Satellitepro Middle East

January 2012 | SatellitePro | 1

Airlines queuing for on-boArd connectivity

A SUPPLEMENT OF BROADCASTPRO MEPUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ

DOOH via satelliteCost-effective digital signage solutions

Outlook on 2012Handy advice from industry veteran David Hershberg

INSIDE

ISSUE 3 | JANUARY 2012

In touch In-flIght


EDITORIAL

WelcomeWhen the pilot informed us that Germany had defeated Argentina 4-0, the aircraft erupted in a collective groan and some scattered applause. We were left to imagine the look of despair on Messi’s face, the melodrama that Maradona must have unleashed and to wonder as to what would happen to the World Cup with another South American side biting the proverbial dust. Now, with live TV to debut on some airlines, connectivity fundamentally leap-frogs several stages, 39,000 feet above ground level. And not surprisingly, the full service carriers in the MENA such as Gulf Air and Emirates, among others, are showing the way.

In-flight connectivity is much more than witnessing, live, Andres Iniesta’s goal in the Soccer World Cup final. From the pilot accessing real-time weather information, to the cabin staff having access to telemedicine in case of emergencies, you would have to wonder how you lived without connectivity on-board an airline.

It was a pity when Virgin’s Richard Branson launched in-flight connectivity and the press seemed centered around the issue of decibel levels. The fascinating logistics and technology behind in-flight connectivity must warrant some attention.

We speak to end-users, service providers and satellite operators. With equipment that has passed rigorous aviation safety standards, and with seamless coverage provided by satellite operators and Telcos on the ground, in-flight connectivity is no longer seen as a luxury. This is a developing story, as more airlines approach service providers and satellite operators innovate to offer speeds on-board that are as good as those on the ground. We will keep you posted as you, in turn, help us stay informed at [email protected]

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.

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Visit us at CABSAT 2012, booth S-C13

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Services include:

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Contribution Feeds



Cellular Backhaul

VNO



Internet Trunking





AB

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AB

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Pakistan

Afghanistan

UAEOman

Yemen

Jordan

Turkey

Syria

Saudi Arabia






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DTH & CATV

Services include:

Scheduled 2013

Broadcasting

Contribution Feeds



Cellular Backhaul

VNO



Internet Trunking





AB

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AB

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Pakistan

Afghanistan

UAEOman

Yemen

Jordan

Turkey

Syria

Saudi Arabia






AB

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A

AB

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DTH & CATV

Services include:

Scheduled 2013

Broadcasting

Contribution Feeds



Cellular Backhaul

VNO



Internet Trunking





AB

S-7

AB

S-2

Pakistan

Afghanistan

UAEOman

Yemen

Jordan

Turkey

Syria

Saudi Arabia






AB

S-1

A

AB

S-1




DTH & CATV

Services include:

Scheduled 2013

Broadcasting

Contribution Feeds



Cellular Backhaul

VNO



Internet Trunking





AB

S-7

AB

S-2

Pakistan

Afghanistan

UAEOman

Yemen

Jordan

Turkey

Syria

Saudi Arabia






AB

S-1

A

AB

S-1




DTH & CATV

Services include:

Scheduled 2013

Broadcasting

Contribution Feeds



Cellular Backhaul

VNO



Internet Trunking


CONTENTS Issue 3 | January 2012

News

4Forging new partnershipsNews updates from Arabsat, YahSat, Harris Caprock, World Teleport Association and more

SatInnovations

12New technology and productsInnovations from Comtech, Viasat, Astrium and more

Cover story

Features

14

20

Always connectedAs in-flight connectivity takes off, we give you an overview of the technology and players

24SatTechnology: IP over satelliteSimen Frostad of Bridge Technologies outlines the potential of reaching beyond the cable infrastructure with IP over satellite

28SatInterview: David HershbergIn conversation with the industry veteran and CEO of Globecomm

32SatTrends: Ka-BandSerge Van Herck, CEO, Newtec says Ka-Band will transform business in the satellite industry

34

40

SatEvents: CABSAT

SatGuest

SatellitePro partners with the GVF Forum at CABSAT

In conversation with Payam Herischi, COO, Emerging Markets Communications (EMC)

SatResearch: Digital signageWhite paper on benefits of satellite-based technology to drive digital signage solutions

ON THE COVER: Image supplied by OnAir

4 | SatellitePro | January 2012

SatNews

Hermes Datacomms Middle

East, a specialist providing

Wide Area Network

communications to the upstream oil

and gas industry has registered with

the Kurdistan Regional Government’s

Ministry of Natural Resources, allowing

them to provide ICT solutions to oil

and gas companies in Kurdistan.

At the opening of the Kurdistan-

Iraq Oil & Gas Conference held

recently in Kurdistan’s capital city

of Erbil, the Kurdistan Regional

Government’s prime minister Dr.

Barham Salih stated that they have

reached an agreement with the central

government to increase the region’s

oil export volume to 175,000 barrels

per day in 2012.

Kevin Thorley, CEO of Hermes

Datacomms ME states, “As a principal

global VSAT service provider, it is

of the utmost importance that we

effectively establish operations in the

region ahead of this impending boom.”

Chris Beevers, Hermes Datacomms

business development manager for

Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman will

head operations in Kurdistan.

Optimal Satcom awarded multi-year contract with Harris CapRock Optimal Satcom has been awarded

a multi-year contract by Harris

CapRock to provide a company-wide

capacity management system based

on Optimal Satcom’s Enterprise

Capacity Manager (ECM) and

Complan products.

As part of the agreement, Optimal

Satcom is working with Harris

CapRock to consolidate its legacy

capacity management systems into

a single integrated system. This

system will simultaneously meet the

needs of Harris CapRock’s energy,

maritime and government market

verticals achieving operational

efficiency and cost savings through

better utilisation of its leased satellite

capacity. The new system will be

deployed at Harris CapRock’s offices

worldwide.

Ahsun H. Murad, president and

CEO of Optimal Satcom said: “A

consolidation at this scale represents

significant logistical and operational

challenges. We have worked closely

with each of the legacy companies

for many years and understand their

businesses well.”

Andrew Lucas, global operations

officer, Harris CapRock said, “Harris

CapRock required the flexibility to

financially and technically manage

substantial space segment assets

using a single platform.”

Hermes Datacomms ME offers services in Kurdistan

Jordan Media City partners with YahLiveSince December 1, 2011, Jordan

Media City “JMC” has uplinked

six HD sport channels from Saudi

Television to the YahLive satellite at

52.5E to cover Europe. It is expected

that another stream of six HD Arabic

channels will also be uplinked to the

YahLive satellite in the near future,

according to a JMC spokesman.

In 2010, the UAE-based satellite

broadcasting venture YahLive signed

a Memorandum of Understanding

(MoU) with Jordan Media City, the

regional media hub based in Amman,

Jordan, to define potential areas of

collaboration on projects and services

related to satellite broadcast. The

areas of partnership include providing

up-link services to satellites, play-out

capabilities, and other services.

Kevin Thorley, CEO, Hermes Datacomms

Ahsun Murad, president, Optimal Satcom


Estimated viewers for London 2012 Olympics4

Thuraya, the mobile satellite

operator is the first in the mobile

satellite industry to launch SMS-

based Twitter services for its

handheld consumer base. This

unique service will enable voice

consumers to send and receive

Tweets via SMS wherever they

may be located within Thuraya’s

140-country coverage area to

and from their handheld devices.

Using the short dedicated SMS

code of 1888, users can sign up

for Twitter or link their Thuraya

phones with their Twitter accounts

or visit the Twitter website for

more information.

“Through this feature, Thuraya

consumers can consistently feel

that they are part of the modern

era and social networking

community which we know is a

main driver of our times,” said

Thuraya’s director-intercarrier

relations, Tarek Shqairat.

BGAN links TSF in Libya Thuraya to offer Twitter services by SMS

Abu Dhabi’s Al Jaber Aviation partners with Satcom1

Tarek Shqairat, director-intercarrier relations, Thuraya

Al Jaber (AJ) Aviation is to

be the launch customer for

Satcom1’s Flight Billing solution

with Inmarsat connectivity. The

executive charter operator, based

in Al Bateen Airport in Abu Dhabi,

operates a fleet of Embraer

Lineage 1000 and Legacy 600

aircraft, plus an Airbus A318

Elite+. Satcom1’s Flight Billing

allows AJ Aviation to sell pre-

paid cards with specific data

amounts (such as 100 megabytes)

using Inmarsat SwiftBroadband

on its aircraft. Mark Pierotti, AJ

Aviation’s COO, said: “Our aim is

to enhance the service we offer

our customers. We want to make

it easier for them to buy and use

satellite data.”

The work of Télécoms Sans

Frontières (TSF) in Libya during 2011

was enabled with the use of BGAN

and IsatPhone Pro.

In the early months, the focus of

TSF’s efforts was on the thousands

of refugees pouring over the

border into Tunisia.

Like other aid agencies,

Inmarsat-sponsored TSF joined

forces with the European

Commission’s humanitarian

aid department (Echo), the UN

Humanitarian Commissioner

for Relief, and the Tunisian Civil

Defence organisation to help

refugees arriving at the Chucha

transit camp near Ben Guerdane.

IsatPhone Pro proved vital as

the refugee transit camp swelled

with a large proportion of the

estimated 200,000 people who

crossed the border in the early

months of the conflict.

During spring and early summer,

TSF enabled a total of 40,000

humanitarian calls to be made to 115

destinations worldwide for a total of

91,500 minutes. By the end of TSF’s

mission in November IsatPhone Pro

had been extensively used inside

Libya supporting humanitarian needs

– in Benghazi, Misrata and Sirte.

As the Libyan regime retreated,

TSF supported a number of relief

agencies. This time a total of 17

IsatPhone Pros were deployed.

The Agency for Technical Co-

operation and Development (Acted)

has been working with Unicef in

Libya to help restore schools and

key infrastructure.

TSF supplied 4GB of data via

BGAN to help Acted carry out

assessments for its relief work in Sirte.

Support for Acted was brought

about as a result of TSF’s ongoing

work with the UN Office for the Co-

ordination of Humanitarian Affairs.


SatNews

Arabsat, the Middle East-

based satellite operator has

executed its plans to transfer

its telecommunications network

services from Arabsat-2B satellite

to its new Arabsat-5C satellite

at 20 degrees East. The new

satellite carries telecommunications

networks across the Arab States

and the African continent and

private networks operating at Ka-

band in addition to Direct-To-Home

bouquets transmitted in C-band to

the African continent.

The New Arabsat-5C satellite

is considered the third in Arabsat’s

fifth generation satellites series,

launched over the past two years to

support the company’s edge in the

satellite telecommunications market.

Arabsat’s fourth and fifth generation

satellites, that have been launched

since 2006, were joined by the latest

satellite of the fifth generation with the

purpose of forming an integrated fleet

of satellites operating at Arabsat’s

orbital positions of 20, 26 and 30.5

degrees East. The satellites provide

a range of services, at different

bandwidths and areas of coverage,

offering connectivity to corporates,

organisations and governments

across the Middle East, Africa,

neighbouring countries in Asia and

large parts of Europe.

It was also reported that the

investment, in excess of US$1.6

billion, towards the manufacturing and

operating of its new fleet of satellites,

was sourced mainly from Arabsat’s

revenues. Plans are currently under

way to manufacture and launch

Arabsat’s sixth generation satellites in

the coming years.

Arabsat-2B telecom network transferred to new satellite

AsiaSat 4 adds three Indian channels Asia’s leading satellite operator

Asia Satellite Telecommunications

Co. Ltd. (AsiaSat) announced

that Pride East Entertainments

(Pvt.) Ltd. of India has signed an

agreement for C-band capacity on

AsiaSat 4 to deliver three Indian

free-to-air satellite channels

serving audiences in the North

Eastern region of India and across

the country.

NEWS LIVE is a 24-hour

news and current affairs

satellite channel broadcasting in

Assamese and English languages.

RANG offers Assamese, Hindi and

English language entertainment

programmes, whereas

RAMDHENU, a new satellite

channel, broadcasts music and

lifestyle programming in Assamese,

Hindi and English languages.

“AsiaSat welcomes Pride East

Entertainments to AsiaSat’s South

Asian channel neighbourhood.

We are pleased that Pride East

appreciates our flexible, reliable

and excellent coverage and

customer service,” said William

Wade,president and CEO of AsiaSat. William Wade, president and CEO of AsiaSat


Value of MilSatCom revenues by 2020

SES plans to further increase the

focus on emerging and growth

markets and introduce four global

sales regions with a dedicated

management leading the SES

teams in each region. The regions

are: Americas, Europe, Africa, and

Asia-Pacific/ India/ Middle East. They

will be headed by Elias Zaccack

(Americas), Ferenc Szelényi (Europe),

Ibrahima Guimba-Saidou (Africa), and

Deepak Mathur (Asia Pacific/ India/

Middle East). All four executives

report to the CCO, Ferdinand Kayser.

Ibrahima Guimba-Saidou is joining

SES from Intelsat where he was

senior key account director and had

different sales and marketing as well

as systems operations roles over

more than 15 years. His roles included

the responsibility for the Intelsat

representation in Africa. In his new role,

he will be based in Johannesburg.

Deepak Mathur has successfully

developed the activities of SES in Asia

and Africa over the past ten years. He

remains based in Singapore.

“This organisation and these

nominations are another step on our

way to consolidate our strong position

in Europe and North America while

focusing our attention on the emerging

markets, where a lot of the future growth

for SES is coming from”, says Romain

Bausch, president and CEO of SES.

SES to increase sales focus on emerging markets

Yahsat receives leadership award in defence

Al Yah Satellite Communications

Company PrJSC (Yahsat) has won

the 2011 Frost & Sullivan Award

for its services in the Middle East

defence sector. Yahsat is the first

company in the region to earn the

award, for its service “YahSecure”,

which provides secured and reliable

satellite communications service

on Ka band, which is suitable for

military, government, and mission

critical applications.

Eng. Rashed Al Ghafri,

YahService GM, said: “We

are honoured to receive this

prestigious award, which

recognises our service that has

enabled us to quickly become a

pioneering company in the military

satellite communications market.”

In April 2011, Yahsat’s satellite

Y1A was successfully delivered

in orbit and is providing satellite

communications services for both

governmental and commercial

customers across the Middle East,

Africa, Europe and South West Asia.

The company’s second satellite, Y1B,

is currently in the final integration

phase in France and will be

launched in Q1 of 2012.

Romain Bausch, president and CEO of SES

72

Lufthansa launches in-flight broadband connectivity in the UAE Lufthansa passengers from Dubai and

Abu Dhabi will now be connected

while in-flight via the airline’s FlyNet

– the broadband internet connection

on-board between Abu Dhabi

and Frankfurt and between Dubai,

Frankfurt and Munich. FlyNet was

introduced almost a year ago on

select North Atlantic routes and is

now available in the Middle East and

Iran. Currently, 43 of Lufthansa’s long-

range aircraft now have FlyNet and

the carrier expects to equip the entire

long-haul fleet by end-2012.

“We are excited to roll out our

top-tier in-flight internet service

in recognition of the need of our

passengers to stay in constant touch.

Email accessibility is important,

particularly for business travellers, and

is appreciated by leisure travellers

too,” said Peter Pollak, Lufthansa’s

general manager UAE and Director

Gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Lufthansa offers the service

in cooperation with its partners

Panasonic Avionics Corporation and

Deutsche Telekom.

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www.arabsat.com

Home of 90% of Free-To-Air HD-TV channels in the MENA region30+ HDTV channels in the MENA region are now exclusively broadcast on Arabsat Badr satellites at the 26º East hotspot. Indeed, with the new generation of Arabsat satellites, the largest Arab community in the sky brings you more and more power to experience the future. Join us!

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The Portal

SatTeleport


Top TELEporT opErATorS oF 2011World Teleport Association (WTA) announced its rankings of the Top Teleport Operators of 2011. The annual ranking offers a unique look into the diverse teleport sector of the global communications industry

For the first time in the history

of the rankings by the World

Teleport Association (WTA), the

teleport operators reported

their total spending on satellite

capacity. The total spending of

the world’s top 20 independent

operators was nearly US$1 billion

per year on transponder leasing,

equal on average to 45% of their

revenues. The association’s top

operator rankings are compiled

by surveying teleport operators

around the world on their facilities,

services and business results.

These rankings provide an insight

into the sometimes less glamorous

realities of the teleport sector.

Rankings were reported in

three categories: the Independent

Top Twenty, the Global Top Twenty,

and what the association calls the

“Fast Twenty.”

The independent top twenty

The ‘Independent Top Twenty’

ranks teleport operators based

on revenue from all sources. The

list focuses on the independent

operators at the core of the

businesss, excluding companies

whose primary business is

ownership and operation of

a satellite fleet or terrestrial

network. In 2011, four new

operators joined the list – Cobbett

Hill Earth station, Encompass

Digital Media, Europe Media Port,

and NewSat.

The global top twenty

This category ranks companies

based on revenues from all

customised communications’

sources and includes operators

of teleports, satellite fleets

and business-to-business fibre

networks. Three companies

make their debut on the global

top twenty list in 2011 – du,

Encompass Digital Media and

GE Satcom.

The ‘Fast Twenty’

The Fast Twenty ranks all teleport-

operating companies based on year-

over-year revenue growth in their

most recent fiscal years. Newcomer

Santander Teleport was the fastest

of the fast with an impressive 531%

growth – the kind of growth that only

a startup company can generate in

its first few years. Also new to the

list are Encompass Digital Media,

NewSat and SES.

Unique insight into teleport sector

“This year the top operators’

survey has an interesting story


to tell,” said Robert Bell, WTA’s

executive director. “The ‘Global

Top Twenty’ had a combined

revenue of $12.85 billion, while

the ‘Independent Top Twenty’

had combined revenues of

$2.15 billion. In the 2011 survey,

respondents reported on their

total spending on satellite

capacity in the most recent,

complete fiscal year. The

independent operators spent

$927 million on satellite capacity,

which represented 45% on

average of their total revenues.

In addition, companies with less

than $25 million in total revenues

spent an average of 54% of

their total revenues on satellite

capacity. It’s interesting to note

that capacity spending as a

percentage of revenues varied

widely – from a high of 70% to

a low of 17% – depending on

the teleport operator’s type of

business.” PRO

The total spending of the world’s top 20 independent operators was nearly US$1 billion per year on transponder leasing, equal on average to 45% of their revenues

Independent Top Twenty

1. Harris CapRock (USA)

2. GlobeCast (France)

3. Arqiva Broadcast & Media (UK)

4. Globecomm Systems (USA)

5. RRsat Global Communications

(Israel)

6. Encompass Digital Media

(USA)

7. TeleCommunications Systems

(Government Services) (USA)

8. GE Satcom (Germany)

9. du (UAE)

10. Teleport Internacional Buenos

Aires (Argentina)

11. Satlink Communications (Israel)

12. Essel Shyam Communciations

(India)

13. NewSat (Australia)

14. Newcom International (USA)

15. Central Europe Telecom

Services (Germany)

16. CET Teleport (Germany)

17. Jordan Media City (Jordan)

18. ATCi (USA)

19. Cobbett Hill Earth Station (UK)

20. Europe Media Port (Cyprus)

Global Top Twenty

1. Intelsat (Bermuda)

2. SES (Luxembourg)

3. Eutelsat (France)

4. Telenor Satellite Broadcasting

(Norway)

5. Hughes Network Systems (USA)

6. Telesat (Canada)


8. EchoStar Satellite Services Corp.

(USA)

9. GlobeCast (France)

10. Arqiva Broadcast & Media (UK)

11. Thaicom (Thailand)

12. Hispasat (Spain)


14. AsiaSat (China)


(Israel)


(USA)



18. Gazprom Space Systems

(Russia)

19. GE Satcom (Germany)

20. du (UAE)

Fast Twenty

1. Santander Teleport (Spain)


(USA)

3. Europe Media Port (Cyrpus)



5. Cobbett Hill Earth Station (UK)


7. Newcom International (USA)

8. EchoStar Satellite Services

Corp. (USA)

9. AsiaSat (China)

10. Teleport Internacional Buenos

Aires (Argentina)

11. NewSat (Australia)

12. CET Teleport (Germany)

13. Jordan Media City (Jordan)

14. Eutelsat (France)

15. Essel Shyam Communciations

(India)

16. Hispasat (Spain)

17. du (UAE)


(Israel)

19. SES (Luxembourg)


Robert Bell, executive director, World Teleport Association

Satellite capacity spend by independent teleport operators927


SatInnovations

Comtech EF Data

Corporation and Thrane

& Thrane announced

the successful completion of

interoperability testing of the

SAILOR 900 VSAT marine stabilised

antenna systems and the ROSS

Open Antenna Management (ROAM)

protocol. The interoperability will

enable the SAILOR 900 VSAT

antenna systems on maritime

vessels to globally roam across

multiple satellite beams, maintaining

connectivity, moving through

different satellite footprints

and enhancing communication

capabilities at sea.

The ROAM protocol offers a

common management interface

for Comtech EF Data’s Roaming

Oceanic Satellite Server (ROSS) and

third-party Antenna Control Units

(ACUs) by providing a generic set of

commands, information, interfaces

and status queries. ROSS is an

integrated location server that works

in conjunction with Comtech EF

Data’s Vipersat Management System

to facilitate on-the-move satellite

communications for oceanic vessels.

Numerex upgrades satellite-based asset monitoring solutionNumerex Corp, a provider of secure

machine-to-machine (M2M) products

and services, announced its new

satellite-based end-to-end remote asset

monitoring solution, which enables

Value Added Resellers (VARs) to

provide secure, configurable asset

visibility to their customers seeking to

monitor liquid tanks and doors. The

full solution includes the lightweight

yet rugged Numerex Satellite FLEX

tracking device, the wireless Numerex

FLEX SNSR interface which can be

connected to a broad range of asset

sensors, and the Numerex FASTrack

application which makes sense of the

captured data.

Remote monitoring of liquid

tank levels can significantly reduce

operational expenses by optimising

fleet dispatch as well as identifying

leaks or pilferage. Global visibility

to door open/close events helps

ensure driver and asset safety and

also reduces cargo shrinkage. For

many installations, Numerex’s solution

enables exterior mounting of the

satellite transmitter and internal

mounting of a magnetic door sensor

for a no-drilling solution.

Agreement to enhance maritime communication

Pleiades 1A in orbit

Pleiades 1A, the first new-generation

observation satellite operated by

French space agency CNES was

orbited by Arianespace on-board a

Soyuz launcher from the Guiana Space

Center in French Guiana. Thales Alenia

Space, working for industrial prime

contractor Astrium, was responsible for

45% of this satellite.

The Pleiades satellites are

dedicated to dual (military/civil)

observation applications. They feature

an optical instrument with an aperture

of 65 cm, built by Thales Alenia

Space, and providing multispectral

views in the visible and near-infrared

bands, with very high resolution (70

cm) and a swath width of 20 km.

In addition to the optical payload

for Pleiades satellites, Thales Alenia

Space also supplied the encryption/

decryption module for the uplinks

and downlinks.

“With this major contribution to

Pleiades, Thales Alenia Space is

proud of once again being able to

contribute our expertise in optical

imaging systems to CNES and

Astrium,” said Reynald Seznec,

president and CEO of Thales

Alenia Space.

Reynald Seznec, president and CEO of Thales Alenia Space


Airborne broadband satcom performance at 8 Mbps via 12-inch

Astrium completes acquisition of Vizada

VSAT services for Iraq-based offices of Nabors Industries

Astrium Services and Vizada

team up to become one of the

world’s largest providers of satellite

communications and geo-information

services. Astrium, Europe’s leading

space company, completes the

acquisition of Vizada after receiving

the necessary regulatory approvals.

Vizada is an independent provider

of global satellite communications

services and will be integrated into

Astrium Services. This acquisition

represents a total consideration of

€ 673 million and contributes to

EADS’ strategic Vision 2020.

According to Eric Béranger,

CEO of Astrium Services: “Together,

we now provide our customers and

partners with the broadest range

of product and service choices

– from fixed to mobile services,

and from government to civil and

private customers.”

With over 3,200 employees now,

Astrium Services will be composed

of four business lines: Telecom

Commercial, Telecom Governmental,

Secure Satcom Systems, and GEO-

Information Services.

Harris CapRock Communications

has signed a two-year contract

to provide Nabors Industries with

satellite communications for multiple

land rigs and a base office in Iraq.

Harris CapRock’s Very Small Aperture

Terminal (VSAT) services will provide

Nabors personnel working on remote

Iraq land drilling sites the ability to

interconnect with the local base office

and corporate headquarters.

“We have worked with Nabors

since 2004 on short-term drilling

opportunities, and have provided

services to other customers with Iraq

activities since 2003,” said Tom Eaton,

president, Harris CapRock.

Eric Béranger, CEO of Astrium Services

Tom Eaton, president, Harris CapRock

Viasat demonstrated a mobile

broadband system using an ultra-

small aperture 12-inch Ka-band

tracking antenna. The network

includes the ViaSat VR-12 Ka

airborne satellite antenna and

ArcLight 2 modem mounted to a

mobile vehicle. As the mobile vehicle

drove around, the tracking antenna

maintained its link with the satellite

while demonstrating simultaneous

encrypted HD video backhaul,

video conferencing, IP phone

communications, and web browsing.

In the course of the demonstration

the mobile satellite network was

configured in a number of different

modes showing a variety of forward link

and return link bit rates. Configurations

included ISR (Intelligence Surveillance

and Reconnaissance) operations in

which the forward link maintained at

4 Mbps and the return link performed

at 6 Mbps.

“Achieving this level of satellite

system performance in such a small

physical package is another important

milestone for us and especially for

our broadband ISR customers,” said

Larry Taylor, deputy GM, ViaSat Global

Mobile Broadband.

Larry Taylor, deputy GM, ViaSat Global Mobile Broadband

Value of satellite video services by the year 202027


Cover story

ALwAyS coNNEcTEdA universal hunger for staying connected at all times, is driving innovation in on-board connectivity, as satellite operators and service providers come up with affordable solutions. Airlines are queuing up knowing passengers will expect high-levels of connectivity as the norm


In-flight entertainment (IFE) now

has a ‘C’ that could stand for

communications or connectivity. In

the couple of years that airlines have

deployed IFEC solutions, passengers

have not complained. Ian

Dawkins CEO of OnAir, an in-flight

connectivity provider, commenting

on feedback for his service says:

“Our experience is that passengers

making voice-calls during flight are

courteous to other passengers and

in fact due to the ambient noise

within an aircraft cabin you’re really

not overheard whilst making calls.”

With more than a dozen airlines as

clients, Ian Dawkins has an insight

or two about in-flight connectivity.

However, courteous passengers or

not, the prospect of having silence

zones on planes is increasingly

sounding realistic as more airlines

retrofit or linefit their fleet with the

latest in on-board connectivity.

GCC-based airlines showing the way

Over the past couple of years,

Oman Air, Gulf Air, Emirates, Etihad

and Qatar Airways have opted

for in-flight connectivity of varying

degrees. Commenting on the trend,

Dawkins says, “Middle East airlines

are often pioneers in cabin services,

which has meant they have been

early adopters of new technology,

including in-flight connectivity. In

itself, this has driven demand for

more airlines in the region to adopt

the service. In addition, many Middle

East airlines have recently updated

their fleets, providing the opportunity

to linefit the relevant equipment.”

Taking in-flight connectivity to

a whole new level, in 2011, Gulf Air,

the national carrier of Bahrain, took

Images courtesy: OnAir


Cover story

delivery of its first A330-200 aircraft

retrofitted with Panasonic Avionics

Corporation’s Global Communications

Suite that offers passengers on-board

broadband connectivity to access

internet, mobile phone services

and a global, live television service

onboard.The carrier signed up for the

Ku-band satellite-based solution for

its entire fleet.

SatellitePro asked Gulf Air CEO,

Samer Al Majali, about the technical

and logistical challenges of a retrofit.

He said: “Bearing in mind that Gulf

Air was the first airline in the world

to offer full on-board connectivity in

October 2011 – delivering broadband

internet access, GSM phone service

and live television content using

Panasonic’s Global Communications

Suite – we did face some technical

and logistical challenges, but these

have been fixed since.

“The first aircraft we retrofitted

was challenging simply in that it

was the first retrofit of any kind!

Gulf Air, Panasonic and other

vendors worked closely to test

and implement each stage of the

retrofitting process.”

Just a year ago, Dawkins of

OnAir, had to convince airlines

about the importance of in-flight

connectivity. Today, the airlines

are approaching him underlining

the seismic shift in airlines’ policy

towards in-flight connectivity.

Clearly a differentiator, passengers

reportedly select airlines based on

the connectivity they offer prompting

this rapid change of heart among

airlines. The Swiss-based company

and a joint venture by Airbus/SITA,

OnAir, has completed its first full year

of availability for its GSM-service

(voice, SMS and mobile data) and

in-flight internet access.

Crucial partnerships among

service providers

Partnership with Inmarsat has been

crucial as OnAir CEO Ian Dawkins

embarked on his plan to offer in-

flight connectivity. He says: “OnAir

has been working with Inmarsat for

many years, and indeed was the

first SwiftBroadband Distribution

Partner. We are also one of only

two distribution partners for Global

Xpress, Inmarsat’s Ka-band solution,

which will be launched in 2013. One

of the key reasons for working with

Inmarsat is because SwiftBroadband

– and Global Xpress will be the

same – provides a consistent and

the only global service. That means

passengers have the same services

wherever they are in the world.”

Giving us an insight into what

must be a complex and layered

set of relationships, Dawkins says,

“Aside from the satellite link, we

need roaming agreements with

as many mobile phone network

operators as possible, as well

as regulatory authorisations to

operate our services in countries’

airspace. Seamless connections for

passengers is largely dependent on

geographical reach and in respect of

which OnAir’s expertise in regulatory

affairs has secured authorisations

from 77 national aviation and

telecommunications authorities.

Moreover, OnAir has concluded

roaming agreements with mobile

phone operators covering 2.2 billion

GSM users, around two thirds of the

total GSM users in the world. That

means we can cover 95% of flight

times on our customers’ routes.”

For in-flight connectivity to be

possible, it is necessary to locate

both Wi-Fi access points and

cellphone picocell base-stations on

board the aircraft. The backhaul can

then be provided by a satellite link.

With a reported 11,000 aircraft

relying on global in-flight connectivity

from Inmarsat, the mobile satellite

services provider is one of the most

widely used operators in this sector.

With SwiftBroadband, Inmarsat’s

flexible IP connectivity, high-quality

voice and data communications is

delivered through a single antenna

to the whole aircraft, servicing

cockpit, cabin and operational

applications.

For Inmarsat, the growth in the

sector has been nothing short

of astounding. “From a relatively

small three per cent in 2006, this

sector has grown to 13% in terms

of revenue for Inmarsat,” revealed

Helene Bazzi, head of regional

development, EMEA. She added:

“It is one of the fastest growing

sectors for Inmarsat. On our

part, we ensure global coverage

with Inmarsat’s three global

Samer Al Majali, CEO, Gulf Air

“Our system is upgradable. It can be modified to handle future services and faster transmission speeds”


constellations of 11 satellites flying

in geosynchronous orbit 37,786

kms (22,240 statute miles) above

the Earth.”

From offering the crew real-time

weather reports, engine monitoring

capabilities and access to passenger

databases, among other benefits,

airlines can fine-tune customer

care including accessing vital

telemedicine in case of a medical

emergency. And it all takes a fraction

of a second as the GSM signals

from a passenger’s GSM cellphone

for instance, are transcoded using

Internet Protocol – these IP packets

are sent from the plane to the

ground via satellite and then turned

back to GSM signals and sent to the

public network.

The two key drives of innovation

are bandwidth access and

affordability. With more than 35%

of the cost of air tickets being

accounted for by fuel, weight is a

key issue. The hardware for OnAir’s

service for instance weighs little

more than 75 kilograms.

On the question of affordability,

Gulf Air’s Majali says: “Our IFE

service is extremely affordable.

Dividing our comprehensive IFE

offering, the live TV element is free

of charge in addition to the vast

range of movies, music, games

etc. that are already part of the

in-flight system on-board we offer.

The other two elements, internet

and telephony, will attract normal

international roaming charges as

charged by service providers with

whom we have made agreements.

The charges will appear on

telephone bills as if they were

roaming charges. The airplane is like

a virtual country, so the charges will

be in-line with international roaming.

For the internet, the charging

scheme is somewhere in the region

of $15 for one hour, and less than

$30 for 24-hour unlimited usage.”

Dawkins concurs, saying that

voice calls are priced at no more

than standard international roaming

rates with billing directly through the

customer’s own cellphone provider

that is becoming a key service

differentiator for carriers looking for

new ways to attract and retain high-

yield passengers.

Smoothness of service

According to OnAir, the performance

of the service generally has been

very reliable in the first year.

There have been a few teething

problems involving interfaces with

the satellite communication or

in-flight entertainment systems, as

has often been the case with new

cabin systems.

What should be music to the

ears of satellite operators is that

the twin issues of interference

and latency are not hampering

connectivity, says Majali. “Passenger

usage and feedback thus far has

been very promising with Gulf Air

passengers embracing our in-flight

entertainment’s ease of use and

flexibility. Live TV has been the

most popular option thus far and in

terms of interference and latency

we can confidently say that all our

transmission is smooth, with no delay.”

Ian Dawkins, CEO, OnAir

“As more and more airlines provide passenger connectivity, and do so on a fleet-wide basis, the prices have been coming down, since this is a volume business. New satellite technology has also enabled lower pricing”

Aircraft with in-flight connectivity over 2010 - 202012k


Cover story

Economies of scale

Tackling the delicate topic of

pricing and the impact on satellite

operators, Dawkins says, “As is the

case when purchasing anything,

the more you buy, the better the

deal. However, the converse is

also true and since the commercial

air transport market is a relatively

small one for the satellite providers,

the airlines that have been early

adopters have been working with

OnAir and Inmarsat to develop the

right passenger pricing models. They

have been happy to do so, because

passenger connectivity has been a

differentiator, enabling them to take

market share.

“As more and more airlines

provide passenger connectivity,

and do so on a fleet-wide basis, the

prices have been coming down,

since this is a volume business.

New satellite technology has also

enabled lower pricing across both

SwitftBroadband (SBB) and Global

Xpress (GX).”

The Ka-Band promise

Shopping for in-flight connectivity

solutions has not been easy

for airlines, given the questions

raised about the sustainability of

the technology over the long-

term. Majali of Gulf Air says: “We

are one of the first airlines in the

world to offer live TV over the land

and international waters using

Ku-band satellite technology, and

to offer this range of services

(telephony, broadband and live

TV) across continents on a global

basis. In addition, our system is

upgradable. It can be modified to

handle future services and faster

transmission speeds.”

OnAir is offering passengers

voice, email, text services

and internet access, on flights

across four continents by using

SwiftBroadband Inmarsat L-band

technology. To be launched in 2013,

Inmarsat’s Global Xpress - the Ka-

band broadband network will offer

downlink speeds of up to 50Mbps.

A major question hovering over

the connectivity juggernaut for

airlines that have not yet committed

is whether to choose L-band, Ku-

band, or Ka-band.

Ka-band, according to expert

opinion, presents challenges

including signal deterioration in

heavy rain when compared with

transmissions in the more traditional

C-, Ku- and L-band frequencies.

But it has the advantage of being

much less used than the other

frequencies, permitting operators to

design satellites with throughputs

that are many times what

conventional satellites can offer.

On the issue of Ka-band

services, Dawkins is quoted

as saying that Ka-band/L-band

swapping during flight will be

available ‘out-of-the-box’ – from one

service provider – as Inmarsat will

provide a simple global network of

L-band (SBB) and Ka-band satellites.

In a comment to the press, he

says: “If airlines want to upgrade

hardware ‘early’, it can be installed

in advance on an aircraft during

build (or retrofit) and then go

‘live’ on day one of the Ka-band

satellite operation.”

It is Dawkins’ belief that there will

be an ongoing market for L-band

services for at least the next three

to five years as currently only about

10% of L-band capacity is being

used. OnAir’s market research from

a first full year of operations, which

ended in April 2011, indicated that

consumer use of the connectivity

available mirrors that of smart phone

roaming use on the ground, in that

they are generally not downloading

large amounts of data to access, for

example, video streaming.

The hesitation demonstrated

by some airlines to invest in an

in-flight solution today as they

wait for something with still higher

bandwidth and potentially lower

costs, is understandable but

misplaced. Given the growing need

for connectivity among passengers

of all classes, these airlines will

risk a drop in market share and

customer satisfaction by not

deploying an in-flight broadband

solution while their rivals do. In

the delicate balance between

broadband technology, cost and

sustainability, airlines have to join

the in-flight bandwagon sooner

rather than later. PRO

“From a relatively small 3% in 2006, this sector has grown to 13% in terms of revenue. This is one of the fastest growing sectors for Inmarsat”

Helene Bazzi, head of regional development, EMEA


SatResearch

SATELLiTE TEchNoLoGy powErS diGiTAL SiGNAGEThe advantage of satellite technology to transmit large amounts of high quality content to a number of locations, securely, reliably and cost-effectively, makes it the superior alternative to traditional telecommunications providers, write Paul Prosser and Merv Kuek of Newsat Ltd

If you find your digitally connected

signage is limited by a conventional

telecommunications provider, who

often distributes information via

traditional means such as cable,

satellite technology may be the

solution you are looking for. When

used in conjunction with terrestrial

networks for traditional IT functions

and user collaboration, satellite-

based digital signage capability

also provides the ideal disaster

recovery solution, for protection

against terrestrial connection

failure caused by human error or

natural disasters.

Mode of distribution is key

Digitally connected signage, also

known as digital out-of-home

(DOOH) advertising, is a method

of communicating to potential

customers whilst they are “out

and about”. Digitally connected

signage enables companies to

communicate with customers

through targeted up-to-date

content and messages, tailored

to specific audiences at specific

locations and times. This then

influences the customers’ short-term

decision making, yielding a return on

investment for the company.

When launching and operating a

digitally connected signage network,

a vast majority of the project time

is allocated to content and context.

Often little time is devoted to the

way this content is distributed to

digital signs. The ongoing operating

costs can represent a significant

component when measuring the

return on investment for the solution.

Many companies utilise conventional

telecommunications providers to run


all the content through traditional

means, such as cable or fibre optic

technologies, without reviewing

alternative viable communications’

methods. Conventional cable or

fibre optic technologies are suited to

point-to-point communications and

not to broadcasting large amounts

of the same digital content to a

range of geographically dispersed

display locations.

Proof of concept

For proof of concept trials of digitally

connected signage, existing cable

or fibre optic communications are

suitable. However, having to share

network and bandwidth capabilities

with other management systems

such as POS, data, internet and voice,

can prove to be problematic.

Staged rollout

The next step to take into

consideration is staged rollout. The

choice of infrastructure to support

rollout, be it cable, fibre optics or

satellite, is seen as less critical than

the other components of digitally

connected signage, such as content,

context, feedback, SW choice, HW

choice and screen size. Therefore, in

this case, conventional cable or fibre

optics access via the IT department is

usually chosen.

Additional signage locations

Each new location requiring

connection to the digital signage

network requires a communication

link to the central digital content

development store. When the new

location is physically in place and

has current communications using

terrestrial capabilities, then the

volume of information within the

digital signage solution needs to be

applied to the LAN/WAN capabilities.

In most cases additional capacity

needs to be acquired or alternatively

existing user level SLA‘s may need to

be enforced.

New wisdom suggests that a

significant review of the infrastructure

to support rollout, is equally important

as the other components. This will

greatly dictate the scalability, cost and

ROI of the overall solution.

Digitally connected signage via

satellite

Efficient and cost-effective

Digitally connected signage and

multicasting are synonymous with the

need to transmit content to a number

of locations simultaneously with one

transmission. Satellite technology

provides the most efficient and cost-

effective means of transmitting and

receiving data. Clients have the ability

to multicast information from a single

point, providing a faster and more

efficient method of delivering content

across large geographic areas. All

sites within a secure and private

network are configured to receive

content simultaneously, therefore

providing a more cost-effective

method to deliver information to

multiple locations.

According to the most recent

Vendor 1Vendor 2Vendor 3Vendor 4

Core business and data driven management systems

Digitally connected signage

Network’s bandwidth

Area B

Area A

Area C

Area E

Key

Area D

Multiple vendors to manage which

reduces efficiency

Multiple connection points which create points of potential

failure

• Capacity for business operations impaired as signage network grows• As signage network grows, so will digital signage capacity, impacting scalability and ROI of solution

Digital sign

Connection point

BackgroundDigitally connected signage, also known as digital out-of-home (DOOh) advertising, is a method of communicating to potential customers whilst they are “out and about”. Digitally connected signage enables companies to communicate with customers through targeted up-to-date content and messages, tailored to specific audiences at specific locations and times. This then influences the customers’ short term decision making, yielding a return on investment for the company.

When launching and operating a digitally connected signage network, a vast majority of the project time is allocated to content and context. Often little time is devoted to the way this content is distributed to digital signs. The ongoing operating costs can represent a significant component when measuring the return on investment for the solution.

Many companies utilise conventional telecommunications providers to run all the content through traditional means, such as cable or fibre optic technologies, without reviewing alternative viable communications methods. Conventional cable or fibre optic technologies are suited to point-to-point communications and not to broadcasting large amounts of the same digital content to a range of geographically dispersed display locations.

Proof of conceptFor proof of concept trials of digitally connected signage, existing cable or fibre optic communications are suitable. however, having to share network and bandwidth capabilities with other management systems such as pOS, data, Internet and voice can prove to be problematic.

Staged rolloutThe next step to take into consideration is staged rollout. The choice of infrastructure to support rollout, be it cable, fibre optics or satellite, is seen as less critical than the other components of digitally connected signage, such as content, context, feedback, SW choice, hW choice and screen size. Therefore, in this case, conventional cable or fibre optics access via the IT department is usually chosen.

additional signage locationseach new location requiring connection to the digital signage network requires a communication link to the central digital content development store. When the new location is physically in place and has current communications using terrestrial capabilities, then the volume of information within the digital signage solution needs to be applied to the LaN/WaN capabilities. In most cases additional capacity needs to be acquired or alternatively existing user level SLa‘s may need to be enforced.

New wisdom suggests that a significant review of the infrastructure to support rollout, is equally important as the other components. This will greatly dictate the scalability, cost and rOI of the overall solution.

“The conventional cable or fibre optic

technologies are suited to point-to-point

communications and not to broadcasting

large amounts of the same digital content.”

Traditional signage network

“New wisdom suggests that a significant review of the infrastructure to support rollout…This will greatly dictate the

scalability, cost and ROI of the overall solution.”

Annual growth of digital signage sector up to 201320


reliability and scalability

Satellite communications ensure there is only one network to manage. Other delivery options with comparable footprints usually require multiple terrestrial connectivity vendors, therefore reducing efficiency. Satellite communications also have the advantage of scalability and rapid deployment, quickly establishing a broadband network virtually anywhere and unlike terrestrial options, are unaffected by damage to physical lines or cables.

With satellite based networks, each new location needs simply to have a satellite dish installed, connected in the location to the digital content system and pointed to the chosen satellite in the sky, with no impact on inter-location communications.

disaster recovery

a satellite network can also serve as a standby back-up for terrestrial networks and pays for itself in a digital media solution. Clients use the satellite network during “normal mode” for broadcasting applications. however, in the event of a disaster when terrestrial networks fail, mission critical voice and data traffic can be re-routed over the secure satellite network until terrestrial communications are restored, enabling the core business to function without disruption.

Benefits of satellite technology• Mostefficientmeansoftransmittingcontent

• Multiplelocationsconfiguredtoreceivecontentsimultaneously

• Cost-effectiveandscalablewithincrementalROI

• Assignagenetworkgrowssatellitecapacitystaysthesame

• Multicastcontentfromasinglepointacrosslargegeographicalareas

• Secureandprivatenetwork

• Manageonenetwork,comparedtomultipleterrestrialvendors

• Lessconnectionpoints(potentialfailurepoints)thantraditionalnetwork

• Rapiddeploymentandgreatergeographicalreach

• Notaffectedifterrestrial/traditionalnetworksaredisrupted

• Canserveasaback-upnetworkforterrestrialnetworks

“One of Australia’s largest retail chains established satellite transmission as

a cornerstone of delivery of content and corporate communications to over

800 stores.”

Satellite signage network

Area B

Area A

Area C

Digitally connected signage

Single network to manage with no

additional connection points which present

potential points of failure

Scalable network where capacity stays

same and every additional site lowers the overall average

cost per site

Separate network

Area E

Area D• As signage network grows capacity stays the same• Can act as backup network if core business network fails

SatResearch

Digital Signage Expo (DSE) quarterly

Business Barometer, which analyses

research data collected from 447

digital signage providers (84% in

North America), over a quarter of

future company budgets will be

absorbed by “deployment and

delivery” activities. In fact, the

investment required in “hardware,

deployment and delivery”, averages

over 45% of budgets.

Therefore, selecting the most

cost affordable communications

service is paramount for any digital

signage business and all alternatives

including satellite, should be

considered. Satellite technology is

ideal for not only digitally connected

signage, but also for applications

such as digital cinema, tele-medicine,

e-learning and other broadcasting

applications.

Reliability and scalability

Satellite communications ensure

there is only one network to

manage. Other delivery options with

comparable footprints usually require

multiple terrestrial connectivity

vendors, therefore reducing

efficiency. Satellite communications

also have the advantage of scalability

and rapid deployment, quickly

establishing a broadband network

virtually anywhere and unlike

terrestrial options, are unaffected by

damage to physical lines or cables.

With satellite based networks,

each new location needs simply

to have a satellite dish installed,

connected in the location to the

digital content system and pointed

to the chosen satellite in the sky,

with no impact on inter-location

communications.

Disaster recovery

A satellite network can also serve

as a standby back-up for terrestrial

networks and pays for itself in a

digital media solution. Clients use

the satellite network during “normal

mode” for broadcasting applications.

However, in the event of a disaster

when terrestrial networks fail,

mission critical voice and data traffic

can be re-routed over the secure

satellite network until terrestrial

communications are restored,

enabling the core business to

function without disruption.

Benefits of satellite technology

• Most efficient means of transmitting

content

• Multiple locations configured to

receive content simultaneously

• Cost-effective and scalable with

incremental ROI

• As signage network grows satellite

capacity stays the same

• Multicast content from a single point

across large geographical areas

• Secure and private network

• Manage one network, compared to

multiple terrestrial vendors

• Less connection points (potential

failure points) than traditional network

• Rapid deployment and greater

geographical reach

• Not affected if terrestrial/traditional

networks are disrupted

• Can serve as a back-up network for

terrestrial networks

Practical application

Seven years ago, one of Australia’s

largest retail chains established

satellite transmission as a

cornerstone of delivery of content

and corporate communications to

its 800+ stores. Customers and staff

are now kept informed about new

products, special offers and the

latest information, via digital signage

displays throughout each store.

They have summarised the key

outcomes of this project as:

• The ability to deliver content by

satellite “one-to-many” so that

all stores concurrently receive

exactly the same content, boosting

efficiency, effectiveness and

consistency.

• The ability to deliver content via

their own private satellite network,

providing security, safety, and reliability.

• Satellite bandwidth remains the

same over time no matter how many

sites are rolled out, resulting in rapid

ROI and minimal administration.

Greek shipping magnate, Aristotle

Onassis once said: “The secret

of business is to know something

nobody else knows” and this

describes this retailer.

Conclusion

If you are seeking seamless, secure,

reliable and cost-effective transmission

of content to many locations, no other

solution delivers as well as satellite

technology. Conventional cable

and fibre optic technology is suited

to point-to-point communications,

not broadcasting large amounts

of the same digital content.

A private and secure satellite

solution provides the most efficient

method to multicast content, is

scalable without incrementally

increasing costs and can be

rapidly deployed anywhere in

world. Additionally, your digitally

connected signage network can

also serve as a back-up network

in the event of a disaster when

your terrestrial networks fail,

enabling the core business to

function without disruption. PRO

White paper, courtesy Newsat Ltd

(www.newsat.com)

To send a 100mb file to 1,000 sites via a 1.5mbps satellite connection9mins

MENASAT @ CABSAT 2012

GVF MENASAT Satellite Interference Mitigation Forum

29th February | 11:00 to 17:30Organised by GVF

In association with sIRG and in coordination with RFI-EUI & WBU-ISOG

Part of the CABSAT ACADEMY

* FREE registration for CABSAT attendees *

GVF MENASAT Satellite Markets & Services Summit

1st March | 11:00 to 17:30Organised by GVF

Part of the CABSAT ACADEMY

www.cabsat.com & www.gvf.org

GVF welcomes SatellitePro as media partner for

MENASAT @ CABSAT 2012


SatTrends

Delivering connectivity – internet

access, voice-over-IP, streaming

video, and so on – over a

satellite link to homes and small

businesses might be thought of

as a solution more appropriate for

developing regions than countries

with mature telecommunications’

networks and cable infrastructure.

In fact, many countries in Europe

and elsewhere have large

areas where populations are

thinly spread or beyond the

reach of traditional cable-based

broadband for various reasons.

Often, these communities make a

significant economic contributions

in terms of agriculture and light

industry, and governments

generally want to keep these

communities viable and avoid

letting them fall behind the

metropolitan population through

lack of access to connected

services. Countries like Spain,

Greece and Portugal are

examples: with a substantial

proportion of the population living

in rural areas that are not served

by broadband-over-cable where

connectivity by satellite is an

attractive solution. Government

and regional initiatives are under

way to promote the penetration

of internet access into remote

communities, both in Europe and

Africa, with initiatives such as

‘internet kiosks’ that offer access

to the web as a community

resource. In Greece, hill villages

are equipped with a satellite

access point, feeding a local wifi

hotspot so that villagers can use

their own computers online.

Connectivity across the

MENA region

In the Middle East region

and in North Africa, there are

both concentrated centres

of population and regions of

relatively low density, so in

ip ovEr SATELLiTE: rEAchiNG BEyoNd ThE cABLE iNFrASTrucTurEIP over satellite throws open most of the potential of two-way communication, making it possible to deliver real-time linear broadcasting, on-demand content and OTT services via satellite in addition to catering to diverse sectors such as manufacturing and mobile hospitality writes Simen Frostad, chairman, Bridge Technologies

Simen Frostad, chairman, Bridge Technologies


many respects the situation is

not that different from some

parts of Europe. Cable-based

infrastructure may not have been

developed to the same degree,

but widespread mobile phone

ownership has leapfrogged the

fixed-line telecommunications

market. Mobile access to the

internet would be the obvious

next step in connecting remote

communities, but for the full

broadband experience…this is still

some way off.

IP connectivity by satellite is a

good solution in the meanwhile.

IP over satellite throws open

most of the potential of two-

way communication, making

it possible to deliver real-time

linear broadcasting, on-demand

content and OTT services via

satellite. The technology creates

an opportunity for satellite

providers to use their capacity to

deliver a user experience that is

comparable to what’s available

via wired broadband.

Throughout the Middle East

region there is a widespread

familiarity with satellite as a

means of receiving television, and

satellite equipment companies

are now packaging offerings for

consumers and small businesses

that are easy to install and

calibrate without expert help.

These are often provided to the

end-user as part of a service

provider’s deal for access, and in

some parts of the region, service

providers work in conjunction with

government agencies promoting

the growth of internet use.

These providers segment their

customer base carefully, offering

services closely tailored to the

requirements of each sector:

users include not just consumers

wanting internet access, email,

Government and regional initiatives are under way to promote the penetration of internet access into remote communities, both in Europe and Africa, with initiatives such as ‘internet kiosks’ that offer access to the web as a community resource

Global mobile satellite services market in 202010.2

Internet kiosk in Africa


video streaming and so on, but

also consumers in specialised

industrial, educational and

administrative customers.

Untapped potential for

satellite operators

At the consumer level, streaming

media consumption now adds

up to the majority of the total

web traffic, and of course this is

forecast to rise sharply. With the

best streaming media services

available, high quality images

can be delivered even over a

relatively slow link, meaning that

users can receive broadcast

quality video on their computers.

The availability of high-quality

video with interactive access

to it on demand, together with

voice over internet, email and

full access to the web, adds

up to a compelling product for

consumers, as the growth of

these services has shown. For the

satellite service operators, this is

an additional market that offers

relatively untapped potential, and

the most innovative operators

may develop better business

models than those offered by the

cable-based media suppliers.

Potential in manufacturing and

mobile hospitality

In industrial applications, both

manufacturers in rural locations

and agricultural businesses need

high-quality connections to the

global marketplace, and there is

a fast-growing sector of business

in mobile access, both consumer

and professional. Sectors of

industry such as mining and

exploration, renewable power

generation and transport can all

benefit from being connected

to the net in order to exchange

data from any location or while

on the move. Employers keen to

retain valued employees working

in remote locations also want to

provide access to entertainment

for them in their leisure time, as

well as a connection to friends

and family back home.

The mobile hospitality industry

too is under pressure to match

the facilities its customers enjoy

at home, giving cruise and airline

passengers more of a connected

and interactive experience.

These are areas where satellite

providers are looking for growth,

to complement revenue from

their core services. Data on the

Mobile Satellite Services (MSS)

sector shows it emerging from

the recession faster than the rest

of the satellite market, according

to NSR (www.nsr.com), which

predicts that the global MSS

market will grow to $10.2 billion

in 2020, more than doubling from

its current volume. MSS operators

have grown more than eight per

cent in the past year while fixed

satellite services (FSS) VSAT

operators have seen their share

of the satellite mobility revenues

top the 20% mark.

MSS targets include the

maritime market, where both

industrial and leisure shipping

needs internet access and media

services. The airlines, outdoor

consumer and professional

markets are the other main growth

areas, in addition to the base of

military and governmental users.

Challenges of remote monitoring

But to ensure growth in any

connectivity services, operators

have to deliver a quality of

service and experience that

meets customer expectations,

and these are rising all the

time. And since one of the main

characteristics of IP over satellite

is that the service is usually

provided to end users who are

remote from population centres,

it follows that maintenance and

support for these customers is

likely to be much more costly for

operators. Failure to provide high

levels of availability and service

quality – especially for industrial

users – would be fatal to growth.

Operators intending to

expand in these sectors should

therefore build into their

infrastructure an advanced

end-to-end digital monitoring

system that equips operators

to monitor the entire delivery

chain, even into the subscriber’s

premises, with the ability to

analyse every packet delivered

to the customer. A 24/7 real

time access gives complete

information on every factor

influencing service quality, and

is much more cost-effective than

sending an engineer to resolve

the issue on site and with the

ability to ensure service quality

in any location, however remote

from their operations base,

service providers can look to

the IP-over-satellite market as an

attractive target for growth. PRO

The technology [IP over satellite] creates an opportunity for satellite providers to use their capacity to deliver a user experience that is comparable to what’s available via wired broadband

SatTrends


SatInterview

SATELLiTE iS A criTicAL App“We are in a time similar to the dawn of the Industrial Age,” says David Hershberg, CEO, Globecomm and member of Society of Satellite Professionals Hall of Fame. In an interview with SatellitePro, the industry veteran talks about potential in Africa, technology innovations and offers advice on coping with recession

The big players in the satellite

industry are making serious

inroads into Africa – do you see

any challenges operating across

that continent?

While there are many challenges

operating in Africa, we have

managed to operate and install a

good number of networks there.

There are challenges in every

project because networks are

not simple things. However, with

governments, it is always an issue

of working with a formal request

for proposal and a specific contract

process. It is also a question of

ensuring reliable financing and

receiving payment or letters

of credit. Maturing economies,

or those which are not fully

transparent, are more of a risk.

What is your tolerance for risk, is

always the question. The risk is

outweighed by need, in my view.

There is a big need for providing

internet, cellular backhaul and

private and public networks in Africa.

We are actively pursuing contracts

in Africa and, I like to think, helping

specific countries move into what

the Intelligent Community Forum

calls “The Broadband Economy.”

Another challenge faced currently,

because there are more networks

in place, is maintaining systems in

Africa. That is a different discussion.


The cellular backhaul market is

expected to reach $23 billion by

2012. How much of the cellular

backhaul market will be addressed

via satellite? And what are the

growth areas across the globe?

It is clear to us that the efficiency

of the new satellites will reduce

the cost of satellite backhaul from

approximately US$8,000 per T1

to less than US$1,000. The sheer

economics [involved] transforms the

satellite option and product into a

viable alternative in many locations.

What is exciting is that we will be

able to allow sparsely populated

areas without adequate broadband

infrastructure to enjoy cellular

services, including voice and data.

For them, satellite is the “critical app”

that gives their economies more life.

While HDTV is widely accepted

and being implemented, how

do you believe the market for

3D will grow? What are the

challenges in trying to ‘marry

customers with technology’ as

far as 3D is concerned?

We have not seen a great demand

for providing 3D systems or

services. We have talked to some

of our customers but the attitude

seems to be to “wait and see”. I

believe that like digital cinema,

which is hitting its stride, the

moment for 3D will arrive. We are

planning for it, but to date I cannot

say there is a gold rush anywhere

that we see.

From the home-built radio at the

age of 11 to delivering anytime,

anywhere information, do you

believe your generation has seen

all the dramatic changes there

is to see for a lifetime – that

change from now onwards will

be incremental?

No. The pace of change is

accelerating. Going back to Ka-

band, the new Ka band satellites

provide 10 times the throughput

from last year. Do the math on

that one and it blows your mind.

Accelerators and compression

techniques are increasing efficiency

at a faster and faster pace and new

applications are being found for

satellites in transportation, oil and

gas and media. We are in a time

similar to the dawn of the Industrial

Age, because we have uncovered

and made commercially available,

a range of communications’

applications that are driving new

types of demands and also driving

ideas for people to make money

around them. Heck, we’ve even

discovered planets that have a

more comfortable temperature

than Earth – and one of them is

even larger!

Maritime is one sector where

there is no competition from

fibre. What are the possibilities

for the satellite industry in this

sector? What areas have not been

addressed as yet in this sector by

the satellite industry?

Yes. You cannot “dig up” the

oceans to lay fibre. (Although I am

sure someone has thought about it!)

One of the most important uses of

communications at sea is affordable

voice and internet service for the

crews. Crew morale is important

also. Here the use of VSAT and

K- band service is evolving. Inmarsat

has made headlines by claiming it

will offer low-cost Ka band service.

Another use is M2M (machine-to-

machine) service for cargo and

ship data. This is an entirely new

area that is worth talking about at

some point.

Going forward what direction will

demands from the military sector

take vis-a-vis the satellite industry?

As with most everything else in

our societies, the nature of both

war and peace-keeping have

changed dramatically because

of satellite and internet networks

and related digital technologies.

In fact, generals will tell you that

“cyber protection” has become

a literal branch of the military.

Through this, what is called “Blue

Force” tracking, has become a

major satellite requirement with all

militaries. This requires broadband

battlefield communications

to expand to remote places,

where peacekeeping forces for

the United Nations, NATO and

others need small, reliable and

David Hershberg, CEO, Globecomm

It is clear to us that the efficiency of the new satellites will reduce the cost of satellite backhaul from approximately US$8,000 per T1 to less than US$1,000

Value of cellular backhaul market by the year 201223


SatInterview

highly transportable systems.

To accommodate this need, we

have developed a complete line

of these systems in X, Ku and Ka

band. I expect the market for these

products to be a growth area for us

and our partners.

You set yourself a challenging goal

of coming up with a new product

or a new market each year. In 2010

what success did you achieve in

this endeavor?

It is something I insist on, actually.

Again, innovation is our heritage.

In this year, both our GSM and

CDMA switches were rolled out

to Tier 1 level. We initiated VSAT

service in the maritime business

and developed a family of tactical

terminals, including a remarkable

product we call Manpacks. For

the enterprise side, we introduced

a new software product called

TEMPO, which is targeted for

distance learning and corporate

communications purposes. We

have also entered the cellular

consulting business with our

acquisition of ComSource. Finally

we received Ka-band contracts

from Hughes for its Jupiter

programme gateway terminals

and from governments worldwide.

This may be the most important

development because Ka-band will

become increasingly important in

the years ahead.

You witnessed the dotcom

bubble burst and survived.

What would your advice be to

satellite companies during the

current period of prolonged

global recession?

We also had our problems but

adjusted and were flexible in our

thinking. Our major problem was

that we made bandwidth capacity

commitments before we had the

requirements. Fortunately we did

not borrow money and were able

to buy our way out of satellite and

fibre capacity agreements that we

made during the euphoria of that

first bubble.

This period is different because

the markets are different. The

“velocity” of the markets and the

ability to be disintermediated by

competition is higher than ever. I

would say that the main thing is do

is to not leverage one’s business

based upon optimistic projections

which might change very quickly.

Diversify around your core offerings

and innovate. Have enough (by way

of) different products and markets

to hedge against downturns. Easier

said than done, I know. However,

it is a key to survival and there are

ways to do it. PRO

SatInterview

David Hershberg started his career in 1959 at ITT Defense Communications working on earth stations for the first active communications satellite carrier as well as many other early satellite programmes. He founded ITT Space Communications, Inc. in 1968; Comtech, Inc. Systems Division in 1972; and Satellite Transmission Systems, Inc. in 1976, each becoming successful.

During his 18 years as President and CEO of Satellite Transmission Systems, Inc., STS became the global leader in the field of satellite communications ground

station systems. STS had annual sales in excess of $110 million, and an installed base of over 1,000 major earth terminals. In addition to his duties at STS, Hershberg also served as the president of the Satellite Communications Group of California Microwave Inc., which included responsibility for EF DATA, Inc. and CMI Mobile Products. David E. Hershberg founded Globecomm Systems Inc., in 1994 and has been its chief executive officer and chairman of the Board of Directors since its inception.

About David Hershberg

The “velocity” of the markets and the ability to be disintermediated by competition is higher than ever… Have enough (by way of) different products and markets to hedge against downturns


KA-BANd LEAdS ThE wAy - iiiIn the third of our series, Serge Van Herck, CEO of Newtec, explains how Ka-band high throughput satellites will transform the business of satellite service providers, teleports and broadcasters and impact video contribution and distribution

Satellite operators around the

world know it: the future of satellite

communications is called Ka-

band. This is simply because the

total capacity offered by other

commercial frequency bands

cannot possibly cope with the ever

increasing bandwidth requirements

of the cyber world, certainly not

at a competitive price against

terrestrial services. Relief will not

come from the satellite broadcast

industry, as new channels, HDTV

and soon 3D TV, claim increasing

shares of the available Ku and C

band capacity. In the long run, the

only way for satellite operators and

satellite services providers to stay

in the game is therefore to launch

or use new Ka-band satellites.

Many launches are now planned

around the globe for the coming

years and although the main target

of these launches is large-scale

consumer broadband access

networks, the availability of new Ka-

band satellites is very likely to have

a major impact on the rest of the

satellite market, including broadcast

and business applications.

For video contribution

With the globalisation of media

consuming habits, video

contribution has become a matter

of exchanging audiovisual content

on a large scale. Most broadcasters

are members of international TV

and radio contribution platforms for

the exchange of news, sport and

live event broadcast. A decade

ago these platforms were still

mostly based on satellite links,

even for transmissions from studio

to studio. But since then, factors

such as the cost of the bandwidth,

the reach of the coverage and

the availability of the capacity

have pushed broadcasters to

turn to fibre networks and even

to the public internet to fulfil their

media exchange needs. In fact,

unless fibre is not yet available

locally, satellite seems to be more

and more confined to the only

application fibre cannot address:

mobile news gathering.

The availability of Ka-band

satellite networks could change

this picture. Indeed, the capacity

would not only be cheaper and

more abundant, but the star

configuration of the satellite

network is perfect to centralise

media content in order to better

distribute it to multiple recipients,

something which is more

complicated and expensive to

achieve with fibre. With this idea,

Ka-band gateways can become

media gateways where the media

content is made available for high

speed real-time or on-demand

access from multiple sites across

large geographical areas.

The implementation of

such contribution networks

however requires a very specific

infrastructure in the hub and in

the terminals in order to cope

with the challenges of scheduling

transmissions, reserving

capacity, coping with rain fade,

SatTrends

Serge Van Herck, CEO, Newtec

The star configuration of the satellite network is perfect to centralise media content in order to better distribute it to multiple recipients, something which is more complicated and expensive to achieve with fibre


storing media content in the

hub, interconnecting gateways

with fibre, organising the media

distribution and controlling the

access rights to the media. The

case of mobile news gathering

is particularly tricky since the

reservation and allocation of

satellite capacity depends on

where (which spot beam) the SNG

is located. That said not only would

the capacity be cheaper and more

abundant using Ka-band but the

star configuration of the satellite

network is ideal to centralise

media content in order to better

distribute it to multiple recipients.

We could therefore see a change

in the hosting and operation of

networks which could induce

changes in the value chain and

offer new business opportunities for

service providers and operators.

For video distribution

Ka-band Direct-to-home TV

distribution already exists in the

United States. It comes both

with advantages and drawbacks.

The advantages are the smaller

antenna size and the possibility to

broadcast regional content within

a limited geographical area, using

only one or several spot beams

(for example over a large city). The

drawbacks are the large number

of uplink transmission systems that

are needed (one for each beam)

and the lower availability of the

signal because of rain fade, which

can’t be compensated by adaptive

counter measures in the case of

one-way multicast applications.

The spot beam advantage

could prove very interesting for

TV distribution over regions such

as Europe or the Middle-East.

Regional broadcasters or TV

stations of smaller countries could

consider broadcasting their TV

programmes via satellite. This is

because the limited foot print of

the spot beam would avoid the

current problem of prohibitive

media content distribution rights

(movies, music) when the content

can be received in much larger

geographical areas than the

targeted country or region.

Provided the signal availability

is high enough, Ka spot beams

could also be used for the primary

distribution of digital terrestrial or

mobile TV over smaller countries

or regions, which is today

economically impossible because

of the high cost of the Ku or C-band

capacity or because of other issues

related to distribution rights outside

of the country. Even if they have to

uplink from the gateways, television

distribution platforms are one-

way transmission infrastructures

that can easily be added next to

broadband access networks, on a

hosting basis or as part of a shared

platform operated by the satellite

or service provider. PRO


SatEvents

“cABSAT 2012 wiLL ExpANd By 15%”In conversation with event organiser, David Roberts, industry group manager, DWTC

Current status of the show (as of

mid-December 2011):

“We are a long way ahead as

compared to the same time last

year and that has already made

CABSAT 2012 the biggest CABSAT

ever. With more than 95% of the

exhibition space booked, it puts us

in a stronger position and allows

us to incorporate more visitor-

driven features in the show.“

Response from exhibitors:

“In terms of exhibition space, we

will be expanding by 15%. We

are already moving into areas

that we had not moved into. The

aisle space is now 2.5 metres

wide, which is the minimum that

is allowed for exhibitions. We

have seen our existing exhibitors

move into bigger stands and we

have seen a massive influx of new

exhibitors. Among the satellite

operators, we see teleport

operators such as Santander and

Milano participating for the first

time. Paksat, EADS Astrium and

Inmarsat are all participating for

the first time and companies such

as Skyband have moved into

larger stands.

“I believe the key message

that this region is lucrative for

both manufacturers and all other

players in the value chain is

reflected in the increased interest

from exhibitors. All this is good

news for the region. Exhibitors

are aware that there is a very

specific quality to this region.

While countries such as the UAE

may have a very well developed

fibre network, large parts of the

Middle East and Africa have to rely

on satellites for communication

and entertainment. In addition,

vertical markets such as oil and

gas have grown phenomenally

and satellite operators are alive

to this opportunity as well. While

the broadcast section of the

event accounts for 2/3rds of the

show, the section dedicated to

the satellite sector is growing

enormously. We see a lot of

interest in countries outside the

GCC that look upon countries

such as the UAE as a role-

model and CABSAT operates

as a platform for inter-regional

cooperation.”

Global interest in the region:

“In the last three to five years,

there has been massive amount

of investment in infrastructure

in the region with new satellites

launched to serve the region. The

industry is maturing rapidly. Even

in terms of visitors, we are seeing

registrations from countries

in Eastern Europe. With our

expanded marketing efforts, you

will see visitors from Africa and

S.Asia, among other regions.“

Marketing campaign for CABSAT:

“This year, in addition to attending

other events and issuing

regular press releases, we used

enhanced barter campaigns and

sophisticated media platforms to

promote our event. From January

1, our social media campaign will

kick off. We have outsourced this

to a specialised agency. While

the marketing for exhibitors is

relationship-based and more

one-to-one, social media will

help create buzz among potential

visitors to the event. You can

never have enough quality visitors

to your show. In addition, we are

working with local universities

to enable them to bring their

students for the show.“

Networking and learning

opportunities during the event:

“While many of the exhibitors

are organising corporate events

David Roberts, industry group manager, DWTC


around CABSAT, we will be

featuring vendor-led presentations

under the umbrella of the CABSAT

Academy, within the exhibition

hall. These presentations will not

exceed 45 minutes in duration,

a win-win situation for all. The

presentations that is packaged

as a byte-sized snapshot allow

the exhibitor to get the message

across and the visitor has enough

time to watch and learn and then

move on to visiting other stands.

This year, the very successful GVF

summit last year, will be extended

to two days. All these sessions are

free to attend.”

Gauging the success of CABSAT:

“For me, after 18 years in trade

shows, when you walk around

your show and you cannot talk to

exhibitors because they are too

busy talking to visitors, you know

the event is a success. More so,

when they want to talk to you after

the show. The 2011 event was very

much like that and I hope 2012

will be better. We have intense,

almost three-month long, one-on-

one, post-show interview sessions

with our exhibitors. Based on their

feedback we try to improve the

show. We are moving to a new

format for 2012 and it promises to

be better than the show held in

2011 at the Sheikh Zayed Hall.

“Shows such as IBC and NAB

are decades old, and while we

have some way to go, CABSAT is

currently achieving double digit

growth each year in terms of

exhibition size and it will not be

too long before we are knocking

on the doors of these two larger,

more established events.” PRO

Satellite TV for 65 million MENA homes by 2016CABSAT, the leading digital media

event in the region, is bringing

together the most dynamic - and

lucrative - broadcast markets in

the world. 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%.

With almost 95% of the

exhibiting space already sold out,

CABSAT is set to welcome leading

companies from around the world,

including: Arabsat, Astrium, Avid,

Canon, Dubai Studio City, Eutelsat

S.A., For.A Company Limited,

Harris Systems, Hitachi Broadcast,

Humax, Live, Mediacast,

Panasonic, Sony, Salam Media

Cast, twofour54 and Al Yahsat.

The event is more than just

an exhibition. This year there

are even more opportunities for

specialist training, tutorials and

hands-on workshops under the

umbrella of the CABSAT Academy.

The GVF Satellite Summit is

extended to two days because

of the weight of information to be

exchanged - there will be 19 new

satellites launched by 2013.

Event details

Event: CABSAT

Date: 28 February - 1 March, 2012

Venue: Dubai World Trade Centre

Website: www.cabsat.com

Reach of satellite television among MENA households by 201680


SatEvents

GvF ForuM AT cABSAT: SpoTLiGhT oN KA-BANd Driven by robust market dynamics and technology drivers, the satellite communications industry will gather at CABSAT 2012 to address among other issues, the mature yet escalating force that is communications via satellite Ka-band, at a two-day Global VSAT Forum (GVF), writes Martin Jarrold, chief of International Programme Development, GVF

It is gratifying to open my column

here with the news that the GVF

agenda during – and following

just after – the forthcoming

CABSAT exhibition will be busier

in 2012 than in all the previous

years where I have been

involved in the Association’s

annual programmes at the Dubai

International Convention &

Exhibition Centre.

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

region. But, prior to this, MENASAT

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

one that generally impacts industry

competitiveness – radio frequency

interference, or RFI.

In the September 2011 issue of

SatellitePro, in an article entitled

‘The Practicalities of Mitigating

Interference’, Martin Coleman,

Executive Director of sIRG (the

Satellite Interference Reduction

Group) wrote in some detail

about satellite radio frequency

interference issues – its causes,

and how the industry is working

collaboratively to mitigate it –

including the work that sIRG is

doing with GVF. GVF and sIRG

work closely on RFI, and indeed

sIRG is one of the organisations

with which GVF is working to bring

the satellite interference agenda

to the attention of CABSAT

attendees in 2012.

Themes to be included at

the GVF MENASAT @ CABSAT

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,

Martin Jarrold, chief of International Programme Development, GVF

As an official media partner, SatellitePro will cover the two-day GVF MENASAT@CABSAT 2012. Visit www.broadcastprome.com for regular updates


including: Understanding Today’s

and Forecasting Tomorrow’s

Regional Growth Drivers; Satellite

Transponder Supply and Demand,

and the Dynamics of Ka-band in

the MENA Region: Global and

Regional Satellite Operators -

Local Knowledge and 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 significance of Ka-band

One of the subjects listed above

brings me full-circle, back to the

subject of Ka-band. Ka-band

refers in general to frequencies

roughly in 17-22 GHz downlink and

24-31 GHz uplink, as compared

to C-band which refers to

frequencies around 3-4 GHz in

the downlink and around 6-7 GHz

in the uplink, and Ku-band refers

to frequencies around 10-12 GHz

in the downlink and around 13-14

GHz in the uplink.

Worldwide, as of November

2011, a total of 15 global and

regional satellite operators have

launched spacecraft equipped

in whole or in part with Ka-band

transponder payloads. More

operators have such satellites

at the planning stage, and in the

near-term the total number of

companies in the Ka transponder

market will have risen to 22. Ka-

band allows satellite operators to

provide new and better services to

key sectors, and it offers low-cost

equipment and lower airtime rates:

• For the consumer sector (e.g.

broadband internet access,

advanced video services)

• For the government sector (e.g.,

policy goals such as ‘Broadband

for All’; remote education and

medicine; connectivity in remote

or sparsely populated areas,

emergency communication)

• For the enterprise sector (e.g.,

cellular backhaul for LTE and

4G; global data communications

services for both the mobile and

fixed communities; redundancy

communications for the oil and

gas, and maritime communities)

Ka-band frequency allocations

– set by the International

Telecommunication Union (ITU)

– have a substantial degree of

regional commonality, thus laying

the groundwork for harmonised

use of the Ka-band spectrum

internationally. This is vital for the

rapid deployment of international

satellite services and encouraging

the exploitation of the Ka-band for

fixed, transportable and mobile

satellite service.

To ensure that citizens and

businesses can enjoy the benefits

of new Ka-band satellite services,

National Regulatory Authorities

(NRAs) should enable market

access for such systems by

ensuring the following:

• Authorisation procedures and

processes should be transparent

and non-discriminatory, with

minimal associated paperwork

and costs.

• Regulatory fees should be

limited to compensating the

relevant administrative costs to the

regulator.

• Wherever possible, blanket

licensing of end-user terminals

should be employed.

• An “Open Skies” policy should

be adopted for market access

to satellite capacity, i.e., foreign

and national satellite operators

and service providers should be

treated equally.

The least onerous licensing

for all parties (regulators and

operators) is a registration system,

by which operators inform the

regulator of their intent to use a

set of frequencies which have

already been approved by that

regulator for this use.

The demand for spectrum

never abates. Over the

years satellite systems have

responded to this increasing

demand by developing ever-

more efficient and powerful

space and ground segments.

Now the satellite market has

responded to the demand for

spectrum by developing brand-

new state-of-the-art systems that

can use the Ka-band.

Specific details of the

evolving programme for the

MENASAT Satellite Interference

Mitigation Forum can be

obtained from the GVF website

(www.gvf.org) and CABSAT

website (www.cabsat.com). PRO

Ka-band frequency allocations – set by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) – have a substantial degree of regional commonality, thus laying the groundwork for harmonised use of the Ka-band spectrum internationally

Spacecraft launches as of 2011 with Ka-band transponder payloads15


SatEvents

Satellite telecom solutions at Malaysian defence showThe Langkawi International Maritime

and Aerospace exhibition (

LIMA) held from 6 – 10 December,

2011, for aerospace and maritime

manufacturers attracted more than

500 companies and over 50,000

trade and public visitors from all

over the world. For around 20

years, LIMA has assembled decision

makers and specifiers from across

the Asia Pacific for this five-day

biennial event.

With a portfolio of satellite

communications solutions,

Thuraya was one of the main

exhibitors during the event

showcasing various solutions

that have reportedly received

military approvals.

Thuraya’s DefenceComms

solutions include the world’s

smallest satellite broadband

terminal to support 384 Kbps

streaming, Thuraya IP, as well

as Thuraya XT, a narrowband

aeronautical solution, Thuraya

NettedComms, the MarineNet

Pro maritime broadband solution,

Seagull 5000i and a Comms-on-

the-Move antenna.

“With seamless coverage in

Asia and a range of products that

defence organisations can rapidly

deploy for assured, secure, high-

speed data, voice and maritime

solutions, Thuraya is poised to

serve the defence sector that

demand customised and reliable

satellite communications for vital

operations,” said Thuraya’s vice

president government services,

Robert Demers.

For Navy Officers, on display

at the Thuraya stand was the

soon-to-be launched MarineNet

Pro, a maritime broadband

solution which provides data

speeds up to 444 Kbps as well as

streaming speeds up to 384 Kbps

while at sea. Also on show for

the maritime sector is the Seagull

5000i, a solution that provides

voice, data, SMS and fax services

based exclusively on Thuraya’s

satellite network.

Robert Demers. vice president government services, Thuraya

High Throughput Satellites (HTS) will

increasingly be a key addition to the

offshore communications industry’s

portfolio, as energy-sector interests

demand more broadband for less

cost. The projection of strong

demand for HTS solutions was

one of several prominent topics

explored during the “GVF Oil &

Gas Communications South East

Asia” conference (O&GCSEA2011)

held in November 2011 at the

Crowne Plaza Mutiara Hotel, Kuala

Lumpur, Malaysia.

Themed ‘Redefining the Digital

Oilfield Onshore, Offshore, Deep

& Ultra-Deepwater’, the event

attracted approximately 100 offshore

communications’ executives, who

heard more than a dozen reports

from front-line experts. A report

provided by Northern Sky Research

(NSR), an independent consulting

firm, revealed that HTS – a term

that refers to new high-frequency,

high-powered broadband satellites

– is poised to drive a significant

volume of business, despite

negative economic trends in the

international marketplace.

“By 2020, HTS will account

for 7.65% of total retail satellite

communications revenues,

compared with only 0.12% in 2011”,

said Patrick French, NSR’s Senior

Analyst. “Energy-sector companies’

appetite for cost-effective

broadband is a major factor in

this growth projection, because

they depend on high-throughput

connectivity to increase operational

productivity and reduce costs.”

A host of industry leaders also

provided market and technology

insights during O&GCSEA,

which was held in association

with Harris CapRock, Intelsat,

Hughes, SpeedCast, and Hermes

Datacomms, and was supported

by the Asia Pacific Satellite

Communications Council (APSCC).

Strong energy sector demand for HTS satellites, say experts at GVF Forum


upcoming satellite events in the Middle East

Milsatcom Middle East

Broadband MEA

Milsatcom Middle East is a two-day

conference that will connect regional

military and security professionals

with the commercial military satellite

communications industry. This

event will provide an in-depth

understanding on emerging trends,

changing battleground realities,

connectivity, network security and

regulatory concerns.

The Military Satcom conference

aims to provide regional commanders

from all sections of the defence and

security forces, departments of interior,

national security agencies and other

government agencies, the opportunity

to examine new capabilities, network

and meet with leading commercial

satcom service providers.

The two-day conference will address

the following issues:

• Business of milsatcom

• Regional and global milsatcom

case studies

• Regulatory and other strategic issues

Broadband MEA, the region’s premier

broadband event, is expanding

its programme in 2012. Leading

operators, Etisalat, Saudi Telecom

(STC), Sudatel Telecom Group and

du, are participating, as well as vital

industry content players and industry

‘game changers’ such as Google

and Al Jazeera.

The conference has a speaker

line-up that includes Nasser Bin

Obood, CEO at Etisalat UAE, Dr.

Saad Zafer Al Kahtani, CEO Strategic

Operations at STC and Hatem

Bamatraf, senior VP of Network

Development and Operations at du.

Dr. Saad Zafer Al Kahtani of STC

said: “We are very excited to be

part of the Broadband MEA 2012

show next year. It is a key event in

the calendar for STC as it provides

a fantastic networking opportunity

with our key industry partners and

enables us to showcase our latest

innovations. STC has embarked

on major developments within

the ICT industry through smart

investments on a state-of-the-art

broadband infrastructure and its

related ecosystems.”

In recognition of its work in

driving the sustainable growth of

broadband in the Middle East and

Africa region, Broadband MEA 2012

has the official support of the TRA

UAE, the event’s official government

partner. Delegates will also get

the opportunity to hear a keynote

• Hosted payloads and other new

business models

• Command, control, and logistics

• Network continuity plus security

• UAV video and data transmissions

• Beyond line-of-sight capabilities

Event details

Event: Milsatcom Middle East

Date: January 23 – 24, 2012

Venue: Fairmont Bab al Bahr, Abu Dhabi

Website: www.milsatcom.me

presentation from H.E. Mohamed

Nasser Al Ghanim, director general of

the Telecommunications Regulatory

Authority (TRA).

Now in its fourth year, the

conference and exhibition will

reportedly bring together more than

1,000 decision makers. Broadband

MEA’s programme also features ‘The

Rural Broadband Summit’, which is

set to explore delivering broadband

connectivity to rural areas, and ‘The

Executive Summit’ – an invitation-only

event that will focus on convergence

and ensuring the co-existence and

sustainability of future fixed and

wireless technologies.

Event details

Event: Broadband MEA

Date: 25 – 27 March, 2012

Venue: The Westin Mina Siyahi Beach

Resort and Marina, Dubai

Website: www.milsatcom.me

Keynote presentation by H.E. Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, director general of the TRA

HTS share of retail satellite communications revenues by 20207.6


SatGuest

cLoSE coLLABorATioN: Governments and commercial satellite operators

In conversation with Payam Herischi, COO, Emerging Markets Communications (EMC)

Why are governments turning

increasingly to commercial satellite

operators such as EMC?

The satellite industry, like all the other

segments of telecommunications

is the core infrastructure for

the development of any nation.

Government initiatives to provide an

environment of growth for its citizens

have never been so focused as in

the past few decades. The digital

divide and the opportunities for ‘leap-

frogging’ into the future have been

fueling the growth of the Telecom

industry. [In this regard] the satellite

industry, by nature, has two distinct

advantages — fast deployment

compared to traditional infrastructure

and broadcast capability.

Advancements in technology in

the past several years have enabled

satellite operators to provide more

Mbps per satellite which in turn has

reduced the cost of satellite services.

Furthermore the technologies in

the commercial satellite field have

enhanced in a manner to provide

quantifiable service for governmental

and military use, in terms of pure

connectivity. Designing and launching

a satellite is a lengthy process

and in the 21st century, speed and

reaction time are crucial. In this

current environment, a large number

of countries have opened their

monopolies in the telecommunication

field and have paved the road

for the private sector to take

the lead in capturing the market

needs for growth. A combination

of the immediate and affordable

commercial capacity and private

sector efficiencies in operation, has

eliminated the need for governments

to commit to heavy investments in a

satellite fleet.

How have you engaged with

governments and non-governmental

organisations in the critical area of

disaster relief?

Since its inception, EMC’s core

business model has been providing

communications’ networks for

organisations working in the most

challenging areas of the world,

including conflict areas. This has

included global disasters and

emergencies such as the Tsunami in

Aceh, Indonesia, in 2004, where EMC

was the first company to respond in

support of the UN-led humanitarian

effort to provide stable communication

systems in a short time frame.

In response to the crisis in the

Horn of Africa during the end of

2011, EMC assisted humanitarian

organisations such as the UN

and other NGOs by having teams

in the field within the first week

to install VSAT kits in Somalia to

support communications’ efforts.

These missions were critical in

order to ensure the survival of

thousands of people who were

receiving support from the UN and

the NGOs. PRO

Payam Herischi, COO, Emerging Markets Communications (EMC)

“A combination of the immediate and affordable commercial capacity and private sector efficiencies in operation, has eliminated the need for governments to commit to heavy investments in a satellite fleet”

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FGC AD.pdf 1 10/26/2011 12:10:54 PM

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