satellitepro middle east

March 2012 | SatellitePro | 1

ISSUE 3 | MARCH 2012

ArAbsAt’s CEO KhAlEd bAlKhEyOur On fOrging pArtnErships And KnOwing yOur AudiEnCE

MENA FroNtruNNEr

Young researchers at EIAST declare Dubai’s famed islands stable

DUBAISAT-1: EYE ON THE WORLD MILSATcOM OpERATIONSRole of the commercial satellite industry

pATH TO LONDON 2012Meeting the challenge of mitigating satellite interference A SUPPLEMENT OF

BROADCASTPRO ME PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ

EDITORIAL

WelcomeThe satellite industry has been working with admirable tenacity for years to mitigate interference. The drive to adopt carrier ID has taken on a new sense of urgency with the upcoming London 2012 Olympics. An estimated global audience of four billion will tune in to watch the games. Compelling content is the pivot around which companies participating in CABSAT, jockey for position. It is lack of content, says Khaled Balkheyour, president and CEO of Arabsat, that is hindering the growth of HD in the region. He adds that satellite operators need to keep entry costs down for HD broadcasters so they can focus on developing content. Perhaps the most compelling content produced globally in 2011 and unfortunately in 2012, is the unfolding of the political upheaval across the MENA region. With due respect to grainy shots and shaky videos taken by intrepid citizen journalists, the stories filed by professional journalists in Tahrir Square and Libya and now Syria, continue to grip audiences. I had a mini-tutorial of sorts last week in the equipment that modern-day journalists, working in conflict zones, carry. Within an innocuous backpack is ultra-portable equipment that allows the reporter to send live streams to the studio. As an aside, I was told that while there are sophisticated satellite-based tracking systems to ensure the safety of the journalist, veterans will advise you to carry a coathanger to help you sift though top-soil to detect landmines, if any. As a (mundane) trade journalist, I can only admire the courage of the likes of Anthony Shadid who died in Syria recently, and who reported for two decades from some of the Middle East’s deadliest flashpoints. To the men and women who believe that the story must be told at all costs, I pay this small tribute. In our new monthly, A4-sized Avatar, we look forward to meeting you at CABSAT, where we are media partners for the GVF Satellite MENA Summit.

Supriya SrinivasDeputy EditorSatellitePro Middle East

© Copyright 2012 CPI. All rights reserved. While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

A SUPPLEMENT OF BROADCASTPRO MEPUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ

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CONTENTS Issue 3 | March 2012

News

6Expanding operationsNews updates from Yahsat, Thuraya, EIAST, Vizada, World Teleport Association, AsiaSat, Thaicom and more

Cover Story

12Innovating from the frontEng. Khaled Balkheyour, Arabsat’s president and CEO, on partnering with broadcasters, diversifying operations, satellite interference and future trends

SatBroadcast

18The next generation in broadcast distributionWorld Teleport Association’s Robert Bell analyses the evolving relationship between teleports and broadcasters

SatBroadcast

20The state of interferenceMartin Coleman of SiRG evaluates the readiness of the industry for London 2012

SatBroadcast

24All in the backpackSatellite-based innovations make news-gathering cost effective

26SatCaseStudy: ‘The World’ under scrutinyEIAST researchers prove through satellite imagery that Dubai’s famed development ‘The World’ is stable

30SatVertical: GovernmentsExperts from SES, Astrium, Thuraya and Yahsat analyse the growing role of the commercial satellite industry in Milsatcom operations

36SatVertical: Oil & GasKeith Johnson, president of global energy solutions, Harris Caprock, analyses the drivers of bandwidth in the energy sector

38

48

SatTechnology: Working with inclined orbits

SatGuest

Service providers and customers view inclined orbits as an opportunity to acquire better priced bandwidth, writes Koen Williams of Newtec

Drew Klein of C-Com Satellite Systems explains the impact of the Ka-band revolution

ON THE COVER: Khaled bin Ahmed Balkheyour, president and CEO of Arabsat

PAGE 42

SATELLITE INDUSTRY WALKTHROUGH

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36

6 | SatellitePro | March 2012

SatNews

Vizada Networks, a satellite

communications provider and systems

integrator, recently acquired by Astrium,

has completed the installation of a custom

designed VSAT Camp Antenna System

(VCAS) for FMV, the Swedish Defence Material

Administration. The antenna system will be

used by the Swedish Armed Forces (SwAF)

within their role as members of the International

Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Afghanistan.

In addition to reportedly providing the

best balanced value/technical proposal,

the Request for Proposal (RFP) required the

supplier to have the logistical and technical

presence in theatre to guarantee Mean Time

to Repair (MTTR) of less than four hours for any

electrical part of the VCAS, when applicable

spare parts are available.

The scope of supply included design,

implementation and integration of the VCAS,

on-site installation, testing and training. The

VCAS is based on a 3.8m antenna that may

be operated in the X-band, Ku-band, C-band

frequencies by changing the antenna feed and

RF-equipment. In addition to the antenna itself,

Vizada Networks’ engineers also installed the

RF Ku-band kit and spectrum analysers before

carrying out in-depth operator and technical

training on the system.

“FMV has a focus on high technology and

as a full capability satellite communications

provider, we have been able to meet both

its technical and logistical requirements with

this, the first installation we have performed

for the administration,” commented Thomas

Åstrom, business development director, Vizada

Networks Defence Division.

YahLive and Etisalat collaborate on satellite uplink TV services YahLive, the UAE-based satellite broadcasting

company, signed a partnership agreement

with Etisalat to collaborate on satellite

broadcasting services. Under the agreement,

Etisalat will establish uplink services to

YahLive’s Y1A satellite which broadcasts

at 52.5ºE. The agreement will enable the

broadcast of national channels in HD format

for the first time, and on the HD hot-spot in the

region, through YahLive’s HD satellite offering.

Following the signing ceremony with

Etisalat, Mohamed Youssif, CEO of YahLive,

said: “This partnership with Etisalat comes

within our mandate to enhance our offerings

and our TV broadcasting services. YahLive will

also have a dedicated service team to respond

to changing requirements.”

To strengthen its distribution network in

Africa, Thuraya, the international mobile

satellite operator has signed a service partner

agreement with Africell Holding (a subsidiary

of Lintel Holding). Through this partnership,

Africell, one of Africa’s GSM operators, will be

providing Thuraya’s data and voice services

in Gambia, Sierra Leone and the Democratic

Republic of Congo.

”Africa offers significant business

opportunities due to its size, geographical

composition, population and economical

potential. The new partnership with Africell is

part of our strategy to enhance our distribution

network and reach out to our vertical industry

consumers wherever they choose to operate,”

said Thuraya’s CEO, Samer Halawi.

Vizada’s antenna system operational in Afghanistan

Thuraya partners with Africell Holding to serve African markets

Iraq deploys ASBU’s MENOS virtual TV network

Thomas Åstrom, business development director Samer Halawi, CEO, Thuraya

Mohamed Youssif, CEO of YahLive

Iraq has deployed several Multimedia

Exchange Network over Satellite (MENOS)

TV interactive terminals from satellite

communications company Newtec.

The terminals will operate within the Arab

States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) exchange

network. By deploying the technology,

broadcasters within Iraq will now have access

to their own IP-based and fully automated

secure Virtual Network (VN) for contribution

and exchange of TV content.

Arabs slated to be online by 2015100

Engineers from the Emirates

Institution for Advanced Science

& Technology (EIAST) have

completed a crucial stage in the design

phase of the DubaiSat-2 project, with the

qualification model (QM) passing a series

of rigorous tests.

The Qualification Model is the third and

final design model, and represents the

last test of all components on DubaiSat-2,

the UAE’s second remote sensing satellite

which is due to be launched into orbit by

the end of 2012. Tests included vibration

testing, acoustic testing, thermal testing,

thermal vacuum testing, a shock test and

mass measurement.

“These tests are designed to put

the satellite through the same or similar

conditions that it will face on its journey

to space. From lift off to separation of

the satellite from the launcher, it takes

15 minutes, but the amount of pressure,

shock and vibration is very high and we

need to put the model through those

same conditions to make sure our satellite

will eventually survive this event,” said

Salem Al Marri, head of projects and

space missions at EIAST.

The DubaiSat-2 project is a joint

development programme between EIAST

and Satrec Initiative of South Korea,

in which 16 UAE engineers have been

working on the design, development,

testing and manufacturing of the satellite.

DubaiSat-2 project passes key tests


SatNews

Inmarsat is reaching out to

partners and customers following a

reorganisation within the company.

Adressing the press in Dubai during the

Volvo Ocean Race that Inmarsat supports

as official satellite communications provider,

newly appointed CEO Rupert Pearce spoke

of bringing the expertise of the subsidiary

companies into a new organisational

structure. And, as part of the process, all

companies in the Inmarsat group – including

Stratos Global, Segovia and Ship Equip –

will now use the brand name “Inmarsat”.

“We have led the mobile satellite

services market as a wholesale

organisation. This restructure will build on

that by bringing us closer to our customers,

making us more responsive to their needs

and more efficient in the delivery of our

services,” said Inmarsat chief executive

Rupert Pearce.

Inmarsat Solutions, led by Jim Parm,

will operate through four new market-

facing business units that include

maritime, government US, government

global and Inmarsat Enterprise. Despite

the new organisational structure, Inmarsat

says it does not intend to change its

policy of distributing its services primarily

through independent channel partners,

consisting of its network of distribution

partners and service providers. The

company’s services are delivered

through a global network of more than

400 distribution partners and service

providers operating in 100 countries.

Consolidation at Inmarsat, says CEO Rupert Pearce

Thaicom to expand into the MENA with new satellites Thaicom Plc, Thailand’s sole satellite service

provider, has set an aggressive three-year

expansion plan with the planned launch of

two new commercial satellites, Thaicom 8

and Thaicom 9.

‘We‘re positioning Thaicom as a

wholesale satellite operator and no longer as

a retail provider,” said Suphajee Suthumpun,

CEO, Thaicom Plc.

Thaicom 9 will be positioned at 50.5

degrees East to reserve the country’s orbital

slot, due to expire in November 2011. It will

be a broadcast satellite and the company

aims to expand its footprint in the Middle

East, Europe and Africa.

Suthumpun said the Thaicom 8 broadband

satellite, to be positioned in the orbital slot at 119.5

degrees, will cost no more than US$200 million.

Thaicom underwent a reorganisation and

business restructuring under Suphajee’s

leadership. It switched its focus on bandwidth

rental from iPSTAR to corporate users, big

telecom operators and disaster recovery

service instead of the retail segment.

AsiaSat 6 and AsiaSat 8 are scheduled

to launch in the first half of 2014 from the

launch complex of Space Exploration

Technologies (SpaceX), at Cape Canaveral

Air Force Station in Florida, USA. The two

SS/L 1300 satellites will serve Asia, the

Middle East and Australasia.

“We look forward to the timely and

successful launches of AsiaSat 6 and

AsiaSat 8, thereby expanding our fleet from

four to six satellites in 2014 to provide more

high quality and comprehensive satellite

services in the Asia-Pacific region,” said

William Wade, president and CEO of AsiaSat.

Rupert Pearce, CEO, Inmarsat

William Wade, president and CEO of AsiaSat

AsiaSat 6 and AsiaSat 8 to serve MENA

InSat to deliver Ka-band over AfghanistanSatellite specialist Newtec has signed a deal

with satellite-based internet provider InSat to

supply and install Sat3Play hub and terminal

technology delivering next generation Ka-

band communications over Afghanistan.

InSat plans to provide three distinct

services for Afghan telecom providers based

on Newtec’s Sat3Play technology: IP Trunking

service for large companies and government

agencies, VSAT services for small and

medium companies and broadband IP

access services for consumers under its

brand name hi-stream.


Technology use on airlines jumps in 2010 - 201123.2

Why satellite professionals need to care about the local loopThe World Teleport Association (WTA)

has released the next of its Four Nines

reports, which share the best practices

of teleport operators in technology,

operations and management. It is titled

How to Reduce the Cost of the Local Loop

and explores how teleport operators use

local loops and commercial ‘meet me’

points to connect facilities, how the local

loop has evolved (or failed to evolve) and

how operators optimise its use to reduce

costs while maintaining the quality that

customers demand.

How to Reduce the Cost of the Local Loop

is available free to WTA members and for sale

to non-members from the WTA website.

Robert Bell, executive director of the

World Teleport Association, says: “Rare

is the television programme that has not

spent at least part of its life on a satellite.

While contribution has diversified

into broadband file-transfer and live

streaming, satellite remains the most cost-

effective means to delivering content to

millions of viewers.

“Yet no programming reaches the viewer

without also spending time on a local

loop,” the last-mile connection between

the production site and the broadcast

centre, or the broadcast centre and the

uplink. And in most markets, the cost of the

local loop remains stubbornly high. While

long-haul optical fibre transport is highly

competitive and cost-effective, the local

loop has typically remained in the hands of

a monopoly or incumbent carrier that can

dictate standards and prices.”

Eutelsat Communications

announced that the number of

channels broadcasting through its

satellites hit the milestone of 4,000 at the

end of 2011. The threshold was crossed

with the launch at Eutelsat’s 7° West

video neighbourhood of Rotana Cinema,

devoted to classic and contemporary

films in Arabic, part of the Rotana

entertainment group.

The fastest impetus is at positions

serving TV markets in the Middle East,

Africa, Russia and Central Europe where

Eutelsat continues to expand resources,

most recently with the launches in 2011 of

Atlantic Bird 7 (7° West) to serve viewers in

North Africa and the Middle East, and W3C

(16° East) for viewers in Central Europe and

French-speaking Indian Ocean islands.

Pay-TV and free-to-air broadcasting

continue to expand. 40% are free-to-air

(FTA), with the highest concentration

of FTA at Eutelsat’s flagship Hot Bird

neighbourhood and at 7° West.

The MENA helps Eutelsat break the barrier of 4,000 TV channels

Panasonic Avionics Corporation, a

provider of in-flight entertainment and

communications (IFEC), has commissioned

and tested its new service on the Yamal

201 Russian satellite via its partner RuSat’s

teleport in Moscow, Russia.

The Russian satellite is a strategic

addition to the company’s global

aeronautical broadband network because

it provides essential service for aircraft

routes from Europe to Asia. With the

Yamal 201 satellite, the more than 1,200

aircraft that have been committed to

Panasonic’s Global Communications Suite

will, the company claims, be able to fly

around the globe, above the equator, with

uninterrupted broadband coverage from

the company’s Ku-band network.

Panasonic’s Global Communications

Suite system provides two-way

broadband connectivity to an aircraft.

It supports a wide range of passenger

and crew applications including in-flight

broadband internet access over Wi-Fi to

passengers, and mobile phone service

offered in collaboration with UK-based

Aeromobile, wholly owned by the Telenor

Group. A small mobile base station (pico

cell) installed on-board, connects calls,

SMS and data via satellite to networks on

the ground.

Panasonic’s Global Communications Suite system provides two-way broadband connectivity to an aircraft

Panasonic Avionics expands KU network with Yamal

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SatLead

InnovatIng from the frontKhaled bin Ahmed Balkheyour, president and CEO of Arabsat, in conversation with SatellitePro ME, describes Arabsat’s market-leading position for three decades as a fascinating combination of innovation, partnership with broadcasters through tough times, and knowing and reacting to the myriad preferences of audiences in more than 100 countries across the MENA region and Europe


Number of sports channels that Arabsat launched in 2011 with Saudi TV12

Congratulations on launching the

Mauritania bouquet where Arabsat will

be constructing the digital broadcasting

platform in Nouakchott. Is this a typical

initiative on the part of Arabsat?

The Mauritania bouquet is part of a

strategic initiative established by Arabsat

in its marketing plan in 2009 – the MAPs

strategy ‘Media Access Points’ strategy

that emphasises the establishment of

direct uplink facilities in Arabic countries

with a large number of TV channels. This

initiative that is increasingly relevant

given the liberation of media and [easing

up on] regulation in some countries. The

objective is to cut the additional costs

associated with satellite transmission and

direct broadcasters’ budgets towards

content development. The MAPs strategy

resulted in the launch of new bouquets

and channels across Bahrain, Jordan,

Qatar, Morocco and Sudan. The Mauritania

bouquet will be ready hopefully by the

middle of this year.

You offered the Saudi Premier League to

Arab expatriates in Europe. What has the

response been and how challenging has your

campaign been to expand your footprint?

In September 2011, Arabsat, in cooperation

with Saudi TV, launched 12 channels to

support the broadcasting of Saudi sporting

events and especially the Saudi football

league that is being broadcast exclusively

on Arabsat across the MENA region. A

total of six HD and six SD channels were

launched. Arabsat Badr-4 has always been

the Arabsat video distribution hotspot for

Arab communities in Europe. We have

received incredible feedback for our

initiative. Some Arab broadcasters are

considering dropping their channels from

European providers to migrate to Badr-4.

It provides a safe environment for Arabic

broadcasters in comparison to the current

polluted neighborhood on European

satellite operators, in terms of proliferation

of porn and gambling channels that do not

conform with our culture.

How significant is the challenge from the

growing terrestrial/fibre networks across

the MENA region? Also now that other

HD satellite operators are coming into

play, how does that affect Arabsat?

Indeed across the MENA region,

connectivity through fibre, especially

backbone connectivity for voice and data

through transatlantic cables is growing

rapidly and many international termination

stations have been established. This

carries a significant part of the telecom

traffic. However, the delivery of such

traffic to the termination station remains a

problem. Besides the Gulf countries, the

rest of the MENA still suffers from under

development in terms of fibre connectivity

and satellite continues to play a significant

role in those countries.

Arabsat started its HD initiative back

in 2007. Currently, we have over 35 HD

channels and we are expecting another

five to 10 channels this year. Around 90%

of FTA HD channels are available only

on Arabsat at its Hot Spot at 26deg E, a

Hot Spot that has grown to hold over 450

TV channels, 200 programmes and three

pay TV networks. In addition, Arabsat

has established two HD platforms, one in

Amman and one in Madrid.

The problem in the MENA with

HD remains at the production side.

Broadcasters are still hesitant to engage in

the upgrade of production infrastructure,

thus limiting the number of genuine HD

content hours . The satellite operator’s

role is to make the entry cost for HD

broadcasters as minimum as possible so

that they can focus on content.

Most of the HD content is still sports-

centric, particularly with pay TV channels.

This is why the Arabsat initiative for free-to-

air HD channels becomes very important.

With its 5th generation satellite, Arabsat

has become the largest provider of HD

capacity in the region and will continue

to be able to support broadcasters with

the right incentives for them to invest in

HD. Last year during CABSAT-MENASAT

in Dubai, Arabsat launched the first 3D

“The satellite operator’s role is to make the entry cost for HD broadcasters as minimum as possible so that they can focus on content”

Hamdi Ould Mahgoub, the Mauritanian Minister of Communication and Relations, visited the headquarters of the Arab Satellite Communications Organisation (Arabsat) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to sign a transponder lease contract on Arabsat’s Badr-5 satellite. The agreement will enable the broadcast of the new Mauritanian television bouquet from a digital

broadcasting platform, that will be built by Arabsat in Nouakchott.

Eng. Khaled bin Ahmed Balkheyour, president and CEO of Arabsat, emphasised the MENA-based satellite operator’s commitment to provide the best available satellite services to their customers and find the best solutions for their requirements through Arabsat’s integrated satellite fleet.

Mauritanian bouquet on Arabsat’s Badr-5


SatLead

live channel and visitors enjoyed the 3D

experience at the Arabsat stand.

Arabsat prides itself on ensuring backup

capacities that guarantee service

continuation in emergency situations. Could

you shed light on these backup capacities?

The current circumstances in our region

amply justify the high degree of attention

Arabsat pays to maintaining backup

capabilities. As you know, broadcasters like

Jazeera and Arabiya are now suffering

and have been suffering since early 2011

from intentional jamming associated

with the current political situation in

the Middle East. Arabsat has deployed

many satellite transponders, bouquets and

channels for the broadcasters to survive the

jamming and still be able to deliver content

to their viewers.

Arabsat Badr-5 constitutes hot backup

for both Badr-4 and Badr-6. In case a

failure takes place on any of the bouquets

on either one of them, Badr-5 will take up

the bouquet with the same frequency and

viewers will never notice the transition.

Of course, interference is still there.

The political situation is still unsettled.

We have interacted with regulatory

bodies including the International

Telecommunication Union (ITU) in terms

of documenting and identifying the

intentional jamming incidents.

Arabsat has its own geo-location

facilities managed by its operation centre

in Riyadh and that helps Arabsat to identify

and document sources of interference to

the closest proximity possible.

Other than deliberate interference,

how challenging is the general satellite

interference problem for your operations

and what measures are you taking to

tackle the issue?

Indeed, interference continues to be

a challenge for all satellite operators,

especially with the proliferation of many

VSAT networks and a space that is growing

in congestion. To resolve the issue, our

initiatives at Arabsat are based on:

1. Educating our VSAT partners , SNGs

and telecom network users with satellite

access about our strict access policies.

2. Conducting professional training

programmes for our customers and partners.

3. Establishing a certificate programme in

association with the Global VSAT Forum

(GVF), to deliver this certificate to all of

our users.

4. Participating as an active member of

relevant industry bodies such as the Satellite

Interference Reduction Group (sIRG).

At CABSAT-MENASAT this year, Arabsat

will host the carrier ID convention as part of

our commitment to address and solve the

issue of interference.

As an operator in the region for the

past 30 years, you have had a lot of

experience dealing with broadcasters in

the region. What do you believe drives

a successful partnership between a

satellite operator and a broadcaster?

Broadcasters, especially national and

large private broadcasters, appreciate

a partnership relationship rather than a

customer-provider equation. They expect

you to be there for them in the hard times

and to support them when they have

large projects that may require re-location

of considerable resources. Arabsat has

excelled in nurturing such relationships

due to an internal structure that allows for

dynamic decision making and flexibility.

One success story that is a testimony to

our approach is the launch of the 12 Saudi

sports channels. Arabsat mobilised all its

satellites, platforms and network resources

to support the launch of the channels by

the start date of the Saudi league. We

launched a media campaign that was

unprecedented in scale for a satellite

operator in the region. The media campaign

included advertisements in 12 news papers,

“Broadcasters, especially national and large private broadcasters, appreciate a partnership relationship rather than a customer-provider equation. They expect you to be there for them in the hard times and to support them when they have large projects that may require re-location of considerable resources”

L to R: Khaled bin Ahmed Balkheyour, president and CEO, Arabsat, and Hamdi Ould Mahgoub, the Mauritanian Minister of Communication and Relations, sign a transponder lease contract on Arabsat’s Badr-5 satellite

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SatLead

eight TV channels, seven radio channels,

80 online venues and more, to announce

the launch of the channels.

The business model for broadcasters

is getting increasingly fragile in a

region that has a plethora of channels.

For broadcasters, satellite capacity

accounts for a significant chunk of their

expenditure. What are your views on

this issue?

This could be the case for small and

medium-sized broadcasters. To cater to

them, we established the MAPs strategy

that I mentioned earlier, to support

broadcasters and cut costs associated with

satellite. Also, in addition, we have a wide

network of media cities that have access

to Arabsat satellites and this offers more

options to the broadcaster.

Do you have any strategic plans to enhance

your appeal or to retain customers through

incentives and other services? What, in

your view, makes you unique from other

competitors in the market?

Our brand values are reliability, flexibility

and availability. Reliability relates to

Arabsat’s quest to secure optimal

performance from its satellites and

associated platforms and infrastructure, and

introducing new satellites and enhancing

our backup capacities and platforms.

Flexibility relates to the dynamic decision

making process where we try to stay as

far as possible from a large corporate,

bureaucratic way of conducting business.

And availability refers to both the physical

availability of our satellites, as we have

established long-term plans for satellite

expansion, and to our account management

activities where the customer and partner

can reach any Arabsat official any time. Our

partners and customers would say that the

Arabsat attitude towards doing business

is more like a family business – once you

come on board – you become part of this

family. Our slogan – Our World, Your World

– expresses this spirit of service and sense

of belonging.

While the broadcast sector reportedly

accounts for 60 to 65% of your revenues,

what plans do you have to grow revenues

in other areas of communication including

the internet and catering to other vertical

markets including government/military, oil

and gas and so on?

Arabsat has established a good reputation

across Africa in the telecom services.

The 5th generation satellites’ programme

which concluded in September last

year incorporated the design and

implementation of a pan Africa coverage

associated with wide distribution and

partners’ network. The applications were

concentrated in backbone connectivity,

GSM backhauling and business and

government networks. This has created

a new market for Arabsat that never

existed before. A similar approach was

followed with coverage over Central Asia.

In our home market, the MENA, teleport

services and backbone connectivity are

available, given our distribution network

and gateways in Europe, through cross-

strapped coverage between Europe and

the Middle East.

Last year, Arabsat started addressing

vertical markets with the deployment of its

first Ka-band payload on-board its 5C satellite;

an 8Gb payload that was contracted directly

to the King Abdul Aziz City for Science and

Technology to accommodate the needs of

the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for broadband,

commercial, educational, government and

military applications. Arabsat’s 6th generation

satellite will incorporate more vertical business

models based on the Ka-band payloads.

You now have an integrated fleet of 4th

and 5th generation satellites that you

financed mostly through internal resources.

You continue to expand your fleet and area

of operations. What is the current status

and challenges going forward?

Arabsat is currently in the phase of

designing its 6th generation satellite

programme. The 6th generation programme

will feature more coverage footprints,

new technologies and services. Securing

“At CABSAT-MENASAT this year, Arabsat will host the carrier ID convention as part of our commitment to address and solve the issue of interference”

At Satcom Africa 2011, Arabsat was declared ‘Satellite Service Provider of the Year’


Arabsat currently broadcasts more than 450 TV channels at this Hot Spot26 E

frequency bands and orbital slots continue

to be the most challenging aspects of

launching a satellite.

Our financial status is in excellent shape

which gives us access to financing options

available, in addition to our earnings coming

from our growing operations.

In 2004, although an inter governmental

organisation (IGO), Arabsat initiated

operations on a commercial basis. This was

an essential step to sustain and grow our

operations. Arabsat now has commercial

operations through its regional offices in

Dubai, Cairo and Paris, in addition to a wide

network of media cities around the Arab

world that sell Arabsat services directly. We

also have an extensive network of agents,

partners and teleport services.

Where do you foresee growth for satellite

operators in the region and where, do you

think you will invest further?

The 6th generation satellite will have a

hosted payload on it and a very specific

plan is being put into place now to

accomplish this. Generally, satellite

operators’ investments will focus on

new technologies like Ka and HD and

associated business models because this is

the key for sustainability. PRO

GlobeCast and Arabsat announced that the Global Arabic Bouquet (GAB), a grouping of premium Arabic channels from the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) available anywhere in the world, is now located on the 5C satellite over Africa.

This satellite was launched in September 2011. GlobeCast – partner to Arabsat and ASBU for the worldwide distribution of the GAB – is providing all the technical services required for end-to-end delivery. The terrestrial delivery is done from Amman by Jordan Media City. This service via Arabsat replaces the bouquet’s previous distribution.

Since the launch of their partnership in 2004, GlobeCast, Arabsat and ASBU have expanded the Global Arabic Bouquet’s potential viewership and footprint, offering a single global coverage to ASBU members. Philippe Fort, COO of GlobeCast says, “We are pleased to work with our long-time partners Arabsat and ASBU on optimising the delivery of this bouquet of premium Arab content to households across Africa. We’re looking forward to the bouquet’s success in this growing market.”

Khaled Balkheyour, Arabsat president and CEO, said “Our partnership with GlobeCast

has been strengthened with the successful launch of Arabsat 5C as our fleet is becoming part of the global distribution network of free-to-air Arabic channels managed by GlobeCast, specifically the Arabsat/ASBU Global Bouquet.”

Commenting on the new development, Salaheddine Maaoui, ASBU director general, said, “Arabsat 5C will give the Arab broadcasters an opportunity to reach the Arab viewers in the African continent, where C-band still plays an important role. This means that Arab broadcasters can now reach African viewers more easily.”

Global Arabic Bouquet on Arabsat-5C

Arabsat at CABSAT 2011. Arabsat has commercial operations through its regional offices in Dubai, Cairo and Paris, in addition to a wide network of media cities around the Arab world that sell Arabsat services directly

“In 2004, although an inter governmental organisation (IGO), Arabsat initiated operations on a commercial basis. This was an essential step to sustain and grow our operations”


SatBroadcast

the next generatIon In broadcast dIstrIbutIonThe distribution service providers, whether on the ground or in the sky, see the explosion of content as an undiluted positive, writes Robert Bell, executive director, World Teleport Association, as teleports and internal networks deliver content in any format, through any path, to any device

Since the first wild-eyed entrepreneur

uplinked a signal to a satellite,

broadcasting has been a primary market

for commercial teleport operators. And no

wonder. Long before the word “broadband”

existed, television was the world’s first

broadband application, requiring large-

scale bandwidth and high reliability,

because billions of dollars or euros,

pounds or dirhams were riding on it.

The relationship between teleport

operators and broadcasters has had its ups

and downs. One long-time TV distribution

executive told me that his company never

really wanted to go into the satellite

business once television moved off long-

distance telephone lines and into the sky.

But the poor performance of inexperienced

teleport vendors forced his company to

build its own teleports.

That was a long time ago. Market

pressures have forced operators to

improve – or forced them out of business

– until today’s broadcast-centric operators

provide a quality of service that easily

meets the needs of the most demanding of

media companies.

What do broadcasters want?

Those needs, however, are undergoing

the most dramatic change in decades.

For a research report titled What

Customers Want: Media & Entertainment,

WTA interviewed broadcast distribution

executives in the Middle East, Europe

and USA. The biggest challenges

for a broadcaster are staying on top

of technology change with ageing

infrastructure and expanding distribution

with stable or declining budgets. Both are

the result of the many new distribution

channels for video content, from catch-up

viewing on the Web to connected TV and

second-screen viewing, and even TV to the

handheld. All are in their infancy right now.

One broadcast executive in the Middle

East told us that satellite TV is booming

but internet access lags far behind. “In this

market,” he said, “everybody is glued to TV.

We are an emerging market and people

are watching 2-3 hours of TV a day. People

are preparing for the new platforms but the

content will be introduced first on television

before moving to the smaller screens.”

One hundred per cent of broadcasters

Broadcast business models built on distribution to a carefully controlled network of satellite dishes, cable set-top boxes or terrestrial transmission towers will have to change in major ways


World satellite communications revenue produced by the teleport sector15

we interviewed, however, expect to be

distributing more content over broadband

in the next two years. Viewers will have a

growing range of options for consuming

video content. Broadcast business models

built on distribution to a carefully controlled

network of satellite dishes, cable set-top

boxes or terrestrial transmission towers will

have to change in major ways.

Some broadcast companies still prefer

to own and operate every conceivable

part of the distribution chain. As one well-

known distribution executive said to me,

“If I could afford to own it all, even the

satellites, I would.” But the outsourcing

of programme origination, play-out and

turnaround has become commonplace, and

teleport operators are delivering the SLAs

needed to make their broadcast customers

comfortable. The most successful teleport

operators have a powerful argument to

offer: by providing a distribution centre for

multiple channels and networks, teleports

can justify making investments in state-

of-the-art facilities, automation and route

diversity that individual broadcasters

frequently cannot.

Back to the future

So what does the future of distribution

look like? To find out, WTA researched and

published a study called Future TV and the

Teleport. We set out to answer the specific

question: will the changes being forecast for

the broadcast business be good or bad for

teleport operators and satellite operators?

Press coverage of today’s video

revolution leans toward the alarmist, to

say the least. Satellites will be blown from

the sky by fibre-based content distribution

networks. Broadcast networks will crash

and burn as everyone buys programming a

la carte on their computer or tablet.

What we found when we interviewed

knowledgeable people around the world,

however, was quite a different story.

Content owners and their service providers

both believe that the value of content

will only increase in a world of multi-path

distribution. If content is king today, it will

be emperor tomorrow. Media companies

could still miss the opportunity by insisting

on doing business as they have always

done it. But every broadcast executive

we interviewed was fully alert to both the

opportunities and dangers.

The distribution service providers,

whether on the ground or in the sky, see

the explosion of content as an undiluted

positive. More customised feeds, more

camera angles, more video formats – all

translate into more business. And the

increasing complexity of distribution

plays in particular to the strengths of the

teleport operator. We spoke with several

in the Middle East, Europe and US who

were in the midst of building out entirely

new teleports and internal networks to

deliver what their customers need: the

ability to ingest content once and deliver

it in any format, through any path, to any

device. The core value of the teleport has

always been the ability to connect the

incompatible. Like broadcasters with their

content, teleport operators believe that this

particular ability can only become more

valuable in coming years.

Two stories make the point. An

executive in charge of contribution and

distribution for a major news channel

said, “Data transmission is becoming the

best way to move content around. It’s a

great opportunity for a satellite service

provider. Instead of selling me a 36 MHz

transponder, they can now carve it up into

as many pieces as they want and charge

people to run IP-based data over it. But

it’s going to require a different mindset. I

still run into people, younger than me, who

think that we’re going to send a satellite

truck and buy 9 MHz on a satellite. That

kind of thinking has to disappear. People

have to realise that I no longer have to

plan things in a linear way. When I call my

vendors and say I need 500 Kb, that’s what

they need to sell me.”

A service provider told a different but

equally compelling story. His company

was handling broadcast contribution and

distribution for a major golf tournament.

The tournament ran long, however, and

the final round had still not been played

when the broadcast window ended. The

broadcaster elected not to pre-empt its

regularly scheduled programme – but

millions of viewers still wanted to see

the final. So the teleport operator began

feverish work with the content owner

and the internet distribution company.

They created enough temporary

capacity overnight to support hundreds

of thousands of simultaneous live Web

streams. The broadcast went live on the

Web on a Monday morning – and the site

did not crash. “It took all of us working

together,” said the teleport executive, “to

make it happen.” We can expect to see

more of that kind of close cooperation in

the future. PRO

Robert Bell, executive director, World Teleport Association

“The most successful teleport operators have a powerful argument to offer: by providing a distribution centre for multiple channels and networks, teleports can justify making investments in state-of-the-art facilities, automation and route diversity that individual broadcasters frequently cannot”

Robert Bell is executive director of the World Teleport Association (www.worldteleport.org), which represents the teleport operators, carriers and technology providers in 20 nations.


SatBroadcast

the state of Interference With the London 2012 games just around the corner, Martin Coleman, executive director of Satellite Interference Reduction Group (sIRG), looks at the progress the industry has made in adopting carrier ID, an embedded code to track the cause of interference

We have for a long time been talking

about the ever-present problem of satellite

interference. It is the bugbear of the entire

industry, with feeds continually being

interrupted and service lost due to this issue.

At the Satellite Interference Reduction Group

(sIRG), we have been focusing our effort

on carrier ID (CID) and, specifically, getting

it adopted across the industry in time for

London 2012. Of course, 2012 is now upon us

and with the Olympics just around the corner,

how close are we to achieving that goal?

What has been done?

Carrier ID is essentially an embedded code

that means operators can simply and quickly

track the cause of interference. However, for

carrier ID to work, we need the support of the

entire industry, and that means modem and

encoder manufacturers, satellite operators,

and broadcasters, and crucially all uplinkers

across the globe.

With this in mind, sIRG has been

campaigning hard on a global scale to bring

all of these companies on board with our

initiatives. We attended a number of key

events throughout 2011, with conferences

and speaking slots at many of these,

enabling us to talk to the industry about the

problem, and crucially, the solutions. In the

short term, we have been focused on carrier

ID, but we are also working on a number

of other initiatives, all aimed at significantly

reducing interference.

But for now, we are focusing the majority

of our efforts on carrier ID and getting the

industry on board in time for the Olympics.

So, where are we up to?

We have achieved a great deal over

the last year, with a number of crucial

announcements getting us that bit closer to

our goal. After many months of campaigning

and talking to the industry, IBC was the

turning point. Firstly, Eutelsat announced

that from 30 June 2012, carrier ID will be

integrated into transmission parameters

for SNG transmissions and new DVB

broadcasts for all Eutelsat customers.

Secondly, a number of leading modem

manufacturers agreed to work together

to formalise a standard for the insertion of

new carrier ID technology within the DVB

specification. That is currently with the

DVB and will make a huge difference to

carrier ID as and when approved, as this

new technology contains the carrier ID

information within a separate carrier. This

means that it is visible to operators, without

the need to interrupt the main feed, saving

valuable airtime for broadcasters.

This is something particularly beneficial

for live broadcasts, where any interruption

to the feed will of course have an immediate

effect for the consumer watching at

home. However, it will unfortunately not

be formalised in time for the Olympics, so

although we aim to get the industry to move

that way in the long-term, in the short-term

we will be focusing on establishing the existing

network information table (NIT) carrier ID

technology for London 2012. Even the existing

NIT technology can make a considerable

difference, as it enables interference to

be stopped quickly and efficiently, and

significantly reduces interruptions.

Manufacturers

We have been talking to many of the leading

modem and encoder manufacturers and

as mentioned above, a number of modem

manufacturers worked together to back

the new carrier ID technology, which was

developed by Comtech EF Data, and is

currently being reviewed by the DVB. Both

Comtech EF Data and Newtec have in the

interim added NIT CID to all their modulators

and both companies are strongly supporting

33%

7%

Adjacent satellite interference

unauthorised Carrier

Cross-pol/Copol

sweeper

retransmit/fM broadcast

transporter Compression

3% 2%8%

47%

Interference Types 6-Month Average

data supplied by Intelsat


Monthly interference events that large satellite fleets experience on an average100

the new technology.

As for encoders, we know that a number

of leading manufacturers have included

carrier ID in all products, either as standard

or as a free firmware upgrade. The ones we

are aware of include Ericsson, NTT, IDC, and

Vislink, but I am certain other manufacturers

may have also included it and I’m working to

determine others so we can mention them

on our new website later this year.

Satellite operators

The satellite operators are on the whole

very much on board with carrier ID. They

are of course at the sharp end, dealing with

interference as and when it happens and

striving to keep their customers happy, and

as interference-free as possible.

The announcement from Eutelsat was

a turning point, but we are working closely

with many of the leading operators, including

Intelsat, SES, Inmarsat, and Arabsat, all of

whom are striving to have carrier ID across

their networks in time for the Olympics.

Broadcasters

For broadcasters, the landscape is much

more complicated, as there are so many

of them across the world. For a relatively

small broadcaster, the task of ensuring

carrier ID across their operations can seem

insurmountable. However, as we have

discussed, many of the modem and encoder

manufacturers already include carrier ID, so

the chances are, that most are capable of

carrier ID already.

The current state of play is that some

broadcasters are already using a version

of carrier ID, such as Turner Broadcasting.

We have been working with the other

organisations to combat the problem of

interference. One such group is the Radio

Frequency Interference – End Users

Initiative (RFI-EUI), which has a strong

focus on the broadcaster community. Its

members have agreed to work towards the

use of carrier ID for the Olympics. There

are many more broadcasters who are not

yet employing carrier ID, although all they

need to do really is “flick a switch” to make

it happen. sIRG and other like-minded

and passionate organisations, such as

WBU-ISOG, GVF, and RFI-EUI are working

to better educate the industry about the

There are many more broadcasters however who are not yet employing carrier ID, although all they need to do really is “flick a switch” to make it happen

Carrier ID & the QA Process

Satellite Operators

Type Approval & other QA Data

ID is the Key

User/Uplinker/ Broadcaster

Check & Resolve+ Updates

Inserted Carrier ID ...the Key that unlocks

the Process!


SatBroadcast

advantages of carrier ID in mitigating

interference as they get on board.

Global reach

Another key to getting carrier ID to work

throughout the industry is ensuring it is

established throughout the world. We are

having a great deal of success in Europe and

USA, as well as in the Middle East, where we

have good support from both Arabsat and

Yahsat, as well as Eutelsat and SES, who both

operate in the region.

However, we have not reached out to

our industry colleagues in Russia, China, and

India. That said, we are starting to work with

the Ukraine and are hoping to host a sIRG

conference there later this year, to get out

the message about what we are trying to

achieve and what is possible.

The next [few] steps

We have laid a lot of ground-work over the

years and the technology is out there to

embed carrier ID. The Space Data Association

(SDA) is working towards establishing exactly

what is needed in a carrier ID database,

where the carrier ID code recovered from a

carrier can be used to identify the satellite

operator(s) upon whose satellites the carrier is

authorised to operate. Thus, the responsible

satellite operator can quickly identify and

contact the responsible uplinker and address

any interference quickly and efficiently while

maintaining the integrity of proprietary data

such as name and location.

The SDA is discussing requirements

for the database with its member industry

experts and its technical partners. The final

SDA database is expected to be ready

later in 2012, and in order to support the

London Olympics, the SDA is working with its

industry partners to host an initial version as

a proof of concept.

Now it is up to us all as an industry

to make NIT CID happen in time for the

Olympics for a number of reasons. Firstly,

such a high profile event deserves our

attention to ensure viewers at home are

not affected by interference during those

pivotal moments. Secondly, the Olympics will

provide us with a perfect test bed, enabling

us to demonstrate proof of concept, and at

the same time iron out any operational bugs,

to get the initial systems in place to make

global CID possible in the near future! PRO

Martin Coleman, director, Colem and executive director, Satellite Interference Reduction Group (sIRG)

“The Olympics will provide us with a perfect test bed, enabling us to demonstrate proof of concept, and at the same time iron out any operational bugs, to get the initial systems in place to make global carrier ID possible in the near future”

+ Why is Interference Increasing?

Analysis supplied by GVF…

Presented by Martin Coleman - Executive Director sIRG + David Hartshorn - Secretary General GVF www.satirg.org + www.gvf.org

STOP Interference Now! (it’s a SIN!)

Why is Interference Increasing?analysis supplied by GVF

Broadcast Pro ENT 270x207-E.indd 1 1/18/12 3:02 PM


SatBroadcast

bacKPacK JournaLIsmAs journalists perfect the perilous task of working in conflict zones, satellite-based technology helps them connect with studios back home with equipment that literally fits into a backpack

When reporting from conflict zones,

anonymity is critical. Portable communications

equipment that fit in a backpack has become

an essential accessory. Quicklink is one of

those solutions providers. Underscoring the

dangers they face at times, journalists have

occasionally requested managing director,

Nabil Ben Soussia’s team at Abu Dhabi-

based Safa Telecom, to remove the logo

of Quicklink, a well-known video broadcast

solution developer and a subsidiary of Safa

Telecom, from the backpack. “In conflict

zones, the brand could reveal their identity

as journalists, and that could, in some cases,

be life-threatening,” says Nabil indicating the

backpack that essentially equips a journalist

on the move with the necessary hardware and

software to file reports straight to his studio in

Doha, London or New York.

Speaking to SatellitePro Middle East,

Nabil was understandably circumspect

about mentioning names as journalists using

their equipment were probably in conflict

zones across the Middle East. In addition

to the absence of clear front lines and the

basic threat to life, journalists are faced with

tenuous cellphone and internet connections.

Nabil explains, “Journalists in conflict

zones cannot use 3G without the risk of the

link being disconnected or worse, being

detected. The Thuraya IP or BGan used with

the Quicklink solution, for instance, offers

guaranteed data rates of up to 384 kbps

for live video and audio broadcast, store

and forward audio and video streaming,

plus an instant broadband mobile office for

email, internet and so on. Used alongside

the portable Thuraya IP terminal or the

Inmarsat BGan terminal, this solution includes

a Quicklink software or hardware encoder

with a Quicklink play-out server in the

broadcasting studio.”

Affordable, user-friendly satellite equipment

Sending journalists out to report in conflict

zones is not a new concept. But what has

changed is the availability of user-friendly

satellite equipment that is also affordable.

When reporting from Iraq in 2009, UK-based

journalist Keith Harrison reportedly rented an

Iridium satellite phone to use alongside his

RBGAN satellite modem and Apple G3 laptop

computer in the Gulf as part of his standard

equipment. With the Iridium network of 66

satellites, the journalist was free to connect

with his UK-based office without having to rely

on the Iraqi telephone networks that could

become a military target.

For journalists on the move, advancements

in the areas of consumer video and IP products

combined with mobile satellite technology, are

groundbreaking. Leading television networks

such as CNN, BBC and Al Jazeera, among

others, equip their journalists with portable kits


Kbps on-demand streaming data rates in the mobile satellite communications world384

that let them report, edit and produce news

packages or go live from nearly anywhere.

With a Mac laptop and an internet

connection (BGAN, Thuraya IP and so on)

journalists can go live and file reports from

almost anywhere in the world. The equipment

is extremely small, lightweight and can run off

car, truck or camera batteries as well as AC.

Indicating the innocuous backpack by his

side, Nabil says, “With a BGAN mobile terminal,

for instance, reporters can deliver streaming

news and as you can see, packaged in this

small backpack is a video encoder equipment

and battery power.”

Portable encoders from companies such as

Quicklink and others, encode video footage

and broadcast it to the studio in real time,

providing high video quality at low data rates.

Training and trouble-shooting

Giving an indication of the growing demand

for these services among the media fraternity,

Nabil reveals that the team developing

Quicklink in the UK that numbered 10 last year

has doubled to 20 this year. However it is easy

to get excited about the size and portability

of the current satellite-based equipment

and overlook the effort Nabil’s team puts

into getting journalists up to speed with the

equipment, and trouble-shooting when they

are reporting from the field.

Nabil says, “I always insist on meeting with the

end-user. With TV channels, it is the cameraman

who would be in charge of the backpack.”

An unusual induction process helped

Nabil understand the stress a journalist on the

field would face. During the beta tests of the

product, Nabil decided to take the backpack

and go offshore to a remote site in a bid to

understand the mindset of a field reporter.

Security for journalists

“Never travel without a wire coathanger,”

was the advice journalists got in the past.

Apparently the coathanger would come in

handy to brush away top soil and expose

landmines. As more journalists die in conflict

zones, security has become a prime concern

for news agencies and television broadcasters.

Nabil says, “While the GPS on a typical

MSS-based equipment is a one-way method

of tracking, the Iridium Shout Nano, for

instance, is a handheld, global, two-way

satellite messaging and personal tracking

device. The Nano is designed with low power

consumption electronics and with an internal

1.95 A-Hr rechargeable Li-Ion battery. It can

send a position report every hour for up to two

months (about 1,500 reports). What is more, the

device can periodically wake up from sleep to

send its position report to a command centre.

Also if the reporter is in trouble, he just has to

use a guarded 911 button that will immediately

send alert notifications to the head office.”

Having forged partnerships with companies

such as Inmarsat, Iridium and Thuraya, among

others, Nabil’s team is now intent on working

on unique solutions in partnership with Abu

Dhabi-based Yahsat once their second satellite

Y1B is launched. Elaborating on the customised

solutions the company has devised for

journalists, Nabil says, “What journalists need

is uploading capabilities. Satellite operators

and GSM operators design their network

towards downloading capabilities. For this

reason, we have included in this backpack,

no less than six SIM cards and not more

than two from the same network , so that

the journalist is guaranteed the best of the

available connections.

“Another issue we have worked on is

customised billing solutions. Our billing

process acts as a bridge between the

head of news gathering and their finance

department. We can present bills mission-

wise, based on geography and so on.

Moreover, there is complete transparency, so

that the media house can see usage at the

end of a mission.”

Nabil’s optimism about the growth of

new digital news gathering systems despite

budget cuts and overall recession, is shared

by broadcasters.

Arnie Christianson, operations manager for

CNN’s satellites and transmissions, speaking

on this issue has reportedly said: “As belts

tighten, news companies will look for less

expensive techniques to do their job. This

highly mobile gear fits the bill.”

Challenges remain. Broadcasters will

want flexible technology that allows them to

stream over a variety of low-data rate networks

such as Wi-Fi as well as satellite networks like

BGAN, Thuraya and VSAT and also be able

to switch seamlessly to the least-cost network

option available. Secondly, with regard to

Thuraya and BGAN-type services, the next

hurdle will be to deliver HD quality video from

a portable unit in real-time, which requires

about a 10- to 20-fold increase in bandwidth

performance over products currently available.

Going by Nabil Ben Soussia’s presentation

at the recent Milsatcom Middle East

conference in Abu Dhabi, HD quality video

from portable units is already available and

he believes that the future is bright given that

compact mobile technology has resulted in

huge cuts in news-gathering cost.

Describing the incredible advancements

satellite technology has made, Nabil says, “In

the past, an organisation had to plug a tape

into a machine at some dedicated fibre or

satellite uplink location. Now they can use

portable laptops and compression to send

packaged video over the internet. Given the

situation in the conflict zones across the globe,

it is much easier to get a laptop and small

satellite IP device into remote areas than it is to

drive a truck or fly in a dish.” PRO

Nabil Ben Soussia, managing director, Safa Telecom

“Given the situation in conflict zones across the globe, it is much easier to get a laptop and small satellite IP device into remote areas than it is to drive a truck or fly in a dish”


SatCaseStudy

‘the WorLd’ under scrutIny

Rigorous analysis of images from Dubai’s first

earth observation satellite, DubaiSat1, proved that the group of islands off the coast of Dubai that

comprise the famous ‘The World’ development

is stable and changes detected were man-made

“We started looking at the images

even before we were contacted by the

government to look into the matter,” says

Abdulla Hamad Bushehab, associate

research engineer – space programme,

of The Emirates Institution for Advanced

Science and Technology (EIAST), as

he outlined this unique case-study for

SatellitePro Middle East. Spurred by media

reports about the apparent erosion of ‘The

World’, two research scientists at Dubai’s

EIAST began to study the images that Dubai’s

first earth observation satellite, DubaiSat1,

was routinely taking up to two times a day.

“Experience is essential to analysing

images to distinguish the nature of change

in a landscape over a period of time,” says

Bushehab. When studying ‘The World’,

the team had to look at changes in deep

sea levels, the shallow sea levels round

manmade islands and the shape of the

islands. “My colleague was already studying

sea levels for another study and that

experience was useful when looking at the

islands that make up ‘The World.”

Reflectance is a key concept when

studying satellite imagery. It is defined as

the ratio of the radiant energy reflected

from a surface to the radiant energy incident

on the surface. Explaining the concept

of reflectance, Bushehab says, “From

urban areas typically with their streets and

buildings, we have low reflectance and for

deserts, we have higher reflectance. Taking

all parameters such as rain, seasons, tide

movements and so on, into account, we

compared images taken over time using

various tools. Visual inspection is only

Image for illustration purpose


16

Figure 2: Classification Function applied to images of The World. Images acquired on successive months.

four islands connected with each other. the connections are manmade.

Amount of sediment (red) increased again.

a b

Figure 1: Classification Function applied to images of The World.

Amount of sediment (Red) decreased compared to the previous images.

a b

Figure 3 : Classification Function applied to images of The World. Images taken over a gap of three months.

a b

Amount of sediment (red) decreased.

Amount of sediment (red) increased again.

Visual inspection of the images showed no signs of erosion and deterioration of the World Islands. In addition, there were no signs of big changes. The main changes detected were the connection between four islands with each other and the digging activities on one of the islands.

Classification and change detection functions were also applied to the images. The green and blue colours in the classification results represent land, and the red colour represents sediment. Land with high reflectance is shown in blue (usually dry sand) and land with medium reflectance is shown in green (usually wet sand).

When comparing the images, with the classification function applied to them, small differences are detected between images. The size of the green and the blue areas in each image is a little different. Some detected changes are caused by natural phenomena, like wind and low/high tide. This also leads to slight changes in the shape of some of the islands. Some small changes diasappeared in images taken on different dates, which aided the team in linking it to low/high tides.

The main difference between all images was related to the red areas (sediment). As demonstrated, big differences in the amount of sediment exist between images. It looks like a natural event that varies in occurrence. No specific trend was detected for this phenomena, which could be related to the water current in that area.

Finally, change detection was applied to the images. Four sets of comparisons were made. Analysis was done to images that were three months old, six months old, nine months old, and 12 months old. The November 2009 image was used as reference. For each set, the two images were compared with each other to see if changes occurred to the shape of the islands since the reference image. When applying change detection function, big changes are shown in either bright red colour or in blue colour.

According to the change detection analysis, the main changes that occurred in the’ World’ islands are the digging activities on one of the islands and the manmade connections between four islands. There are other indications of changes, but these changes are because of natural causes like high and low tide. Analysis of results also did not show signs of erosion or deterioration.

The study

Emirati engineers from EIAST are currently preparing to launch DubaiSat-2


SatCaseStudy

The Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). The MoU affirms the RTA’s need for up-to-date satellite images that show the progress of their infrastructure work on Dubai’s streets and roads.

The MoU was signed by Salem Humaid Al Marri, the head of project management and space missions, Department of EIAST, and Abdulla Al Madani, the CEO of corporate

support services at the RTA.Al Marri said: “This MoU is of extreme

importance to us as it supports our strategic approach to serve the RTA by helping them improve the infrastructure work done on Dubai roads, and it also highlights the common interests of both organisations to document the different phases of road enhancements through satellite images.”

Al Madani said, “The RTA is pleased to sign this agreement with EIAST, which will inevitably strengthen the geographic information systems

mechanism. The agreement will play a vital role in enhancing the efficiency of our road projects through the provision of high quality data and satellite images that are periodically updated.”

DubaiSat-1, the UAE’s first earth observation satellite, has relatively high spatial resolution that complements existing geographic information system (GIS) databases and enables more efficient monitoring and prediction of natural events such as sandstorm observation, fog forecasts, and determining the quality of water in the area.

EIAST signs MoU with RTA to advance infrastructure work

“The change detection tool compares two images and compares reflectance to indicate change. If the change persists into the next image, taken three months later, it is a permanent change. That is why our study on ‘The World’ is based on images taken over a period of a year and a half”

Abdulla Hamad Bushehab, associate research engineer – space programme – The Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST)

In this report, three different analyses tools were used to analyse ‘The World’. The detected changes were manmade. The first change is the manmade connection between four islands, and the second change is the digging activities on one of the islands. Moreover, there were minor changes detected that were related to natural phenomena, like low/high tide and wind-related. Analyses done using satellite images did not detect erosion or deterioration on the islands that make up ‘The World’ development. However, the researchers cautioned that a final conclusion cannot be reached without inputs from environmental scientists, and a field visit to the islands by environmental experts.

Conclusion and recommendations

the first step and used typically for urban

projects. But for further analysis, the change

detection tool compares two images and

compares reflectance to indicate change.

For example, if a road is being constructed

in the desert, you will have a range from

high (desert) reflectance to low (road)

reflectance. With the islands, we would

have known if there were changes in the

islands with the changes in the depth of the

sea as indicated by the reflectance factor.

If the change persists into the next image,

taken three months later, it is a permanent

change. That is why our study on ‘The

World’ is based on images taken over a

period of a year and a half.”

Of the image processing team,

Bushehab says, “Most of the engineers

working here are graduates from the Al

Khalifa university, many specialising in the

communications field. Fortunately one

of the courses is image processing and

a number of our final year projects were

around satellite image processing.”

Currently studying the fog phenomena

over the UAE following two major road

accidents in the country, Bushehab

and his team continue to demonstrate

the tremendous practical impact earth

observation satellites have towards helping

policy makers take informed decisions with

issues ranging from urban development to

environmental conservation. PRO


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SatVertical: Government

mILsatcom oPeratIons: roLe of the commercIaL sateLLIte IndustryWith constrained budgets and a decline in military headcount, cost-effective communications solutions with maximum availability take centrestage. Satellite professionals at the Milsatcom Middle East conference held in Abu Dhabi, examined the evolving relationship between government/military establishments worldwide and commercial satellite operators, towards developing communications solutions for increasingly demanding operational requirements


Spacecraft owned by the largest three satellite operators130

Examining the evolution of military satellite

communications, Tareq Al Hosani, CEO of

Al Yah Satellite Communications Company

PrJSC (Yahsat), speaks of interoperability.

He says military satellite communications

need, “highly complex architecture spanning

multiple applications with a common

platform to allow simple integration and

with mobility playing a key role.” He says

that satellite operators must adapt to these

changing needs that are driving the IP-

based military networks.

There is need for real-time connection,

Hosani says, with “information transfer

between the field and command centre

[taking place] without delay or loss and there

is a need for highly reliable solutions and

maximum availability.”

He adds, “richer applications require

higher bandwidth. There is also increasing

focus on cloud computing offering a greater

range of “on-demand” applications, with

more security and ease of use, for end

users. Lastly, we are seeing increasing

pressure on military budgets resulting in

the use of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS)

versus proprietary solutions.”

Bandwidth requirements, according

to Hosani, are increasing at a rapid rate

for military satellite communications

(Milsatcom) use. Among the higher

bandwidth drivers, in his view

are “increasing dependence on

communication, for instance, the need to

use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and

the need for mobility and conferencing,

among other requirements. UAVs, for

example, require in excess of 8Mbps of

data offload from the aircraft.”

Hosani says, “there is more data

being transferred given the increasing

need for higher resolution images and

video, where voice requires 32Kbps

and video conferencing, for instance,

requires in the region of 1Mbps. Moreover,

what is important is the time-criticality

of information transfer – data must be

received in seconds.”

From reserving satellite capacity to ensuring

ground support and executing field solutions

to setting up secure network applications,

governments, according to Hosani, are seeking

end-to-end integrated solutions.

Proven reliability of satellite

communication networks

The majority of logistical issues in military

settings stem directly from the inability of

information systems to provide accurate and

actionable data. For militaries to be reliable,

responsive and flexible, Dr. Leslie Klein,

P.Eng. president and CEO of Canada-based

C-COM Satellite Systems Inc, vouches for

satellite-based communication networks,

saying, “Satellite communication networks

are proven to provide unmatched reliability

with far fewer failure nodes than existing

terrestrial solutions. ” He believes COTS

VSAT equipment is essential to the survival

of the modern day military allowing for a

high degree of reliability in connecting

critical areas such as ammo supply positions,

hospitals, tactical warehouses, and

distribution hubs.

Given tighter military budgets, the era

of the $2,000 toilet seat and the $100,000

mobile satellite antenna, are clearly over. Dr.

Klein believes that COTS VSAT technology

products are less expensive, more readily

available and have proven to be reliable

for many military applications. He says that

coupled with tighter budgets, the “increased

demand for more and more bandwidth

can be addressed more cost effectively by

commercial satellite providers.”

He adds,“Ka-band will be a game changer

in the commercial market place and it will

impact the military much the same way.

Low-cost, readily available, high-speed

VSAT terminals (fixed, on-the-pause and

in-motion) are being deployed in anticipation

of the demand for these services.” C-Com,

according to Dr. Klein, is working with a

number of Ka-band providers such as Viasat,

Tareq Al Hosani, CEO of Al Yah Satellite Communications Company PrJSC (Yahsat)

“We are seeing increasing pressure on military budgets resulting in the use of commercial-off-the-shelf [over] proprietary solutions“

Dr. Leslie Klein, P.Eng. president and CEO of Canada-based C-COM Satellite Systems Inc

“Satellite communication networks are proven to provide unmatched reliability with far fewer failure nodes than existing terrestrial solutions”


Hughes, Yahsat, Avanti and others, to deliver

COTS on-the-pause. In addition, advanced

technology Ka-band in-motion products are

also being developed for this market place.

With high-precision VSAT solutions that

can fit in a suitcase, allow for easy assembling

in minutes by one person with precision

antenna pointing and long-life batteries

than can be charged using solar panels, the

commercial satellite industry has an array

of next generation, state-of-the-art mobile

satellite antenna technologies for use by

governments on mission critical operations.

Growing opportunity of hosted payloads

Given the cost constraints being faced by

governments across the globe and the

unrelenting need for real-time communication,

Tim Deaver, VP, Government Solutions, SES,

believes there is a growing opportunity with

hosted payloads. He explains the concept

saying, “The term ‘Hosted Payload’ refers

to the utilisation of available capacity on

a commercial satellite to accommodate

additional transponders, instruments or other

space-bound items.

“By offering hosted payload opportunities,

the customer is provided with frequent,

timely and affordable access to space.” The

Commercially Hosted Infrared Payload (CHIRP)

programme, for instance, will test a new type

of wide field-of-view infrared technology for

the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems

Centre. CHIRP launched on board SES-2 in

September 2011.

Of the advantages of using hosted

payloads, Deaver says, “Hosting capabilities

on commercial satellites can provide more

affordable access to space then using

dedicated spacecraft because the majority of

costs are borne by the host spacecraft which

decreases the cost / Kg for shared missions.”

Equally significant is the nominal satellite

manufacture process that is less than 36

months allowing for communications solutions

that are both on time and on cost.

Early engagement for an effective hosted

payload initiative

Underlying the importance of early engagement,

Deaver says, “The largest three operators

account for over 130 spacecraft and with a typical

• Proprietary government systems continue to be in use and new programmes are being launched (e.g. WGS, Skynet)

• However, high funding requirements coupled with financial austerity measures, are making these programmes increasingly difficult to commission for many governments

National systems• National operators have been a traditional source of leased capacity supply to governments (e.g. Yahsat, StarOne, China Satcom)

• Increasingly, though, governments are showing willingness to buy from international operators to serve their domestic military needs (e.g. Xtar), offering more options in terms of quality, coverage and price

Hosted payloads• In line with the commercial space, the hosted payload option for military missions is also gaining ground

• Given the financial pressures and typically limited needs in terms of transponders for most governments, this is a much more cost effective and viable option

Tareq Al Hosani, CEO, Yahsat

Government use of commercial missions

“Hosting capabilities on commercial satellites can provide more affordable access to space then using dedicated spacecraft because the majority of costs are borne by the host spacecraft which decreases the cost / Kg for shared missions”

Tim Deaver, VP, Government Solutions, SES

Nikolaus Faller, VP, international sales and marketing, MENA, Astrium

“The latest generation terminals are lighter and use satellite capacity more efficiently. Systems are becoming more complex and diverse, and to manage them efficiently requires advanced modular software”

SatVertical: Government


SatDebate

In your view, how important for an MSS operator, is the government and military sector, as compared to the other vertical markets you service?The government and military sectors have always been one of the major growth drivers of the mobile satellite services (MSS) industry. If we look at the figures, more than 80% of the satellite communications used by the government and military sector depend on commercial satellite communications operators. Research has proven that the size of the global military communications market in 2010 amounted to US$15.91bn. Moreover, recent industry forecasts predict that defence departments across the globe will spend over $7 billion on the development, acquisition and maintenance of 25 different multi-mission communications programmes over the next ten years, with about 480,468 individual hardware units being sold. That being said, this sector is key to Thuraya and we have a strong dedicated team specialised in ensuring that our government and defence consumer demands are met.

More specifically in the MENA region, do you see this sector (government/military) growing or diminishing in the next few years considering the planned withdrawal of the

American forces from Afghanistan and Iraq? In the short term, the government and military sector will maintain its current position. We do not expect that the sector will significantly diminish following the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan and Iraq as deployable satellite communication solutions continue to be a necessity in other parts of our geographic footprint for various government missions. Additionally, forces other than the US are deployed for peace-keeping missions as part of their international responsibilities in the region.

From data and voice to video conferencing, which area do you see traffic increasing among your end-users? In order of importance, in terms of traffic and revenue, video and video-conferencing is the main pillar alongside high-speed data usage, followed by satellite voice services. Military consumers rely heavily on broadband service as their needs are more data-centric. They need reliable, real-time information in support of mission-critical operations.

The Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) view

15-year lifetime, it would equal nine replacements

per year.” He adds that, “not all satellites are

candidates for hosting payloads either because

the satellite is already too large or in the wrong

location for your needs or has conflicting

requirements from different customers.”

Underscoring the need for timing and

synchronisation, Deaver believes that ideally,

hosted payload procurement would occur prior

to spacecraft manufacturing.

The advantages of shared satellites are

many, says Deaver. “The “partner nation” can

design and specify its own payload and can

control it independently. The shared satellite

model saves time, reduces risks, brings cost

advantages and controls complexity. A transfer

of knowledge to national teams for future

operations and projects can be ensured. Also,

partner nations can rely on the expertise and

experience of a veteran satellite operator

when making technical, programme and

commercial choices.”

For hosted payloads to be an effective

strategy going forward, Deaver believes there

needs to be open dialogue between customers

and operators. With real timelines and the

need for payloads to be geographically and

operationally compatible, he says, “our business

is a long-cycle business. The more we can find

out about future requirements early, the better

chance we have to modify our fleet to meet a

client’s needs.” Given that the host operators

are transparent capital-investment managers,

he says, “we must make the business case.

The commercial satellite industry is an

infrastructure business at its core – metrics of

return-on-investment is the key driver. Creating

a capability to support the government will be

driven by the business case it presents.”

The system, not technology, delivers capability

It’s the system, not the technology that

delivers capability, believes Nikolaus Faller,

VP, international sales and marketing, MENA,

of Astrium. Systems engineering underpins

new capability. Explaining the crucial factor of

the system, he says, “you may go shopping

for an iPad but….It’s only a ‘window’ onto a

diverse, complex and hybrid communications

system. If that system is not ‘fit for purpose’,

your iPad is useless.

“The latest generation terminals are lighter

and use satellite capacity more efficiently.

Modular, flexible military-off-the-shelf terminals

and modems can help future-proof your

system. Systems are becoming more complex

and diverse, and to manage them efficiently

requires advanced modular software.”

Governments, he believes, need to get

the retrofit integration/performance trade off

right early on. Also planners and decision

makers need to “find a way to augment the

communications system that you’ve already

got on-board.”

With each piece of intelligence that can

anticipate acts of terrorism, violations or man-

made disasters being critical to protecting a

nation, governments and their armed forces are

looking for state-of the-art capabilities that give

them an edge in the field, on the seas, in the

air and in cyberspace. Satellite professionals

are unanimous in their view that governments

are, in the face of constrained budgets, looking

towards the commercial satellite operators for

highly responsive, need-based solutions. PRO

Robert Demers, VP, government services, Thuraya Telecommunications Company


Number of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) airborne every second 24/7 50

“satcom can deLIver more than ever before”Industry veteran Tim Shroyer, CTO, General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies, sees the dawn of a new era driven by innovative technology that offers increased capacity to users at the prices that have never been lower

Do you see the dawn of a new era with

regard to the emergence of Ka-band, the

reduction in cost of ‘bits’, improved mobility,

the ability to make smaller antennas work

and other innovative technologies?

Ka-band satellites are providing significantly

more on-orbit capacity in most regions of the

world. Communications’ products from UAE-

based Yahsat and others coming on orbit in

the Middle East, make a reference to similar

advantages. Users benefit greatly from the

increased power and bandwidth available

from these new Ka-band transponder

services because the satellites have broader

spectrum available and higher downlink

power. In addition, they can also “re-use”

the spectrum through focused spot beams.

Where previous satellites had spot beams

to essentially increase power and sensitivity

over narrow regions of interest, the new

spot beam technology permits the same

satellite to use the same uplink and downlink

frequencies to cover different areas at the

same time, multiplying the capacity available

on the satellite just as cell phone systems do

on the ground. This frequency reuse reduces

the total cost of the transponder capacity

because it shares the cost of the satellite

among many more earth terminals.

Why do you believe Fixed Satellite Services

(FSS) is ideal for broadcast?

Fixed Satellite Services (FSS) is unique in

communications technology because it

can cover significant regions of the earth

from a single transmitter. One high power

transponder on a satellite can cost-effectively

provide television or radio distribution

services over an entire region, bringing all

the benefits of high bandwidth, high quality

video and audio broadcast in the most

cost-effective way possible. These same

services benefit commercial and military

communications systems by delivering

information needed by a larger number of

users simultaneously.

What are your views on the cost per

bandwidth being a primary consideration

in satellite communications?

The big consideration in satellite

communications has always been the cost

of the satellite transponder bandwidth, or

space segment. However, the cost of the

space segment really includes the cost of

the bandwidth itself, usually expressed in

MHz or actual RF bandwidth, and the cost

of the whole communications system. With

efficient earth terminals and effective IP

routing systems, the cost of the initial earth

terminal hardware might be higher than the

cheapest possible approach, but if properly

designed, it can result in the lowest total costs

overall, including space segment leases and

equipment procurement costs. This trade-off

is especially important with new Satcom-on-

the-move systems. A less capable Satcom-on-

the-move system might initially cost less than

a high-performance terminal that can maintain

contact with satellites and transmit efficiently,

but the total cost will always be lower for

the communications overall with a high-

performance Satcom-on-the-move system.

From choosing the right terminal

to interference issues, what are the

challenges ahead?

Some of the challenges in the satellite

communications industry are determining

how to make best use of this new broadband

mobility capability. Satellite broadcast is

fairly well understood by consumers and

broadcasters alike. It is so common to

use satellite communications systems for

television broadcasting that we all simply

take that for granted. It just happens and

appears to work flawlessly. We in the

industry keep pushing on the capabilities

of earth terminal technology to reduce the

costs of the hardware on the ground while

improving the real performance. That is more

challenging because the price points are

being pushed hard by the market at the same

time. New Satcom-on-the-move terminals

will continue to evolve quickly as users find

more and more applications for the growing

use of broadband coverage anywhere in

the world. We will continue to play a leading

role in developing new and improved

communications systems in support of military

and commercial users worldwide. PRO

Tim Shroyer is the CTO of General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies. In this capacity he is responsible for oversight of the engineering and technology for the manufacture of satellite earth station equipment. Since beginning his career as a surface warfare officer in the U.S. Navy, where he was a shipboard communications officer and watch officer with DISA, Shroyer has been active in the satellite communications industry for more than 20 years.

Tim Shroyer, chief technology officer, General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies


SatVertical: Oil & gas

the bandWIdth demand surgeWith the exploration and drilling companies seeking to remotely manage their sites, the oil and gas sector is experiencing a burgeoning demand for high-bandwidth applications, says Keith Johnson, president, energy division, Harris Caprock

The growing need for bandwidth in the

energy sector

“I have been in this industry for 25 years

and I can see that communications has

gone through an amazing transformation

even within the satellite industry. If we go

back even 10 years, a typical site required

256Kbs at the most. But now, many of our

offshore facilities require 2Mbps, and some

of them go up to 4Mbps. So there has been

an exponential growth in the amount of

data that is generated in some of the more

complex facilities.

“There are advances in the way

communication is managed both at the

remote site and on the satellite, so you

get more efficiency and faster throughput.

More recently, in terms of a leap change

is the desire among the oil and gas and

drilling companies to remotely automate

and manage their sites. This requirement

has grown tremendously over the last

several years.

“They are putting more advanced

technology on the rig, so that they don’t

need to have as many people on the

site. These new applications that allow

for remote monitoring, require more

bandwidth. Sometimes on a deepwater

platform, the drilling companies have to

invest up to a million dollars or in excess of

that, in additional equipment, to allow for

this remote management capability.

“The other change that has taken

place is in the realm of crew morale. There

has been a real push to provide basic

connectivity out of these remote sites.

It is no longer about just making a call.

Employees want to Skype and so on, and

providing these services to the entire crew

becomes bandwidth demanding. It is a

constant challenge for these companies


Bandwidth demand currently on a typical rig site2

to invest in additional bandwidth to ensure

high crew morale and thus retain personnel.

“More recently, because of the Gulf

of Mexico incident, safety requirements

are becoming even more rigorous. Data

replication and storage of critical data is

becoming a strong requirement among

oil exploration companies. We anticipate

that other regions and governments will

adopt these new regulations that require

the rig operators to undertake more

sophisticated management of data that

is produced at the site and are required

to store the data in such a manner that

it can be retrieved when called for.

While there will be an improvement in

safety standards, it might become cost

prohibitive for some of these companies

to operate in this region.

“We are working with our customers on

how best they can store and manage their

data, including working on a system of

metadata tagging for streamlined retrieval

of data. Part of the question going forward

will relate to the quantum of data storage

the government is going to require the oil

exploration companies to sustain – will

it be data gathered over the previous

week, or year? Regulations are still

being developed and we don’t have firm

answers yet.”

innovative solutions deployed on rigs

“The oil and gas customer does use

cloud computing, but we don’t see the

technology being used extensively when

it comes to real-time drilling applications.

Today we see it being used for mail

services, and for disaster recovery

backup systems. We have a cloud

computing and cyber security centre and

we have some pilots under way for our

drilling customers. They are trying to see

how best to use the technology.

“One of the current trends is when

there is a large concentration of personnel

on a facility that requires a high amount

of bandwidth, submarine fibre is being

deployed. This solution is being driven

by bandwidth demands on deep water

facilities and needs to be justified in terms

of usage. The goal is to reduce personnel

and to be able to manage and monitor

these facilities remotely. We own and

operate submarine fibre networks and

currently it is a niche sector. If we look at

the industry at large, satellite is still the

predominant provider and even in the

cases where submarine fibre is deployed,

VSAT is used as backup in case there is a

break in the fibre.

“From a terrestrial standpoint, fibre

is inevitable – but we are seeing an

interesting trend along West Africa. Though

the major cities have fibre, the challenge

remains with the ‘last mile’. Due to security

reasons or other factors, companies are

not able to get fibre to their facilities. So

satellite is an option because companies

will then have the antenna within their

facility and that lends a greater degree of

comfort. So despite the expansion of fibre

networks, there will always be a demand

for satellite-based communications.

“Another trend that we are excited about

is remote telemedicine. We are partnering

with companies to provide that. In Brazil,

for instance, every rig in the coming years

will require remote telemedicine facilities.

“In remote areas, it is challenging to

provide a high level of service at a low

cost. These are difficult-to-reach locations

and you need people and spares available

to ensure uptime. Though communications

systems on a rig is a critical differentiator

in terms of working efficiency of the rig,

the outlay, even if you include all the IT

infrastructure and satellite capacity usage,

is probably less than 1% of what it costs

to operate a deep water facility that

would have close to a billion dollars in

equipment.”

Growth in the MENA region

“We definitely see the MENA region as a

growth area. I would estimate that MENA

accounts for 30 to 40% of our energy

revenues. We work closely with satellite

operators to ensure we have capacity. We

also track drilling activities. Like we say

in the industry, it is the exploration and

production companies that decide where

the next drilling operation is going to take

place next. Until they decide to spend

money on exploration, the rest of us are

really in a holding position. We grew at

12% last year and we see those trends

sustaining in the future.

“This is an exciting time to be in the

industry with the emergence of Ka-band

and new cost-effective technologies.

We have been told that we are probably

the largest bandwidth provider in our

segment. We are engaged with virtually

every satellite operator and while we have

a tremendous amount of cost associated

with satellite bandwidth, we have a

dedicated team to manage and monitor

our satellite capacity and to ensure that

our customers have what they need to

continue to operate.” PRO

Keith Johnson, president, energy division, Harris Caprock

“They [exploration and drilling companies] are putting more advanced technology on the rig, so that they don’t need to have as many people on the site. These new applications that allow for remote monitoring, require more bandwidth”


SatTechnology

WorKIng WIth IncLIned orbItsService providers and government and defence agencies view inclined orbits as an opportunity to acquire better-priced bandwidth, and technology has developed to provide constant throughput at optimal availability in the most efficient way


Government agencies and service

providers are increasingly using inclined

orbit satellites for the transmission of

data for all their applications and service.

The driving factor behind the transition

towards inclined orbit birds is an OPEX

consideration. The inclined satellites

provide a good alternative to reduce the

bandwidth cost by half. Another driver is

the need to source bandwidth over regions

where satellite capacity is scarce.

In order to extend the life of a satellite,

some satellite operators decide to put the

satellite in an inclined orbit. The switch to

inclined orbit operation has repercussions

on the availability of the services as the

satellite footprint shifts in a predictable and

continuous pattern. Therefore it is essential

to implement technology to optimise the

throughput over inclined orbit satellites.

This is necessary to increase margins,

keep OPEX under control and to support

government missions independent of the

location around the globe.

Option to go inclined

Inclined orbit satellites can be defined by

the fact that they exhibit an angle other

than zero degrees with the equatorial

plane. At the end of a satellite’s life, when

station-keeping fuel is running low, there is

the option to “go inclined”. Station-keeping

is performed in two directions, east-west

and north-south. Since the Equator runs in

an east-west direction, with many adjacent

satellites, east-west station-keeping is

mandatory. The north-south station-keeping

can be abandoned with the result that the

satellites in inclined orbit start to make a

figure of eight pattern. On the ground this

could be experienced by having a weaker

signal or lesser throughput during parts of

*Inclined orbit fit for variable rate and fixed rate services (CIR) through Bandwidth Management

Inclined Orbit SatelliteOptimum Use of Inclined Orbit Satellites

The driving factor behind the transition towards inclined orbit birds is an OPEX consideration

Legacy modulation (Worst Case Scenario)

Koen Williams, strategic marketing director, goverment and IP trunking, Newtec says, “Satellite operators will lose a section of their customers, such as DTH providers, who require constant throughput. The empty bandwidth needs to be filled up as quickly as possible with customers that can deal with fluctuating bandwidth. Hence the bandwidth is offered at 50% lower prices. But instead of keeping the satellite alive for just 10/11 years, the life of the satellite can be extended to 15 years when putting it in an inclined orbit. This gives the satellite operator four to five years of

extra revenues.“Keeping the satellite in its slot and putting

it in an inclined orbit could also be a strategic choice by the satellite operators. They want to keep the satellite slot (and not lose it to other companies as competition for orbital slots is fierce above some regions) until they have a satellite ready to replace the older satellite in the same slot. And if the launch of the replacement satellite fails, the satellite providers still have some buffer until the next launch.

“The fluctuating throughput that comes

along with inclined orbit satellites tends to frighten away providers that need to transport Committed Information Rates (CIR) services over these satellites. At Newtec , we offer FlexACM, the option to provide both variable as fixed rate throughput in DVB-S2 ACM (Adaptive Modulation and Coding) to fulfill SLA requirements. By bringing fixed rates and CIR to ACM, we at Newtec address the service providers in point-to-multipoint configurations providing constant throughput at optimal availability in the most efficient way.”

Are satellite operators alive to the challenges of managing a satellite in an inclined orbit. What, in your view, needs to be done to manage the transition smoothly?


SatTechnology

the day when it is off axis. Most inclined

orbit satellites operate up to six degrees,

but in some extreme cases, some satellites

can go up to 15 degrees.

Satellite operators have different drivers

to put satellites into and to keep in an

inclined orbit.

• Extend the life of older satellites

• Opportunity to extend revenues

• Risk mitigation to keep the orbital slot

until replacement

For service providers and government

agencies, on the other hand, the inclined

orbit satellites give the opportunity to drive

down bandwidth (OPEX) costs.

In the exercise of keeping OPEX

under control or increasing margins and

revenues, government agencies and

service providers tend to migrate their

services to inclined orbit satellites. Due

to the link degrading conditions of these

satellites (resulting in less throughput) the

bandwidth is offered at up to a 70% lower

price than normal transponders over the

same area.

Communication lines over the satellite

need to be available at all times to

exchange mission critical information

and to keep customer satisfaction at a

high level. However, the footprint shift

which comes naturally with inclined orbit

satellites results in a periodic reduction

of throughput and could cause link

losses and packet drops if the correct

technology is not implemented. Receiving

conditions could drop as much as 6

dB, which means that a low modulation

scheme and increased error correction

has to be used. Other effects that occur

through inclined orbit operations are

degraded cross-polarisation performance,

an increased range variation, range rate

and Doppler shift. PRO

Koen Williams, strategic marketing director government and IP trunking, Newtec

“Keeping the satellite in its slot and putting it in an inclined orbit could also be a strategic choice by the satellite operators. They want to keep the satellite slot (and not lose it to other companies as competition for orbital slots is fierce above some regions) until they have a satellite ready to replace the older satellite in the same slot”

Inclined Orbit Satellite Extension life

Fixed Orbit (10y)

Fixed Orbit (9y) Inclined Orbit (5y)

0 Years

Satellite in fixed orbit

Extending the life of a satellite by putting it in inclined orbit

5 Years 10 Years 15 Years

Application Note: Newtec

CONFERENCES April 14–19, 2012 EXHIBITS April 16–19 Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada USA

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NAB Show®, the world’s largest media and entertainment event, is the place to experience the rapid emergence of hot technologies, game-changing strategies and new players, all brought together to deliver content that exceeds market expectations. Turn shift in your favor and evolve in a marketplace that moves forward with or without you. Register now!

CONFERENCES April 14–19, 2012 EXHIBITS April 16–19 Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada USA

www.nabshow.com

FREE Exhibits-only Pass Use code PA02

The great content shift — the demand for content anytime, anywhere — has set in motion a kaleidoscope of infi nite consumption options with unlimited business models, all enabled by shifting technologies. Broader-casting® professionals are leading this device-driven expansion by collaborating across screens, and leveraging multiplatform distribution, as the new paradigm for success. From creation to consumption, every aspect of the content lifecycle is being dramatically impacted by changing technologies.

NAB Show®, the world’s largest media and entertainment event, is the place to experience the rapid emergence of hot technologies, game-changing strategies and new players, all brought together to deliver content that exceeds market expectations. Turn shift in your favor and evolve in a marketplace that moves forward with or without you. Register now!


SatEvents

cabsat 2012: feedIng the regIon’s aPPetIte for communIcatIons technoLogyBroadcast and satellite professionals will

return to Dubai for the largest ever CABSAT.

Taking place from 28 February - 1 March

2012, at the Dubai International Convention

and Exhibition Centre, the event will

showcase products and solutions from 42

countries including France, Germany, Iran,

Japan, Jordan, Spain, Turkey and the United

States, among others. Held in conjunction

with CABSAT, the satellite section of the

show, launched four years ago, has become

the industry networking platform to explore

business opportunities, formulate strategies

and create partnerships for video, voice,

data and IP communications over satellite.

A recent survey titled “Satellite

Communications & Broadcasting Markets

Survey, Forecasts to 2020” by Euroconsult,

anticipates the value of satellite capacity

leasing to grow at 7% annually (CAGR) over

the next ten years, driven by connectivity

needs and the growth of digital TV in

emerging markets. Combined with the launch

of new generation High Satellite Systems

(HSS), interest has increased for cable and

satellite professionals through the region.

According to the latest research by

Informa Telecoms and Media, there are

80 million television households in the

Middle East and North Africa market.

Today satellite television reaches 65%

of them, but by 2016 that proportion will

rocket to 80%.

In 2012, the CABSAT exhibition will

be 15% larger than last year, filling the

new Sheikh Saeed Halls and expanding

into the arena, with satellite dishes,

outside broadcast equipment and other

demonstrations.

Abdulhadi Alhassani, director of satellite

control and maintenance at Arabsat said:

“CABSAT has put the MENA region on the

world map.” PRO

“On day one (February 29, 2012), the summit will investigate an issue that for the satellite industry, and for its customers, is responsible for causing service interruptions, significant increases in operational costs, decreasing reliability, and generally impacting on industry competitiveness – Radio Frequency Interference, or RFI. The subject of Ka-band will be a key focus of the agenda of the second day of GVF MENASAT @ CABSAT 2012, a day that sets-out to examine and profile the nature of satellite applications and technologies in the MENA, and which comprises a blend of discussions that will be topically-based and thematic in orientation, offering analysis of cutting-edge product and service solutions from the global satellite industry as they are positioned to meet the communications needs of the Middle East and North Africa marketplace.

“The CABSAT event will include leading users, satellite operators, manufacturers, and other subject experts in interactive discussions and debate. Themes to

be included are: Addressing Satellite Interference Challenges; Pro-Active & Re-active Solutions; Training & Certification; Product Quality Assurance; Carrier ID; Spectrum Initiatives; Space Data Association; Network Validation Initiatives to Address Sub-Optimal & Dysfunctional

Networks; Auto-Deploy Antenna Systems.“Beyond the dialogue on satellite

interference, the subjects for discussion during the MENASAT Satellite Markets & Services Summit, to be held on 1st March, is a widely encompassing overview of a range of key issues on the current international satellite communications agenda, including: Understanding Today’s & Forecasting Tomorrow’s Regional Growth Drivers; Satellite Transponder Supply & Demand, and the Dynamics of Ka-band in the MENA Region: Global & Regional Satellite Operators - Local Knowledge & Universal Markets; Satellite-Wireless Access to Multimedia Solutions on the Move; Mitigating Disaster, Promoting Development, Driving Sustainability; Energy, Maritime, other Key Regional Verticals – The Mission Criticality of the Communications Space; New Regulatory Dynamics: MENA Administrations in a Global Context; The DVB-S2 Technology Advantage; Sustainable Development Solutions via ‘SatCommunity’ CSR Initiatives.”

The GVF Satellite MENA Summit at CABSAT

Martin Jarrold, director of international programmes, Global VSAT Forum (GVF)


ASC Signal: Showcasing Ka-band technology

Noorsat serves diverse MENA market

One of the earliest developers of Ka-band

antenna technology, Canada-based ASC

Signal will be demonstrating its patented sub-

reflector tracking technology, among other

solutions at CABSAT 2012. Supported by four

decades of engineering heritage, ASC Signal

is a manufacturer of satellite earth stations,

radar and HF antenna systems.

Keith Buckley, president and CEO, ASC

Signal, says the Canada-based manufacturer

of satellite earth station, radar and HF

antenna systems plans, at CABSAT, to “meet

with customers in the MENA region and

work to better understand the needs of

users in this region. For the Middle East and

Africa markets, ASC Signal is tracking all of

the movements and sees them as potential

opportunities for growth.”

He adds, “One of the company’s key

focus areas is supporting emerging Ka-band

systems, a market segment where we have

an outstanding track record (mainly in other

regions) based on our unique patented

sub-reflector tracking (SRT) technology.

Our SRT technology has been proven to

give superior performance in challenging

climatic conditions, for example, from the IP

Star network in the humid heat and typhoon

conditions of South East Asia, to the Wildblue

network with its extremes of hot and cold

temperature in continental North America.”

In addition to the rapidly expanding Ka-

band segment, the company also provides

many different models of X-band gateways,

and is regularly developing new antenna

and feed systems for both commercial and

military customers in existing and newly

expanding frequency bands.

Keith Buckley, president and CEO at the ASC Signal Whitby manufacturing facility

Stand # S-2

Stand # S-C1 Stand # S-H11

Noorsat, a satellite service provider established

in 2004 to cater to the Arab world’s increasing

demand for satellite-based services will be

participating at CABSAT for a sixth consecutive

year. Noorsat has capacities at both hotspots

dedicated to serving the Arab world; Badr

Al-Arab Noorsat 1 (EB2) at 25.5° E and Badr

Al-Nile Noorsat 7 (AB7) at 7° W. Noorsat

currently carries approximately 200 FTA and

pay TV channels, in both Standard and High

Definition formats. The company’s satellite

capacities serve the needs for TV, broadband

access, data and telephony services through a

combined teleport network.

Horizon Satellite Services increases capacity over the region

Stand # S-E1

HorizonSat will be increasing its satellite capacity

for the MENA region with two agreements –

one with Eutelsat on their 3C satellite located at

3-Deg East and another one with APT Satellite

Company in their upcoming APSTAR-7 satellite

located at 76.5 Deg East. The new contracts

have increased the existing inventory of

HorizonSat by another 216 MHz of capacity.

“The overwhelming response of the new

DVB-S2 ACM IP-service in the MENA region

has prompted HorizonSat to increase their

platforms on iDirect, Comtech and Newtec.

We are able to respond to the tremendous

demand for satellite capacity in our principal

target locations since we are one of the few

to have services running on all the three

platforms,” says Joel Lundahl, business

development manager.

HorizonSat is also setting up a teleport

– a new facility built outside Munich in

Germany that will be fully operational

by mid-2012. Horizon Satellite Services

(HorizonSat) is a satellite service provider

in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, offering

a broad range of services that include wide

area network solutions for data transfer,

internet backbone connectivity, satellite-

based ISDN solutions, VoIP handling

services and GSM Backhauling.

Globecomm Systems’ media platform

Globecomm has expanded the Tempo

hosted interactive video services. The

new 2.2 release integrates support for

the Tempo Enterprise Media Appliance

with a new suite of Interactive Distance

Learning features, including live and on-

demand IDL over internet, corporate WAN,

satellite or hybrid networks. The extremely

low latency of the design enables live

voice for interactive training broadcasts.

Another significant feature is the ability

for a presenter to pose questions during

an interactive session and track how

attendees respond. Joel Lundahl, business development manager


SatEvents

Newtec’s initiatives with the DVB-S2 standard

Better satellite transmission with Televes

Satellite communications specialist,

Newtec, has teamed up with Digital Video

Broadcasting (DVB) members, Arabsat,

Cisco, SES and Thomson Video Networks,

to get the discussion for an update

to the DVB-S2 standard on the DVB

agenda. DVB has started investigating

the commercial reasoning behind a

specific standard for satellite broadcast

contribution and high speed IP trunking

and backbone links.

As a first step in extending the current

DVB-S2 standard, Newtec is launching its

Clean Channel Technology at the upcoming

CABSAT exhibition and conference. While

Clean Channel Technology further improves

satellite efficiency for IP trunking and

backhauling, it also improves broadcast

contribution by up to 15% compared to

the current DVB-S2 standard. Newtec’s

customers will be able to benefit immediately

from Clean Channel Technology as it is

available as a software field upgrade for

existing Newtec equipment.

According to Newtec, the time for change

is now and there are a number of critical items

that can be addressed in the improvement of

the current DVB-S2 standard including:

• an extension to guarantee interoperability

and better satellite efficiency for professional

satcom applications

• a differentiation between contribution and

distribution to make the greatest efficiency

gains by making the standard aware of the

application in which it is being used

• an optimisation per application for ranges

of typical and realistic conditions

• an increased number of modulation

and coding schemes and Forward Error

Correction (FEC) choices providing the

highest resolution for optimal modulation in

all circumstances.

“We predict that a new DVB standard

will lead to significantly more efficient

solutions than any DVB-S2 based satellite

equipment on the market today is capable

of. This step forward is critical to ensuring

the continuation of a vibrant and profitable

satellite industry,” said Dirk Breynaert, CTO

and co-founder of Newtec.

Stand # S-G12

Stand # S-B11

Televes Middle East FZE is the subsidiary

of Televes-Spain, that specialises in the

manufacturing of equipment for the reception

and distribution of TV signals.

At CABSAT 2012, Televes will be presenting,

among others, the following new products:

• The new modular Headends for RF

networks T0X – DVBS2-COFDM, DVBS2-

QAM, QPSK-PAL, A/V to COFDM … and also

Fibre Optics Distribution.

• The newly released version of the Televes

range of Mswitches featuring higher input and

amplifications levels, selectable gain, return

path and improved ergonomics

• The DTKOM, MicroKom and PicoKom ranges

of amplifiers

• The ZAS HD free-to-air satellite receiver

• The MiniKom range with switchable gain and

new domestic modulators with LED display

• Broadcasting range for DTT transmissions

PAKSAT-1R to expand customer base in the MENA region

Stand # S-G41

Paksat is showcasing its new satellite

PAKSAT-1R which was successfully

launched in August 2011, and became

operational in October 2011, providing

continuity of service with a successful

transition of all customers in telecoms,

data and broadcast from PAKSAT-1 to the

new satellite. PAKSAT plans to continue

expanding its services across the region,

with a focus on GSM operators, data

and internet service providers and TV

broadcasters in the Middle East and

Africa with an offer of reliable C and Ku-

band satellite capacity and cost-effective

broadcast solutions.

Paksat MCPC service: Paksat offers

Multiple Channel per Carrier (MCPC)

service on PAKSAT-1R from international

teleports strategically located in the

region, providing access to millions of

cable-based households across the Middle

East, South Asia, Africa and Europe.

Paksat MCPC service addresses video

distribution needs by combining fibre

connectivity, hosting, up-linking, video

turnaround and satellite capacity into a

fully integrated video broadcast solution.

The service also provides cost-effective

broadcast options for existing and new

TV channels. It provides customers the

flexibility to expand their channel lineup as

they grow.

Usman Bajwa, CEO


AsiaSat to launch high-performance satellites

Innovative filters from A1 Microwave

On AsiaSat’s participation at CABSAT and

their plans for the MENA region and beyond,

Tom Loi, senior regional manager of AsiaSat,

said, “CABSAT is a good opportunity for us to

meet our clients and partners. In addition to

the recently launched AsiaSat 7 – our existing

fleet of AsiaSat 3S, AsiaSat 4 and AsiaSat 5

satellites – all of which carry both C-band and

Ku-band beams on-board, AsiaSat has also

recently concluded construction and launch

contracts for two additional satellites, AsiaSat

6 and AsiaSat 8, that shall expand our fleet

and significantly enhance our ability to serve

the MENA region with high performance and

reliable satellite services.

“The year 2012 will see us put our newly

launched AsiaSat 7 satellite into operation, and

behind the scenes, our engineering team will

be working to ensure the upcoming launches

of AsiaSat 6 and AsiaSat 8 to match the needs

of the markets they will serve, which include

the MENA region.”

On strengthening AsiaSat’s position as

one of Asia’s leading satellite TV distribution

platform, he said, ”AsiaSat is well known

as the leading distribution platform for TV

broadcast content for the Asia Pacific region.

Whether for national and international TV

broadcasters, sports content providers,

international news agencies, AsiaSat’s key

focus is to ensure that the essential link

between the broadcasters and their viewers

is maintained. With our valued partners in the

region, broadcasting to the Asia Pacific has

never been more achievable than ever before.

Among the 500 TV and radio channels there

are over 45 Middle Eastern TV and radio

channels available on AsiaSat for the many

diaspora and viewers who are interested in

the developments in this region. Many of the

channels on our satellites are available digitally

free to air, which drive audience penetration to

cable headends, rebroadcasters, embassies

and individual home viewers and listeners.”

Stand # S-62

Stand # S-B34

First-time participants, A1 Microwave Ltd., the

UK-based designer and manufacturer of filters

and diplexers for satcoms, telecoms, radar

and scientific applications, will be showcasing

new filter models at CABSAT. Having just

announced the supply of new waveguide

filters for use in Yahsat satellite communication

systems, the company will be looking towards

building on its sales network in the region, said

Peter Dumbell, international sales manager.

He added, “A1 Microwave, designs and

manufactures some of the smallest and lowest

insertion loss waveguide filters on the market

today. Standard and custom filters are available

for C, X, Ku and Ka frequency bands. We are

exhibiting at CABSAT for the first time this year

and are looking forward to meeting our existing

as well as new potential customers. We are

also interested in meeting potential new sales

agents for these territories.

“We are showcasing our unique X band

transmit (Tx) and Receive (Rx) filters models

PB1500WB and PB1504WB which provide over

90 dB of rejection in the adjacent frequency

band, and have typically 0.3 dB insertion loss.

These filters are just 170mm long for the Tx

part and 180mm long for the Rx device which

makes them ideal for the small fly away type

satellite terminals.”

Hiltron launches HSACU SNG antenna controller

Stand # S2-A11

Hiltron GmbH, a distributor, integrator and

manufacturer in the domain of satellite

communication and related fields, has

chosen CABSAT 2012 as the Middle East

launch venue for the new HSACU SNG

controller. The solution provides fully-

automated satellite auto-acquisition and

is compatible with all leading motorised

satellite newsgathering antennas.

“The HSACU serves two key roles,

being designed for integration into SNG

trucks or for refurbishment of existing SNG

antenna control systems,” explains Hiltron

GmbH managing director Dr Michael

Schiestl. “Housed in a compact rack-

mountable chassis, it provides easy and

efficient control of three-axis motorised

antennas of up to 2.4 metres diameter.

Azimuth, elevation and polarisation control

are performed entirely in software.”

Full control of the Hiltron HSACU can

be performed locally or from a remote

IP browser. Local control is achieved via

front-panel pushbuttons and a colour

touch-panel graphic display. In IP remote

control mode, the entire system can be

controlled from wherever it is convenient

to the SNG workflow. Fully automated

acquisition of accessible satellites can be

achieved within less than two minutes. An

internal DVB-S/S2 tuner is provided for

satellite verification.

Heading determination is performed

using a GPS and/or a fluxgate compass.

The HACU-DSNG includes dual-axis

compensation of truck inclination.

It is compatible with resolvers,

potentiometers, inclinometers and direct-

current drive-motors.


Hispasat offers new satellite capacity for the MENA region

New RF product from Peak Communications

Yahsat 1A lights up CETel teleport in Germany

Participating in CABSAT for the second

time, Hispasat has new satellite capacity to

offer the MENA region. Currently enjoying

a leading position in the Spanish and

Portuguese-speaking markets in content

broadcasting and distribution, Hispasat

will focus on promoting Hispasat 1E , the

Ku-band Fixed Satellite Services (FSS)

and Broadcast Satellite Services (BSS)

spacecraft across the MENA region. A

spokesman for the company said: “Hispasat

will be able to facilitate competitive

solutions for operators interested in linking

the three continents (Africa, Europe and

America) with just one satellite system.

This new capacity will allow, for instance,

telecom operators and broadcasters

to link, with a single jump, the Middle

East with the entire American continent.

Hispasat also has a strong portfolio of

solutions with regard to VSAT technology,

Satcom-on-the-move and low cost

residential internet access. Given the

strategic importance of the MENA region,

the Hispasat Group at CABSAT will be

looking at establishing new relationships

with potential partners and customers.”

Hispasat 1E provides high-quality

capacity for Hispasat’s new initiatives

which include Direct-to-Home television

(DTH), Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT),

value added broadband services in mobile,

land and maritime environments, and high

definition television (HDTV). It is located at

30 degrees West longitude, with coverage

over North Africa, Europe and the Americas.

Stand # S1-H34

Stand # S-C26

Stand # S-G1

Having participated since 2006, Peak

Communications Ltd., will be showcasing a

new RF product for satellite earth stations,

including passive and active splitters/

combiners, multi-channel variable gain

units, reference generators/distribution

and a broadening of the Automatic UpLink

Power Control (AUPC) product range.

Gary Allen, sales manager, Peak

Communications, stated: “Building on

our popular, existing Automatic UpLink

Power Control (AUPC) product range, Peak

Communications has recently released a

10-channel ‘expansion’ unit to work with the

UPC7000 AUPC unit, which until now has

only been available in a four-channel version.

“For this

configuration, the

UPC7000 uplink

power control

unit monitors

the output from

a Beacon signal

via an internal or

external Beacon

receiver and

subsequently determines the uplink path

gain compensation required to maintain a

constant uplink signal level. Compensation

is applied to the uplink paths via attenuator

channels (with optional fail-safe by-pass

circuitry) within the EXP010 ‘expansion’ unit.”

SatEvents

CETel Group (Central European Telecom

Services) will be offering satellite services on

the satellite Yahsat 1A. Its teleport, located in

the centre of Germany near Bonn, operates

a 6.1m antenna on Yahsat 1A satellite, which

offers complete coverage over Europe and

the Middle East in lower extended Ku-band.

With its teleport facilities, CETel can offer

up/downlink services as well as broadband

internet access and further fibre optic

connections via this satellite.

On choosing Yahsat, Meike Langer,

director marketing and sales, said, ”The

recently launched Yahsat satellites cover

areas where CETel has key stakes; namely

in the dynamic markets of Africa and the

Middle East. With their attractive offers,

it has been an easy decision to promote

Yahsat’s services via our award-winning

teleport in Germany.”

On the vertical markets and audiences

CETel hopes to tap through this coverage,

Langer said: “The CETel Group offers its

services to ISPs, militaries and corporates in

need of large bandwidth requirements.

On the marketing strategy going forward,

Langer commented: “CETel offers turnkey

solutions that let our customers focus on

their core business.

“With regard to the new Ku-band

coverage of Yahsat 1A, CETel offers excellent

pricing and is prepared to sponsor hardware

for large volume links.”

Gary Allen, sales manager

Meike Langer, director marketing and sales


Gazprom to promote new satellite capacity at CABSAT

Supernet serves VSAT market in Pakistan with SES World Skies

Turnkey satellite communication solutions from Luna

Gazprom Space Systems (GSS) plans to build

Yamal-300K (900E), Yamal-401 (900E) and

Yamal-402 (550E) satellites and develop its

ground infrastructure with a state-of-the-art

telecommunication centre. The launch of the

satellites in 2012-2013 will increase the satellite

capacity of the Yamal system four fold. With a

customer base that reportedly includes more

than 200 diverse companies in 50 countries

of the world, more than a quarter of the Yamal

satellites’ capacity is sold on the international

market and about 70% of the international traffic

is dedicated to the Middle East.

“CABSAT,” according to Igor Kot, deputy

director general, “is extremely important for

us to meet with our current and potential

customers. Our Yamal-202 (49E) is a well-

known satellite in the EMEA market, so our

usual objective for CABSAT is to support

our business in this region.” He added, “We

hope 2012 will bring new opportunities for

Gazprom, with the upcoming launch of three

new satellites. The first one, Yamal-300K, will

be launched into the 90E position mainly to

support the Russian and CIS markets, but

it will also have a steerable beam that can

be pointed optionally to serve South Africa

or South East Asia or even Australia at the

customer’s wish. The second one, Yamal-402,

is to be launched into the 55E position and will

have a coverage over the Middle East, Africa

and South East Asia.”

Stand # S-K31

Stand # S-H1

Stand # S-4

SES World Skies, a division of SES S.A.,

announced that it has signed an agreement

with Supernet Limited, a satellite service

provider from Pakistan, for high powered

Ku-band transponder capacity on the

NSS-6 satellite at the orbital location of 95

degrees East. This capacity will support

a large VSAT network for corporate

customers in Pakistan.

Supernet is already a customer of SES

for 52 MHz of C-band transponder capacity

on the NSS-12 satellite, which supports a

60-site GSM backhaul network for one of

the leading GSM operators in Pakistan.

Imran Malik, CEO Supernet Limited,

commented: “Our VSAT network is growing

at a fast pace. We needed to partner with

a quality satellite operator to keep up with

the demand. NSS-6 gives us the ability

to expand our services in our primary

market as well as serve customers in the

neighbouring countries.”

Luna Space Telecommunication Co.

Ltd. (Skyband) is a service provider

for engineering, turnkey solutions,

installation, support, operation and

maintenance for VSAT, wireless and data

communication, data centre and managed

services. Skyband has been in operation

in the Middle East and GCC regions since

November 2003.

At CABSAT, Skyband will offer turnkey

satellite communication solutions to meet

the developing connectivity needs in

various market sectors. The operation

leverages multiple Skyband owned hubs

and network operating centres located in

Riyadh and Jeddah that support star, mesh,

point-to-point, and hybrid topologies.

Skyband operates in 33 major cities

and uses 11 customer support centres to

ensure commitment to delivery of mission

critical services to customers.

Igor Kot, deputy director general


SatGuest

“the Ka revoLutIon has reaLLy begun thIs decade”The satellite industry’s ‘flying car’ is finally making its way down the production line writes Drew Klein, director of international business development, C-COM Satellite Systems

Imagine a small, mobile VSAT antenna

system that can deliver 8Mbps up and

20Mbps down using only a 3W BUC (block

upconverter). Now imagine that while

the hardware costs for this product are

comparable to existing Ku-band antennas,

the bandwidth costs are only a fraction of

what they are today. Welcome to the future:

The future of Ka-band technology.

In 1999, Irving Goldstein wrote in The

Future of the Electronic Marketplace

that “the first global broadband Ka-band

systems are not expected to be operational

until 2001 or 2002”. It seems that Ka

has been the future for a long time. The

article envisioned Ka-band satellites to

be conceptually similar to the ‘flying car’

imagery of the 1950’s, a mind-blowing

change in technology which would literally

transform the game.

Similar to the ‘winged-machine’ visions

from the past, there didn’t appear to be any

serious progress materialising in the high-

frequency band of Ka. A few years ago,

however, Telesat, Wildblue and Spaceway

in North America began offering Ka services

for residential customers, but there had

been little deployable advancement in the

commercial sector – until now.

The revolution has really begun this

decade, starting with KA-SAT’s launch in

December 2010 – a single satellite with

38 times the capacity of a standard Ku-

band satellite. In October 2011, Viasat-1 was

launched with 140Gbps of data capacity,

more than all the satellites covering North

America combined. ViaSat-1 in North

America, like KA-SAT in Europe, is capable

of two-way communications with small dish

antennas at higher speeds and a lower

cost-per-bit than any satellite before. With the

upcoming launches of Yahsat 1-B in April for

the MENA region, and several other Ka-birds

expected in space between now and 2015,

including Inmarsat’s Global Express, it is clear

that the satellite industry’s ‘flying car’ is finally

making its way down the production line.

One of the biggest technical limitations

would be the rain-fade factor. In some

regions around the globe, Ka-band may

not be acceptable due the high number of

days where rain and heavy downpours are

present. Critical applications demanding

high service availability may never accept

lower than 99.99% link quality and

availability. In many cases, it’s those critical

applications that drive the expansion of new

technologies. Technological advancements

like DVB-S2 with ACM are making rain fade

a less likely issue for Ka users, and further

advancement is likely to eliminate these

problems all together.

C-COM, for instance, is in the final

stages of completing certification for its new

generation auto-pointing Ka-band antenna

systems for commercial use in North

America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

As cost of bandwidth drops over time,

more and more users will be attracted

to use satellites instead of land-based

communication systems, especially for

disaster recovery and other factors (political

and economical). Low bandwidth costs will

attract new market verticals including mobile

applications and maritime. Later in 2012,

C-COM is expected to roll out a number of

different Ka related products for alternate

market verticals.

We are now in an age where satellite

broadband has become economical for

almost everyone. In the commercial world,

this couldn’t come any sooner, as the

benefits of using Ka, even just as a stopgap

to remove some strain from existing Ku-

band networks, are significant. Smaller

antennas, lower power requirements,

greater bandwidth at a lower price –

all point to a revolution in the satellite

broadband industry. PRO

Drew Klein, director of international business development, C-COM Satellite Systems

With the upcoming launches of Yahsat 1-B in April for the MENA region, and several other Ka-birds expected in space between now and 2015, including Inmarsat’s Global Express, it is clear that the satellite industry’s ‘flying car’ is finally making its way down the production line

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