a Satellite
Manufacturers: Advancing Business Growth with Flexible Payloads
To compete in the evolving communications market, satellite
operators must provide faster, more reliable and more advanced
services. One of the methods for meeting this need is the flexible
satellite, which allows operators to better control the signal,
footprint and content of their satellite, providing for a more
competitive offering.
The concept of the flexible satellite means different things to
different companies, but at its heart, flexibility provides
satellite operators with better fleet
planning and backup options, a more standardized and efficient
procurement process and the possibility of early entry into new
markets. "The flexible
satellite is the answer to the operator's growing need to find new
potential business cases to develop their business," says Patrick
Agnieray, vice president
of marketing for Alcatel Alenia Space. "That would translate into
being able to address quickly a new opportunity which may be small
in size or uncertain
in size or location on the surface of the Earth. The operators may
also want to launch as quickly as possible or even configure the
satellite on orbit. This also enables new types of missions, which
are needed because the satellite operators have to deal with
competition from other technologies and need to be able to provide
new types of coverages with more flexibility of traffic allocation."
For Fixed Satellites Services (FSS) providers, a flexible satellite
could be placed in any orbital slot and be reconfigured to meet the
needs of that slot, says Chris Roeber, senior vice president,
program management & systems engineering, Space Systems/Loral. "It
could mean something different to direct broadcast satellites, who
are seeing the need for spot beams for local area coverage versus
national beams. Flexibility also has an impact for broadband and
mobile services ....
Flexibility saves money, and anyone of those things means you put up
one satellite instead of two or better tailor capacity to meet
demand and provide
better service."
Replacing Bent Pipe
The majority of satellites in orbit today are traditional bent pipe
satellites designed to provide a specific service to a specific area
of the globe, says Max Engal, broadband and satellite industry
analysts for Frost and Sullivan's Information & Communication
Technologies sector. This is accomplished through manufacturing
processes such as shaping the antenna to control the beam to cover
its intended land mass, and once this is done, the beam cannot be
reshaped. "The coverage is hardwired and is never going to work
quite as well anywhere else," he says. "The important thing to
understand is that this is not a matter of turning circuits on. The
antenna is a hunk of metal and it is what it is and that's not
changing," he says. The flexible satellite concept has been around
for years but not necessarily under that term, says Bruno Perrot,
senior manager, technology development, for SES Global. "There were
flexible initiatives in the early 90s, and I think at that time, the
technology was not mature enough," he says. "I think it is back
again on the scene because
the technology is at a level of maturity where we can consider
bringing it into space with minimum risk. I would tend to say that
10 to 15 years ago, the technology was feasible but a risk for
commercial operators. Today the risk is at a minimum."
There are a few different approaches to developing satellites that
can provide this flexibility, says Engal. One is the phased array
antenna, in which a traditional antenna is replaced with a series of
elements that are electronically tunable, which provides the same
capability as the disc of the traditional antenna. "This way you
have a completely tailorable beam," he says. "If you move, you don't
have to be concerned .... Boeing offers the phased array that also
theoretically gives you some finer control over your coverage. You
are not just mapping the land mass. It gives you control. You can
exclude some places you don't care about."
Another approach is to place multiple spot beams on the satellite
rather than using a large antenna that provides for wide coverage,
says Engal. Space Systems/Loral, Lockheed Martin, Alcatel, and EADS
Astrium all prefer this approach, which is favored by operators that
offer consumer satellite services. It means that the companies can
tailor coverage by "essentially creating more beams in principal
than one can use in practice," he says. "It allows you to put two
beams over here and not put one there. It's not terribly useful just
to turn off ones over certain areas without being able to redirect
that capacity."
Space Systems/Loral is building satellites for ICO and Terrestar -
two of the companies that plan to provide Mobile Satellite Services
using ancillary terrestrial technology - and the systems will use
ground-based beam forming to provide service. "Row it's implemented
is proprietary, but it's state of the art. It allows you to put down
100 beams or 1,000 beams or 1 million beams to cover the geographic
requirement of the satellite. It allows you to take a frequency and
reassign it to one beam to another. This is done with computers on
the ground, and that's very effective." Flexibility also can be
achieved through software improvements that allow for more onboard
processing, which enables the satellite to do some of the work of
routing the signal onboard the spacecraft rather than having the
signal bounced up and down between the satellite and ground stations
multiple times. "Onboard processing saves a hop, which does wonders
for things like latency," says Engal. "This calls for a lot of
intelligence on the satellite, or at least a lot of control," says
Engal. "It just gets more complicated. Any way you look at it, a
flexible satellite means you can better control the coverage instead
of having a satellite where the coverage is hardwired."
Some of the operators also have their own versions of flexibility.
Intelsat, the world's largest FSS company, has what it refers to as
the flexible network or flexible arc, says George Giagtzoglou, the
company's senior vice president for corporate development. "By
addressing an arc of say 30 degrees, we can look at options to
optimize capacity (through grooming) to meet a specific customer's
need, and in the event of an anomaly react quickly to secure service
continuity (in many cases). We would define it as them ability to
offer in-orbit versatility and new applications that benefit the
customer, enabling optimal business growth .... Through Intelsat's
flexible satellite network, we can adapt to provide higher quality
service as our customers need it geographically repoint our spot
beams as business needs change over time; and to some degree,
provide frequency flexibility - or cross-strap solutions."
Business Advantages
Using technology that provides some form of flexibility is becoming
more popular in the industry because operators need to minimize the
risk to their business case in the event changes must be made after
the satellite is in orbit. "In the years before, operators had more
or less had same business case, but now all have specifics," says
Agnieray. "They have specific customer types or a spread of services
among different customers, so not all operators are looking for the
same type of satellite."
The varying demands for satellites mean that manufacturers must have
the capability to provide not only the simple bent pipe satellites
but also spacecraft with varying degrees of flexibility, says
Agnieray. "What is necessary now is to provide some simple
flexibility today and progressively develop more flexible technology
to obtain more flexibility," he says. "Operators are looking for
some type of flexibility right now. Basically, these technologies
will enable new business models later on .... Those operators on a
lower budget are more bound to want traditional satellites, whereas
operators that have large fleets that want to move satellites around
or have sufficient in financial assets to open up new services at
new orbital slots or are looking to mitigate the risk of new orbital
services are looking at adding some flexibility so they can change
their business model if needed."
According to Engal, flexibility is more important as the number of
sites the operator is dealing with increases. "If all you are doing
is taking a signal from New York and putting it down in Paris,
flexibility does not make a lot of difference to you," he says. "The
question in today's satellite market is how many people are just
doing this. My answer is that it's becoming less and less important.
As operators do things like video distribution to a lot of different
sites, flexibility becomes very relevant. DTH operators clearly want
flexibility to hit different towns with their own local programming.
That's probably also true for video distribution for those who want
to have control over who gets what and for data and voice
distribution to specific locations. These up-and-coming applications
are mostly smarter applications than the old bent pipe scenario."
PAYLOAD FLEXIBILITY BENEFITS
Back up and fleet management
• To back up in orbit several satellites
• To have satellites compatible of several orbital positions
and missions within the satellite
Ground flexibility
• Capability to fine tune the satellite design late in the
manufacturing sequence
• Secure schedule by relieving manufacturing critical path
Following markets evolution
• In-orbit adaptation to business evolution through the capability
to reallocate resources such as frequency, power and coverage
• Optimization of the satellite payload resources
Gap filler or leasing
• In-orbit flexible capacity to provide gap-filler solutions or to
lease capacity standard payload and the induced recurrence, flight
heritage & mass production for:
• Low cost
• Fast schedule procurement
• Reliability
Universal payload for in-orbit replacement of any satellite
with continuity of service
Impact On Manufacturing Sector
The flexible satellite also can provide a competitive advantage for
the satellite manufacturer, says Agnieray. "We see new competition
coming from low cost entrants, so we have to find some
differentiation in marketing terms," he says. "If we can provide
higher value technology, that's the way we have to go. We can't just
compete on manufacturing cost .... We are putting partial flexible
payloads in satellites that customers can use and test with respect
to their business cases. With that approach, we can master the
technology progressively and can take the assembly times down and
also the cost down for that application. The way we introduce
flexibility, it is roughly the same price as before. If we want to
introduce a little bit more and make it a little bit more expensive,
you could introduce full flexibility. But for the moment the
business case doesn't figure for the operators."
Space Systems/Loral offers its customers varying degrees of
flexibility options as well. "The technology exists but it's still
expensive," says Hoeber. "People are talking about it now
commercially because the costs are coming down. If anybody were to
build a satellite with a channelizer and a phased array antenna, it
would take longer and cost more than a traditional satellite. But it
is changing and the engineering will make advancements where that is
no longer true, but it hasn't happened yet."
But the technology advancements will come, says Engal. "Today's
complex is tomorrow's simple," he says "There was a time it was hard
to build a Boeing 376. All of these things have a life cycle; 601s
used to be the state of the art. In principal, it takes longer to
build more flexible satellites, but that is always true for the
cutting edge technologies and always more risky. In 10 years,
onboard processing may be the way you do everything and may be
simple.
Flexible satellite may not be slower than other satellites because,
in part, nobody is ordering bent pipe satellites. Harder, slower and
more reliable and riskier are all context dependent. The Boeing 376
was the most reliable satellite ever, but there is still no market
for them today."
The advancement of flexible technology could make those satellites
even quicker to develop than traditional satellites as well as less
expensive. "Reconfigurable, or flexible, satellites have the
potential to alter current procurement time frames," says
Giagtzoglou. "If demand for such hardware rises, then a manufacturer
can have such a satellite in its inventory, or in process, which
would make it no longer a special order payload but a
[commercial-off-the-shelf] payload. With the ability to use
standardized components, this would impact construction time and
possibly cost. But I think flexible satellites have to be in
relatively high demand for such a paradigm shift to occur in the
manufacturing industry."
While manufacturers still are developing the current generation of
flexible technology and operators are discovering the best ways to
take advantage of the new capabilities, work already is being done
to develop next-generation flexibility. "We have started working on
the potential for a full flexible satellite," says Agnieray. "All
the models that would be produced would be identical and be tailored
just before launch or on orbit for their specific mission. It's a
nice concept, but in the end it did not make enough business sense
at this time. It may be one of the alleys that may be walked down in
that respect to full flexibility."
"I think the future could be in advanced satellites that are
entirely reconfigurable in orbit - beam shapes, frequencies,
connectivity, and to some extent power levels - allowing optimal
flexibility to serve evolving customer needs as business changes,"
says Giagtzoglou. "At present, we operate satellites that are
designed and built years before we understand the customer needs.
Future developments may focus on making satellites faster to market,
cheaper through standardization, smarter and even more flexible."
top
1 FTMSC Signs
Partnership with Télécoms Sans Frontières for Development of
Emergency Telecommunications Solutions
France Telecom Mobile Satellite Communications (FTMSC) and Télécoms
Sans Frontières (TSF) have signed a partnership for the development
of emergency mobile satellite communications solutions. The two
companies announced the news at International Aid & Trade, a trade
show dedicated to humanitarian aid, relief and development in Geneva
from 24-25 January 2007.
FTMSC develops and markets mobile satellite voice and data
communications solutions (email, internet, videoconferencing, etc.)
all over the world, particularly in regions with limited GSM and
terrestrial telecoms infrastructure. These solutions cater for NGOs
often operating in isolated areas or places where conflict or
natural disasters cause a breakdown in traditional communications.
These solutions enable NGO employees to set up an emergency telecoms
centre in minutes, optimize emergency aid processes and increase the
efficiency of humanitarian missions. As official partner to TSF,
FTMSC provides the NGO with a range of satellite terminals as well
as a fixed amount of traffic credit for use by teams in the field.
Specializing in emergency telecoms, Télécoms Sans Frontières plays
an essential role in strengthening co-ordination and communications
by deploying telecoms centers in the 24 hour period following a
major incident. In this way, TSF uses FTMSC's satellite solutions to
enable local populations to communicate with family and friends,
locate each other more easily and reassure and raise morale in
crisis situations. TSF also supports fellow humanitarian
associations in their missions: its telecoms centers facilitate
co-ordination between NGO workers, enables teams in the field to
exchange information more easily and quickly, and support teams to
better determine necessary resources for deployment. They also
enable images of conflicts or natural disasters to be transmitted to
media agencies and awareness to be raised around the world.
"Satellite solutions represent an important asset in crisis
situations. The fact that they take just a few minutes to deploy
anywhere in the world, even in very difficult conditions, enables us
to significantly support local populations and humanitarian
workers," stated Jean-François Cazenave, President of TSF.
"We are delighted to contribute to emergency aid through the
satellite communications solutions that we provide TSF, and as the
leading emergency telecoms association, we are very proud of the
trust they put in us," adds Erik Ceuppens, CEO, FTMSC.
About France Telecom Mobile Satellite Communications
France Telecom Mobile Satellite Communications (FTMSC) develops and
markets mobile voice and data communications solutions via satellite
all over the world for use at sea and on land. Its portfolio
includes the services of all major satellite operators (Inmarsat,
Thuraya, Iridium, Globalstar) as well as an exclusive range of
in-house developed value-added services. Its offering caters for the
needs of professionals in the maritime sector (navy, merchant
shipping, fishing, yachting/pleasure boating, offshore platforms,
cruise liners) as well as those in government organisations, army,
NGOs, security, media, construction, mining, oil & gas and
transport.
FTMSC is supported by an international network of approximately 200
distributors as well as offices in eight countries world-wide
(Algeria, Germany, France, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Singapore, United
Arab Emirates, United States).
In 2005, the FTMSC Group generated a turnover of 165 million Euros.
It has a market share of approximately 20% for Inmarsat, Thuraya and
Iridium services.
About Télécoms Sans Frontières
Télécoms Sans Frontières: the leading humanitarian NGO specialised
in emergency telecommunications.
With its 24-hour monitoring centre and relying on its operational
bases in France, Nicaragua and Thailand, TSF emergency aid crews can
intervene anywhere in the world in less than 48 hours after any
catastrophe or conflict and in a matter of minutes set up an
operational centre on site.
This satellite-based telecom centre offers broadband Internet, phone
and fax lines and technical assistance. It enables aid work to be
co-ordinated and offers support and assistance to victim
populations, giving them a link with the outside world from which
they would be otherwise completely cut off.
In 2006, TSF signed a partnership with the Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the United Nations
Children's Fund (UNICEF) to become the United Nations' First
Responder within the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC).
Télécoms Sans Frontières is also a working group member of the
United Nations emergency telecoms body (WGET), a partner of the
Humanitarian Aid Department of the European Commission (ECHO) and a
member of the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA).
(source: France Telecom Mobile Satellite Communications)
top
2
Globecomm Systems Awarded Infrastructure Contract from a Major
Provider of Enterprise Services in the United States Valued at US$
1.2 Million
Globecomm Systems Inc., a global provider of end-to-end value-added
satellite-based communications solutions, announced today that the
company has been awarded a satellite infrastructure contract from a
major provider of enterprise services in the United States valued at
US$ 1.2 million.
Globecomm will design, engineer and install a turnkey satellite
earth station and all the related subsystems. The company has been
working with this customer for many years in a continuous expansion
of their network and anticipates completion of this project within
the next five months.
David Hershberg, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Globecomm
Systems Inc., said, "As always, Globecomm is thrilled to be selected
as the natural choice for this customer's continued expansion. We
look forward to providing the customer with high a quality system
and working closely with them to understand their future network
expansion requirements."
About Globecomm Systems
Globecomm Systems Inc. provides end-to-end value-added
satellite-based communication products, services and solutions by
leveraging its core satellite ground segment systems and network
capabilities, with its satellite communication services
capabilities. The products and services Globecomm offers include
pre-engineered systems, systems design and integration services,
managed network services and life cycle support services.
Globecomm's customers include communications service providers,
commercial enterprises, broadcast and other media and content
providers and government and government-related entities.
Based in Hauppauge, New York, Globecomm Systems also maintains
offices in Washington, DC, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, the United
Arab Emirates and Afghanistan.
(source: Globecomm Systems)
top
3
Hurtigruten Group Extends Satellite Communications Agreement with
Telenor Satellite Services
Telenor Satellite Services, a subsidiary of Telenor of Norway,
announced today it has signed a three-year extension with the
Hurtigruten Group for maritime broadband communications on board
Hurtigruten's fleet of cruise and transport vessels.Telenor's
initial satellite communication agreement with Hurtigruten began in
2000.
The Hurtigruten Group, with headquarters in Narvik, Norway, is an
international travel and public transportation business with
operations in Europe, the United States, and South America. The
company owns and operates a modern fleet of 14 cruise and passenger
transport vessels operating in Scandinavia and offering cruises in
Norway, Spitzbergen, Antarctica and Greenland.
The three-year agreement extension calls for continued "at sea"
broadband communications on board Hurtigruten's fleet of European
coast liner cruise and transport vessels. In addition, in early
2007, Telenor will install broadband very small aperture terminal
(VSAT) systems on board three additional vessels that are slated for
European and Antarctic cruises.
Sealink is Telenor's cost-efficient and highly reliable maritime
broadband system that provides voice and high-speed data services
via satellite, including Internet access and crew calling,
"Hurtigruten takes great pride in operating and developing one of
the most attractive fleet of vessels for the most beautiful coastal
voyages in the world," said Frid Fastbø, CIO of Hurtigruten Group.
"Offering cruises and tours regionally and internationally, it is
important to our business that we have advanced and reliable data
communications providing our passengers with the robust and
resource-efficient maritime communications. Our on board Sealink
system enables our passengers to keep in touch with families and
friend at home, start using new services, and allows us to
efficiently conduct ships' business at sea."
"We are delighted that Hurtigruten has extended its communications
agreement with Telenor," said Morten Tengs, CEO of Telenor Satellite
Services. "Telenor's Sealink VSAT solution enables Hurtigruten to
provide its passengers and ship operators with one of the world's
premiere maritime broadband systems enabling high-quality service
and advanced applications similar to what they expect at home."
Sealink is Telenor's suite of digital high-speed communications
solutions that extend corporate networks and make other broadband
communications available on a leased basis to ships at sea. Sealink
provides turnkey managed communications solutions for a wide variety
of maritime industries as well as ocean-going transportation and
supply operations. All communications are delivered through
Telenor's fully-owned network of Earth Stations.
Telenor is one of the world's largest providers of mobile broadband
services on land and at sea, supporting more than 2,000 land-based
VSAT sites and operating on more than 500 ships around the world.
(source: Telenor Satellite Services)
top
4 Lockheed Martin Wins
Contract for Inmarsat Globalised Mobile Satellite Network
Lockheed Martin has received a US$ 36.5 million contract from
Inmarsat to develop technology that will enable Inmarsat to expand
its market reach into the commercial handheld mobile satellite
service market.
Under the two-year contract, Lockheed Martin will deliver and
install three Network Control Centre/Gateways that provide
connectivity to public terrestrial networks.
Inmarsat's fully modernized, global network to be implemented in
2008 will operate via satellite and will provide Inmarsat's
customers with cellular service in even the most challenging
locations. The network will rely on the existing Inmarsat I-4
Satellites and dual-mode Global System for Mobile
Communications/Satellite handheld terminals.
"Our work on this contract leverages Lockheed Martin's expertise in
systems integration of satellite and cellular communication systems
adding a new capability that will enhance Inmarsat's time to market
and service goals," said Gordon McElroy, vice president, Commercial
and Federal Networks Division.
"We are delighted to have Lockheed Martin as our contractor on this
important project," said Rupert Pearce, group general counsel of
Inmarsat, who is leading Inmarsat's voice service project. "Lockheed
Martin has tremendous domain experience, having partnered
successfully with ASIA Cellular Satellite Network (ACeS) on the
GEO-Mobile Radio (GMR-2) air interface from which we intend to
evolve a next generation suite of products and solutions focused on
voice services. We look forward to bringing a modernized, global
service to market in the fourth quarter of 2008."
In the late '90s, Lockheed Martin was instrumental in developing the
ACeS network, on which the current system operates. The existing
handheld satellite phone network will continue on the ASIA Cellular
satellite network until the global system being developed under this
contract is completed in 2008.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about
140,000 people world-wide and is principally engaged in the
research, design, development, manufacture, integration and
sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.
The corporation reported 2005 sales of US$ 37.2 billion.
(source: Lockheed Martin)
Top
5
Latest in Long Line of ATC Patents Issued to ATC Technologies
Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSV) announced today that it has been
awarded U.S. Patent No. 7,155,340 (the '340 Patent) by the United
States Patent and Trademark Office.
The '340 patent is the seventeenth patent relating to Ancillary
Terrestrial Component (ATC) technology issued to MSV in recent
years, and is assigned to MSV's intellectual property holding
company, ATC Technologies.
The '340 Patent, issued December 26, 2006 is entitled
"Network-Assisted Global Positioning Systems, Methods and Terminals
Including Doppler Shift and Code Phase Measurements," and addresses
the use of GPS positioning data in hybrid satellite-terrestrial
networks. In particular, the '340 Patent describes the transmission
of GPS data to mobile terminals over a satellite frequency band that
is outside a GPS frequency band. Other claims of the patent recite
that the terminals perform pseudo-range measurements using the GPS
data. These measurements may include, for example, the estimation of
Doppler shifts and code phases.
"Providing accurate, real time location information for mobile
terminals is a critical requirement for hybrid satellite-terrestrial
networks," explained Gary Churan, Director of System Analysis at MSV
and inventor of the '340 Patent. "This patent is another
illustration of MSV's pioneering advancements in ATC design."
"The methods and apparatus described and claimed in the '340 Patent
represent a significant step forward in the use of GPS positioning
data by mobile terminals in a hybrid network," added Churan. "GPS
data can now be transmitted to mobile terminals efficiently over
MSV's satellite and ATC network, enabling position determination at
lower GPS signal levels than would otherwise be necessary."
About SkyTerra Communications, Inc. and Mobile Satellite Ventures
MSV is developing a hybrid satellite-terrestrial communications
network, which it expects will provide seamless, transparent and
ubiquitous wireless coverage of the United States and Canada to
conventional handsets. MSV holds the first FCC license to provide
hybrid satellite-terrestrial services. MSV plans to launch two
satellites for coverage of the United States and Canada, which are
expected to be among the largest and most powerful commercial
satellites ever built. When completed, the network is expected to
support communications in a variety of areas including public
safety, homeland security, aviation, transportation and
entertainment, by providing a platform for interoperable,
user-friendly and feature-rich voice and high-speed data services.
MSV is majority owned and controlled by SkyTerra Communications,
Inc.
(source: Mobile Satellite Ventures)
Top
6
NOAA Satellites Help Save 272 People in 2006
NOAA satellites helped save 272 people from potentially life-jeopardising
emergencies throughout the United States and its surrounding waters
in 2006 - up from 222 the previous year.
This is the highest number of rescues since 1999, when 294 people
were rescued. NOAA's polar-orbiting and geostationary satellites,
along with Russia's Cospas spacecraft, make up the powerful
international Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking System,
called COSPAS-SARSAT.
The system uses a constellation of satellites to detect and locate
distress signals from emergency beacons onboard aircraft, boats and
from hand-held personal locator beacons. Once the satellites
pinpoint the location of the distress within the United States or
surrounding waters, the information is relayed to NOAA at the SARSAT
Mission Control Center in Suitland, Md., and sent to a Rescue
Coordination Center, operated by either the U.S. Air Force (for land
rescues), or U.S. Coast Guard (for water rescues.)
"We're seeing the SARSAT program do exactly what it was intended to
do - save lives. This is another great example of Earth observation
technologies providing life-saving societal benefit," said retired
Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D, undersecretary of
commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. "NOAA
satellites and the quick responses of the U.S. Air Force and Coast
Guard continue to be the difference between life and death."
Since its creation in 1982, COSPAS-SARSAT has been credited with
more than 20,300 rescues world-wide, and 5,396 within the United
States and its surrounding waters. Most of the rescues each year
happen at sea. The top states with the most rescues in 2006 were:
Alaska, with 75 rescues in 29 events (including two dogs); Florida,
with 50 rescues in 18 events (including two dogs); Hawaii, with 16
rescues in five events, and Texas had 11 rescues in six events.
Since the Personal Locator Beacon program became operational
nation-wide in July 2003, there have been 125 rescues credited to
the hand-held devices.
"If you, or your family, are ever in a position to need an emergency
beacon, it's imperative for responders that it be registered with
NOAA," said Mary E. Kicza, assistant administrator for the NOAA
Satellite and Information Service.
Older emergency beacons, which operate on the 121.5 and 243
megahertz frequencies, will be phased out by early 2009, when 406
megahertz beacons will become the new standard. The distress signals
from 406 megahertz beacons, which use Global Positioning System
technology, can be instantly detected and lead to faster rescues.
Notable SARSAT Rescue Activity
Within a five day stretch in November, 18 people - and one dog -
were rescued in nine separate manoeuvres from Florida to Alaska.
From November 3 - 7, three crewmen were rescued from a boat caught
in rough surf near Kodiak, Alaska, and in Barrow, another person was
rescued after being stranded. Meanwhile, two boaters were pulled to
safety off the coast of Cape Cod, Mass.; one crewman was saved from
a troubled vessel more than 1,000 miles east of Long Island, N.Y.;
another two boaters were rescued off the coast of Hilton Head
Island, S.C.; two people were rescued from a sinking boat near Ponce
Inlet, N.C.; two passengers were picked up from the site of a plane
crash near Tulsa, Okla.; one person was saved from a capsized boat
1,200 miles northeast of Bermuda, and four people and a dog were
rescued from a sinking boat near Tampa.
NOAA, an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department, is celebrating 200
years of science and service to the nation. From the establishment
of the Survey of the Coast in 1807 by Thomas Jefferson to the
formation of the Weather Bureau and the Bureau of Commercial
Fisheries in the 1870s, much of America's scientific heritage is
rooted in NOAA. NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and
national safety through the prediction and research of weather and
climate-related events and information service delivery for
transportation, and by providing environmental stewardship of the
nation's coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global
Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with
its federal partners, more than 60 countries and the European
Commission to develop a global monitoring network that is as
integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects.
(source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
Top
7
Eutelsat Hot Bird Video Neighborhood Consolidates Audience
into 121 Million Homes and Breaks Barrier of 1,000 Channels
Eutelsat Communications today announced headline results of its
two-year survey of satellite and cable homes.
Set up in 1994, the survey measures trends in satellite and cable
reception in countries in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East
served by Eutelsat's key video neighborhoods including its Hot Bird
video neighborhood which this month broke the barrier of 1,000
digital channels.
Commissioned from leading research institutes including GfK, TNS
Sofres and Ipsos, the new data produced in 42 countries* revealed
that satellite and cable homes in Europe, North Africa and the
Middle East have expanded twice as fast over the last 24 months as
the growth of television homes. Satellite and cable penetration
increased by 13 per cent to 170 million homes from 150 million,
while television homes expanded by six per cent to 333 million homes
from 314 million. Satellite and cable reception has consequently
passed the tipping point of 50 per cent of television homes.
The survey also confirmed the leadership of Eutelsat's Hot Bird
neighborhood whose audience end 2006 had progressed from 111 million
to 121 million homes, of which 40 per cent (47.5 million) are
equipped for Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite reception. This growth
took place in parallel to a steady increase in channels broadcast
which grew by 273 channels over the same period to over 1050 at end
December 2006.
The most dynamic satellite markets for Direct-to-Home reception were
Italy, which expanded by 280,000 satellite homes, and Poland which
expanded by 211,000.
In eastern Europe, as new cable infrastructure goes into place, the
uptake of cable reception from the Hot Bird neighborhood was
particularly dynamic, accounting for 22.5 million homes which
represents an increase of more than 30 per cent.
The new research also recorded strong uptake of satellite and cable
homes receiving channels from six other video neighborhoods which
Eutelsat has actively developed for specific regions and language
markets: Eurobird 1 (UK, Ireland), W2 (central Europe), W3A
(Turkey), W4 (Russia, Ukraine), Atlantic Bird 3 (satellite homes in
France) and Atlantic Bird 4 which is collocated with Nilesat and
serves satellite homes in North Africa and the Middle East.
With the combined audience of these neighborhoods and the Hot Bird
neighborhood, channels broadcast by Eutelsat's video satellites are
received by 161 million satellite and cable homes, representing 94
per cent penetration of satellite and cable homes in Europe, North
Africa and the Middle East. This does not include emerging Digital
Terrestrial Television (DTT) audiences in markets where satellites
are feeding DTT retransmitters and providing complementary
Direct-to-Home coverage.
Commenting on the results, Giuliano Berretta, Eutelsat's CEO said:
"These results demonstrate the strong momentum of satellite and
cable broadcasting in a dynamic multi-channel environment which is
expected to penetrate over 60 per cent of television homes in
western Europe in the 2010 timeframe**. In parallel to sustained
audience growth, our key video neighborhoods have attracted 400 new
television channels over the last 12 months, including the first 17
channels broadcasting in HDTV."
** Screen Digest 2006
* Western Europe
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, United Kingdom
Central and eastern Europe
Belarus , BiH , Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Rep., Estonia, Hungary,
Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Ukraine
North Africa, Middle East
Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia,
Syria, Tunisia, Turkey
About Eutelsat Communications
Eutelsat Communications is the holding company of Eutelsat S.A..
With capacity commercialized on 23 satellites that provide coverage
over the entire European continent, as well as the Middle East,
Africa, India and significant parts of Asia and the Americas,
Eutelsat is one of the world's three leading satellite operators in
terms of revenues. At 31 December 2006 Eutelsat's satellites were
broadcasting over 2,400 television channels to over 160 million
homes, of which more than 1,000 channels broadcast via its Hot Bird
video neighborhood which serves over 120 million cable and satellite
homes in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The Group's
satellites also serve a wide range of fixed and mobile
telecommunications services, TV contribution markets, corporate
networks, and broadband markets for Internet Service Providers and
for transport, maritime and in-flight markets. Eutelsat's broadband
subsidiary, Skylogic, markets and operates services through
teleports in France and Italy that serve enterprises, local
communities, government agencies and aid organizations in Europe,
Africa, Asia and the Americas. Headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat and
its subsidiaries employ 490 commercial, technical and operational
experts from 27 countries.
(source: Eutelsat Communications)
Top
8
Space
Systems/Loral Wins Contract to Build New Satellite for Intelsat
Corporation
Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), a subsidiary of Loral Space &
Communications and the world's leading provider of high-power
commercial satellites, today announced that Intelsat Corporation has
awarded SS/L a contract to manufacture Intelsat 14, a new,
high-power C- and Ku-band fixed satellite service (FSS) satellite.
"This contract underscores our long-standing relationship with
Intelsat," said John Celli, president of Space Systems/Loral. "This
new project provides SS/L the opportunity to demonstrate our success
in combining heritage, space-proven satellite technology with new
innovation. We are pleased to be awarded the contract for this
important new member of Intelsat's global fleet."
Intelsat 14, to be located at 45 degrees West longitude, will be the
44th Space Systems/Loral satellite built over the past four decades
for Intelsat, the world's largest fixed satellite services operator.
The satellite will carry 40 C-band and 22 Ku-band transponders
across four different beams, covering the Americas, Europe and
Africa.
Intelsat 14 will have a design life of 15 years and will replace the
PAS-1R satellite when the new satellite is delivered in 2009. Its
high efficiency solar arrays and lightweight batteries are designed
to provide uninterrupted electrical power. The satellite is based on
SS/L's 1300 platform, which features qualified, flight proven
subsystems and a long record of reliable operation. In all, SS/L
satellites have amassed more than 1,300 years of reliable on-orbit
service.
Intelsat 14 is the first satellite awarded to SS/L in 2007. The
company received seven satellite awards in 2006 from a wide variety
of customers, including FSS operators, direct-to-home and satellite
radio service providers.
About Space Systems/Loral
Space Systems/Loral is a premier designer, manufacturer, and
integrator of powerful satellites and satellite systems. SS/L also
provides a range of related services that include mission control
operations and procurement of launch services. Based in Palo Alto,
Calif., the company has an international base of commercial and
government customers whose applications include broadband data
communications, television and radio broadcasting, mobile satellite
services, fixed satellite services, defence communications,
environmental monitoring, and air traffic control. SS/L satellites
have amassed more than 1,300 years of reliable on-orbit service.
SS/L is ISO 9001:2000 certified.
About Loral Space and Communications
Loral Space and Communications is a satellite communications
company. In addition to Space Systems/Loral, through its Skynet
subsidiary Loral owns and operates a fleet of telecommunications
satellites used to broadcast video entertainment programming, and
for broadband data transmission, Internet services and other
value-added communications services.
(source: Space Systems/Loral)
Top
9
SES Astra Signs New Long-Term Contract with Canal+
SES Astra, an SES company, has announced today that it has signed a
new long-term contract with the French Pay-TV operator Canal+ Group
for the satellite transmission of its programme bouquet for the
French market from Astra's prime orbital position 19.2° East.
Based on this new contract, SES Astra will transmit the full
programming line up of Canal+ Group from a single orbital position.
Canal+ Group has recently merged its pay-TV operations in France
with that of TPS.
In the agreement, Canal+ Group takes several Astra transponders in
addition to those currently contracted from SES Astra. The agreement
therefore provides the satellite capacity which is necessary to
consolidate the complete newly merged CanalSat bouquet on a single
orbital position. It will allow Canal+ Group to broadcast and
develop its complete High Definition (HD) satellite bouquet and will
also provide further room for growth for Standard Definition (SD)
services. Furthermore, the agreement provides and foresees a
framework for the long-term growth requirements of Canal+ Group.
"With this contract, we significantly enhance our position in the
French market and further strengthen our relationship with Canal+ as
one of our most important European customers", says Ferdinand Kayser,
President and CEO of SES Astra. "SES Astra and Canal+ have developed
a strong partnership over the past ten years, and we look forward to
continuing to provide satellite services of the highest quality and
reliability to the merged bouquet. Broadcasting the new offer from
one orbital position is undoubtedly the best solution for Canal+ and
its subscribers and viewers. SES Astra once again demonstrates its
strengths and shows that it is the satellite provider of choice for
important blue chip customers."
About SES Astra
The Astra Satellite System is the leading Direct-to-Home (DTH)
satellite system in Europe, delivering services to some 107 million
Direct-to-Home and cable households. The Astra satellite fleet
currently comprises 13 satellites, transmitting in excess of 1700
analogue and digital television and radio channels as well as
multimedia and Internet services. Astra's two prime orbital
positions for DTH services are 19.2° East and 28.2° East.
Professional services such as Direct-to cable (DTC), Satellite
Newsgathering (SNG) and Occasional Use are offered from the orbital
position of 23.5° East.
SES Astra is an SES company. SES wholly owns three market-leading
satellite operators, SES Astra in Europe, SES Americom in North
America, and SES New Skies, which provides global connectivity as
well as coverage. The company also holds strategic participations in
AsiaSat in Asia, Star One in Latin America, SES Sirius in Europe,
Ciel in Canada and Quetzsat in Mexico. Americom Government Services
provides network solutions and bandwidth to the US government and
its contractors. SES provides outstanding satellite communications
solutions via a fleet of 44 satellites on 33 orbital positions
around the globe.
(source: SES Astra)
Top
10
DARPA Awards Novel Satellite Communications Contract to BAE
Systems
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has selected
BAE Systems to lead a team of 10 companies in the next development
phases of the Novel Satellite Communications (NSC) program.
The Phase 3 contract is valued at US$ 10.3 million, with options for
an additional US$ 4.3 million.
"The Novel Satellite Communications program is exploiting new
phenomenology to defend satellite communications links against
electronic attack," said Dr. Michael Zatman, the DARPA program
manager for NSC. "The protection that the NSC technologies afford
our communications satellites will ensure that our war fighters have
the situational awareness they need."
NSC will protect uplink signals to satellites against hostile
jamming using advanced signal processing techniques to enable
uninterrupted communications.
Work will be performed in Nashua and Merrimack, New Hampshire;
Wayne, New Jersey; Arlington and Fairfax, Virginia; Germantown,
Maryland; San Diego, Los Angeles, and Redondo Beach, California;
Lexington, Massachusetts; and West Lafayette, Indiana. The effort is
expected to be completed in early 2008.
"Our NSC approach integrates innovative techniques from leading
defence industry contributors to provide unprecedented satellite
communications robustness," said Aaron Penkacik, vice president for
Advanced Systems & Technology at BAE Systems in Nashua. "The
technology demonstration will lead the way to increase the nation's
capability to provide assured communications for the war fighter."
BAE Systems led the initial effort, sponsored by DARPA, to provide
testing and proof of concept of new NSC algorithms and communication
techniques. The company also was one of three contractor teams
leading the recently completed Phase 2 efforts to progress toward
increasingly realistic satellite scenarios and future field
demonstrations.
Phase 3 will mature the NSC algorithm suite, design a real-time
demonstration system, and develop initial technology transition
plans. The full system demonstration with existing satellites will
be conducted during Phase 4.
(source: BAE Systems)
Top
11
Merrimac Awarded US$ 430,000 Multi-Mix Order For Military Satellite
Merrimac Industries, Inc., today announced that it has received an
order for US$ 430,000 to supply several Multi-Mix Microtechnology
products for a next generation military communications satellite
program.
The satellite communications system is designed to significantly
improve communications for mobile U.S. forces. Merrimac was selected
based on the company's ability to provide dividing and combining
devices that are able to handle very high RF power, provide very low
insertion loss, and are contained within a caseless fusion bonded
assembly. The program significantly improves communications for
warfighters while maintaining backward compatibility to the existing
communications systems for the U.S. Department of Defense.
Chairman and CEO Mason N. Carter commented, "We are delighted that
our Multi-Mix solution will assist in enhancing the communications
systems with improved connectivity. We are proud of our role and
contributions to the satellite program by improving ubiquitous
voice, video and data to warfighters on the ground, in the air, and
on the seas."
About Merrimac
Merrimac Industries, Inc. is a leader in the design and manufacture
of RF Microwave signal processing components, subsystem assemblies,
and Multi-Mix micro-multifunction modules (MMFM), for the world-wide
Defense, Satellite Communications (Satcom), Commercial Wireless and
Homeland Security market segments. Merrimac is focused on providing
Total Integrated Packaging Solutions with Multi-Mix Microtechnology,
a leading edge competency providing value to our customers through
miniaturisation and integration. Multi-Mix MMFM provides a patented
and novel packaging technology that employs a platform modular
architecture strategy that incorporates embedded semiconductor
devices, MMICs, etched resistors, passive circuit elements and
plated-through via holes to form a three-dimensional integrated
module used in High Power, High Frequency and High Performance
mission-critical applications. Merrimac Industries facilities are
registered under ISO 9001:2000, an internationally developed set of
quality criteria for manufacturing operations.
Merrimac Industries, Inc. has facilities located in West Caldwell,
NJ, San Jose, Costa Rica and Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and has
approximately 230 co- workers dedicated to the design and
manufacture of signal processing components, gold plating of
high-frequency microstrip, bonded stripline and thick metal-backed
Teflon (PTFE) micro-circuitry and subsystems providing Total
Integrated Packaging Solutions for wireless applications.
(source: Merrimac Industries)
Top
12 AT&T
Unity unifies wireless, wireline calling plans
AT&T has unveiled what it’s calling the largest calling community in
the U.S., offering free unlimited domestic calling to 100 million of
its wireless and wireline subscribers nationwide. The plan is the
first salvo in AT&T’s approach to competition following its merger
with BellSouth, and the consolidation of the ownership of Cingular
Wireless.
The new service requires customers to sign up for one of several
different unlimited service residential or small business plans and
to subscribe to Cingular, soon to be wireless from AT&T.
This approach to selling phone service to both new and existing
customers could give AT&T a better competitive position against
cable companies, who are siphoning off voice customers using cheaper
VoIP services. By offering free calls in-network, AT&T echoes one of
the more successful marketing strategies of its former long-distance
rival, MCI, with its Friends and Family plan.
The service takes advantage of AT&T’s expanded local footprint which
now includes 22 of the 50 U.S. states. AT&T Unity customers can call
or accept calls from any AT&T wireless and wireline phone numbers
across the U.S. at no charge, including no wireline usage fees in
states with local measured service and no use of wireless “Anytime”
minutes.
“This will help AT&T compete with the cable telephone companies,”
said Jeffrey Kagan, telecom analyst. “Over the last few years the
cable companies have won lines from the phone companies. The phone
companies are creating their own competitive bundles. This offer
will help AT&T because it does something that the cable companies
cannot do. It bundles wireline and wireless services together. It
gives them another weapon in the battle [against cable].”
The AT&T Unity plan is available to new and existing AT&T
residential and small business customers, who subscribe to both AT&T
unlimited local and long distance calling plans, on a combined bill,
and sign up for AT&T’s wireless service. For calling outside the
AT&T customer base, however, consumers and small businesses must
choose from a range of service plans based upon the number of
anytime minutes required from $59.99 a month for 900 minutes a month
to $199.99 for 6000 minutes per month of out-of-network calling.
Those totals include long-distance, roaming, voice mail, call
forwarding, three-way calling and Caller ID.
There are separate pricing plans for what AT&T calls FamilyTalk,
which includes two lines. Shared anytime minutes under that plan
start at 700 for $69.99 and go up to $299.99 for 6000 minutes.
“The AT&T Unity plan is the ideal way to introduce our customers to
the real power of combining wireless and wireline services into an
appealing offering that delivers value, flexibility and
convenience,” said Edward Whitacre, chairman and CEO of AT&T, in a
prepared statement.
Top
13 So
long, Sonet
This could well be the last year of significant sales of Sonet and
SDH transport gear, according to industry analysts and vendors.
Particularly as the volume of Internet Protocol-based video grows,
the telecom industry is moving more quickly to replace its existing
transport gear with more flexible, higher-bandwidth carrier Ethernet
and wavelength division multiplexing technology.
“In data networking and optical networking, 2007 is the zenith year
for Sonet/SDH--a growing part of the network is going to be these
platforms that allow for migration to Ethernet over WDM as a
transport vehicle,” said Michael Howard, president of the Infonetics
consultancy. “Basically, we can measure now the start of this trend
toward IP and Ethernet over WDM. It is really going to be IP over
Ethernet WDM transport.”
Ericsson is expecting 2007 to be a major year for the shift to doing
IP directly over optical, agreed Joe Baker, director of business
development for North America. While the current base of Sonet/SDH
products doesn’t go away any time soon, the investment dollars are
shifting, he said.
Service providers that have invested billions of dollars in
deploying Sonet gear since the early ‘90s have prolonged the life of
that equipment by developing Ethernet over Sonet, but with the
bandwidth consumption that video will require, complete elimination
of the Sonet layer is more logical.
“Carrier Ethernet is the logical replacement for Sonet with much
more video friendly and more scalable data networks,” said Peter
Carbone, architect in the CTO’s office at Nortel. “We are going to
have to rebuild the metro networks and it makes sense to do it with
Ethernet.”
The driving force behind that change is the new dynamics of Internet
usage, Carbone said.
“My son wants me to change our firewall at home so he can host video
games,” he said. “Users are now rendering graphics and dealing with
lots of input and output. Before, it was only video conferencing,
and that was pretty sporadic. If they are downloading minutes of
video, somebody is uploading them – that is driving more upstream
bandwidth. Many of home networks are hosting peer to peer
communications.”
Instead of browsing the Internet, which is what today’s networks
were designed for, users are “continuously online doing gaming,
music downloads, video or whatever--certainly not the kind of
traffic of the access networks were designed for,” Carbone said.
Large cable operators have already made the transition, said Howard,
because they have been transporting video on demand, which causes
unpredictable spikes in traffic volume based on use. They are using
reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers (ROADMs) to take the
manual process out of provisioning bandwidth.
“If you look at what big MSOs have been doing over last 4-5 years –
it’s Ethernet over WDM with ROADM for video on demand,” he said.
“It’s the best solution and the only attractive solution for that
application.”
Telecom service providers have been more reluctant to make the
switch because of their investment in Sonet/SDH, but they, too, are
seeing the need, and could discontinue their investment as soon as
2008, Howard said.
“Verizon has roadmap for their network, AT&T has RFPs our – the
reason they haven’t moved forward quickly is that they have huge
investments in Sonet,” he said. “Carriers have continued to buy
Sonet, although they tell us they are slowing their investments in
Sonet/SDH.”
Top
|
Space Segment acquisition agreements.