purposes, or for integration into IT management system such as HP OpenView. For these systems, it is required each Visionic station provides SNMP functionality. This is implemented with Vi sionic SNMP Agent. The network diagram follows... timeout condition for a particular system. In these sys tems, the Manager polls the worker systems (A/B/C) and provides high-level information about monitored systems. The Managers information includes:Alarm monitoring on the remote systemsPolling of the most important values from each server Always aware of the status of all Visionic sta-tions, including the network status, operational status, etc.This summary information is displayed on the main screen on the NOC PC where the operator typically sees all of the connected systems. Each box on the screen represents a single station and each box is color coded according to the status of the station. When the operator clicks on the NOC main screen, the Visionic will attempt to open a full GUI of the station in question much like a web browser opening a new page. In this architecture, the NOC PC will attempt to establish a direct connection with the particular Visionic station. In such an example, the network flow of information looks like this:
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96SatMagazine March 2009 Input: Tools Of The Trade The Visionic SNMP Agent enables external managers and third party systems to obtain data about devices monitored by Visionic. Moreover, the Visionic SNMP Agent allows managers to control devices using SNMP protocol; the Visionic transforms SNMP requests into commands specific to the device. Thus, even devices that are connected via serial line can be seen by SNMP using Visionic SNMP Agent. The Visionic SNMP Agent uses standard Windows Management Service (SNMP Service) to expose its own MIB. Upon starting, the Agent will automatically generate the MIB for the Visionic project that currently runs on the server.The SNMP Agent will also send traps to the destinations set up in the SNMP Agent configuration. The traps will be sent when:New alarm appears in the systemUser acknowledges the alarmAlarm is cleared by the deviceThe positive point of such architecture is standardization: the MIB file is produced automatically from the running Visionic server and can be imported into any other SNMP manager Visionic included. The traditionally negative element with all SNMP-based systems is the complexity of the SNMP installation.
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97SatMagazine March 2009 Input: Tools Of The Trade First, Windows must be set up to support SNMP Ser vice this is an optional part of Windows XP and Vista, although such is standard on Windows servers. Then, Visionic SNMP Agent must be installed (once only). After that, the administrator must configure Windows SNMP service and provide:Security information which stations can access SNMP protocol Community names (SNMP passwords) for read and write access List of trap destinations Start the SNMP serviceThese steps must be provided once for all SNMP agents on the network. Secondly, note SNMP itself cannot provide GUI of the system; the SNMP provides the data about the system. The existing SNMP managers are typically network-oriented and not suitable for drawing telecommunication transmission or reception networks. Therefore, it is often useful to install remote Visionic GUI workstation for easier command and detailed reporting of the system. The SNMP is most often used as a tool to get the data to the external, third party system. Optionally there might be a Visionic Manager system (or proxy) that provides visualization and GUIs for the remote NOC stations.Sending Traps OnlyIn some systems, it is not required to have full SNMP functionality sending the traps in case of alarms would be sufficient.In such a case, the Visionic SNMP Agent and Windows SNMP Service can be omitted from the installation. Instead, the system engineer should open the local GUI and in the Alarm Center Options window and then specify the IP addresses or names for the trap destinations. When the system is set up in this way, the Visionic will still send the traps (to the designated destinations), but it is not required to have SNMP Agent or Service installed. Such a system only provides traps and does not provide any kind of MIB.
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98SatMagazine March 2009 Input: Tools Of The Trade Visionic As SNMP ManagerThe Visionic client naturally includes the capabilities of the SNMP manager. In other words, the Visionic system can be used to manage other systems using SNMP protocol. Thus, it is possible to monitor a Visionic station using purely SNMP protocol. The advantages of such system are:Reliance on standard technology SNMP Detailed status of all Visionic stationsIt is possible to exchange the remote Visionic stations with other, SNMPcompatible stations (possibly from other manufacturers) with minimal re-engineering of the system. The variant of this architecture can be used to present the status of a device that resides on a remote server this can be done using SNMP as the main protocol. If device A resides on Server A, we can visual ize and control such devices from station B/server B using SNMP protocol. An additional advantage of such a system is that it provides a way to interface with oth er, SNMP-compliant systems. These include Scopus NMS-4000, Sci-At ROSA, nCompass and others. These systems can be visualized via the Visionic server and, in several cases, the control of such systems is also possible.How To Implement SNMP-Based SystemHere are the basic steps to install SNMP-based agent on a remote Visionic station:Install Windows XP/Vista Windows Management Pack this will install Windows SNMP Service Install Visionic SNMP Agent from the Visionic CDROM -mote station. Enter the trap destinations, community strings and access rights Set up the individual project ID for each re-mote station in the project (see SNMP Agent documentation). On the Visionic Manager System, create a Vi-sionic project having Generic SNMP Devices for each remote station Import MIBs from remote stations and create appropriate SNMP template(s)Visionic ProxyThe Visionic Proxy is a service that transforms one computer (typically Visionic Manager Server) into a proxy of the various Visionic stations. This means that the remote Visionic stations are connected only with the Visionic Master Station and the networks can be disconnected.This system allows several advantages compared to the previous options and none of the drawbacks:Easy to set up same as Direct Access ManagerScales very well, >150 remote stations per one proxyEliminates excessive network connections to-ward remote stations Easy to set up and manage compared to SNMPSuitable for both permanent and temporary, ad-hoc networks such as GSM, satellite and 3G connectionsWhen connection to the remote server is established, the Visionic Proxy emulates standard Visionic clients. Simultaneously, it offers the same information to all NOC clients. This way, the NOC clients listen only for
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99SatMagazine March 2009 Input: Tools Of The Trade information coming from the proxy server. What is also interesting is that this solution can scale extremely well. Every central Proxy server can also be stacked up and provide global or specialized proxy servers for the different networks. The Proxy service on the Management server ensures that:NOC clients connect only to the Proxy server; not to the remote stations The Proxy server polls and remote systems The Proxy server exposes each station as one device and can be stacked up to provide multi-level hierarchy of the stationsThis architecture is the recommended way for implementing scalable Visionic installations. Please note that these installations can stack up and provide multi-level control systems, covering huge amounts of devices and huge networks. Each Proxy server exposes one Visionic remote station as a device. The parameters of such devices can be set up by the engineer; and they often include the most important service, or station, data (EIRP levels, ACU position, modem parameters and similar). The SNMP can be piggybacked at any stage of such systems so the upperlevel or IT management system can obtain data about the stations connected on the lower levels. The SNMP Agents can be installed on either remote Visionic stations, or on the Visionic Proxy itself, further minimizing the load on the remote stations.How To Implement Proxy SystemsThe installation of the proxy systems is virtually identical to the installation of the remote Visionic Manager stations. These include:Create the schematic for the Visionic Manager station. Use Visionic Remote Stations stencil from the Visionic Extension stencil for this job Install the Visionic Manager System Visionic server Install Visionic Proxy Service from the Visionic CDROM On each NOC PC install the remote GUI for the Visionic Manager System On each NOC PC install the copy of the remote GUI for each remote Visionic station (A/B/C)This implementation, like all the others that follow, requires a separate Visionic Runtime service for the Direct-Manager server.Typical ScenariosHere is one typical scenario that examines how to implement the monitoring and managing of a SNG fleet with 20 SNG vans. This same scenario covers also remote VSAT or GSM tower stations. These vans are monitored and controlled from a central Earth station. The Earth station has a NOC that dispatches commands and receives contributions from one or more SNG vans. The system overview is shown Figure 7. The SNG stations are all equipped with a laptop computer or ABEL2004 running the Visionic Frontline license. The Visionic server software polls the equipment of the van (such as modems, encoders, BUCs, IRDs, amplifiers, and so on) as well as the van inter nal data (battery monitor, various contact closures). Because of this, the system has real-time knowledge about the systems and all parameters. When the connection is established, these changes are transferred to the remote Visionic (master) Earth station. This ensures minimal bandwidth usage between NOC operators and actual equipment. Figure 6 Typical proxy architecture
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100SatMagazine March 2009 Input: Tools Of The Trade Despite the initial investment in the additional hardware and software (Visionic Frontline, computer, making Visionic projects, and connecting all devices), it provides superb cost savings in terms of the used bandwidth compared to the alternative polling over satellite link. At the same time, Visionic software provides GUI for the van operator, allowing the operator to configure the van from a single location. More importantly, the operator can simply load a predefined configuration and set up the transmission and reception parameters of the complete satellite system.It is important to know that the SNG station establishes either TCP/IP connection with the remote Earth station. This is the ideal and most commonly used system. As an alternative, the SNG van can be set up to establish VPN communication though an auxiliary satellite channel on the modem, which is connected via serial port to the ABEL 2004 / laptop running Visionic software. As the second alternative, Visionic can establish the TCP/IP connection using a public GSM or 3G network, which is a suitable alternative (in terms of the bandwidth) for smaller systems such as this. The central Visionic station (Visionic Server at the Earth Station / shelter) monitors and controls, simultanesouly, both the Tx/Rx equipment of the station as well as the connections to the currently connected vans on the network. Using proxy service ensures NOC operators do not cause any excessive satellite traffic, and that the communication between vans and the NOC is managed from the central location.Study Case: TT&C SystemVisionic is quite suitable for monitoring and controlling up and down links for the TT&C communication with the satellite. In such situations, the third party satellite control systems (EPOCH and similar) require up-todate, precise and fresh data about the telemetry: the current antenna position, beacon signal and selected polarization parameters. Such systems might also be interested in the Tx parameters, such as output power, EIRP, and similar systems. The typical system also includes a backup station on a separate location. The overall architecture of such a system looks like Figure 8. In such a system, there might be two viable alternatives of how to obtain telemetry data. The first is a simple XML file; each Visionic system can produce a simple and comprehensive XML file that shows the real-time values of all devices.The second is using a Visionic SNMP Agent and obtaining the data via SNMP protocol. To export the data from the Visionic station for monitoring purposes requires download of the XML document from the address:http://:6062/xml/systemstate.xmlThis URL will spit out the current data about all monitored devices in the system.Typical Scenario: Systems At Multiple LocationsHeres an Earth station with 5 to 30+ Visionic stations. Each of these stations is used to monitor and control certain sections of the transmission path. These include:Uplink stationsDownlink stationsRouting systems and matricesEach of these systems is controlled using one Visionic server. One Visionic server can be used to control 100 Figure 7 Typical SNG / VSAT system
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101SatMagazine March 2009 Input: Tools Of The Trade to 200 devices; depending on the selected hardware for the Visionic server (the bigger the iron, the better), polling speeds, and network availability. It is also worth noting that more Visionic servers in this sce nario allow systems to grow more easily and to avoid single-point failure as much as possible. The overall architecture of this system is shown above. This system allows the NOC operator to control any station from the single screen in the NOC. If the proxy server is down, the system can still be monitored and operated by connecting NOC stations directly to the Visionic systems (transforming it into the flat system). One Visionic Proxy server can be used to monitor and control 100-200 remote Visionic stations at the same time, depending on the hardware, network and the polling speeds. If locations are geographically spread, it is recommended to have Visionic servers at each location, for the same reasons that SNG vehicles should contain Visionic software. In this typical scenario, Visionic sys tems are connected to the proxy server using high-speed, internal / copper or WAN / FO network with very low latency and sufficient bandwidth (>= 10Mbps).The operator in NOC normally has an overview of the entire station. On the top-level screen, each system is represented as a colorcoded box. Inside the box (Visionic Dashboard) the operator sees the most prominent parameters of the station, such as Az/ El/Pol, Eb/No of the modems and similar. Clicking the box opens the dialog where the user either starts the remote Visionic client (connected via proxy to the appropriate system), or assumes remote control (using VNC or remote desktop) as well as performs other service tasks.ClosureSeveral options for connecting remote Visionic stations have been examined and a number of typical Visionic installations presented. These can be used as a guideline for installing the real-world, production Visionic systems. Figure 8 Typical TTC system
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102SatMagazine March 2009 index of advertisers AAE SYSTEMS PAGE 33 ALAN GOTTLIEB INTERNATIONAL PAGE 59 ANACOM PAGE 69 ASC SIGNAL BACK COVER AVCOM INSIDE BACK COVER AVL TECHNOLOGIES PAGE 49 C-COM PAGE 13 COLEM PAGE 87 COMTECH EF DATA PAGE 61 CPI PAGE 71 e2v PAGE 57 EUROCONSULT PAGE 47 FOXCOM PAGE 23 GE INTERNATIONAL PAGE 31 GLOBAL LINK PRODUCTIONS PAGE 65 HANNOVER FAIRS PAGE 43 iDIRECT PAGE 39 INTEGRAL SYSTEMS PAGE 91 INTOREL PAGE 07 MDA PAGE 53 MFG GALILEO PAGE 19 MITEQ INC. | MCL PAGE 45 MITEQ INC. | MCL INSIDE FRONT COVER NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS (NAB) PAGE 37 NEAR EARTH LLC PAGE 55 NEWSAT PAGE 97 NEWTEC CY PAGE 83 NSR PAGE 41 MFG GALILEO PAGE 15 PARADISE DATACOM PAGE 09 PARADISE DATACOM FRONT COVER SSPI PAGE 79 TECOM PAGE 15 W.B. WALTON PAGE 35 WAVESTREAM CORPORATION PAGE 29 XICOM PAGE 89 YR20 PAGE 73
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