a Management”
Network Management – Beyond the Network Operations Center
by Wally Martland
As satellite is playing an ever more important role in
delivering voice, data and video into remote and isolated regions
throughout the globe, the challenge for Network Operations is no
longer limited to controlling the equipment and Element Management (EM)
systems located at the Network Operations Center (NOC), but also
focused on reducing the costs of managing larger more complex
geographically diverse networks from a single Network Management
System. Often times, these sites are geographically isolated in such
remote regions as Africa, Asia, or Alaska. Other times, they are
physically difficult and expensive to travel to such as on mountain
tops, oil rigs, or out in the jungle. In the past, some of these
remote sites were manned but mostly they were ignored until a
problem arose and they were notified by their customer.
In today’s environment, with the renewed emphasis on QoS, cost
reduction, and increasing competition, network operators need to
manage the remote site equipment, bring up new services, and restore
failed services from the NOC without the delays and costly expenses
of dispatching technicians to the site. More importantly, customers
are no longer willing to endure, long periods in which they have
unreliable, degraded or even worse, no service. In order to achieve
these goals, more and more of the burden of managing the network is
being placed on a new breed of “Intelligent Element
products like the Newpoint Mercury EMTM.
To truly manage a remote site, today's EM products must be capable
of managing all aspects of the equipment located at the remote
sites. This includes a variety of physical and software interfaces
which include proprietary serial protocols to the RF, microwave or
transmission Equipment, contact closures for your facilities, fire,
HVAC, and power system alarms, and SNMP to manage the IP equipment
such as the routers, hubs and firewalls located at the site. In some
cases, Mercury EM TM has even interfaced with the video surveillance
cameras to allow operators to view the inside and outside of the
remote facility.
Once the equipment is under control of the EM, it must relay status
and alarm information back to the NOC and allow the operators to
control the equipment. In many cases this is done using a small
portion of the bandwidth on the very communications link it is
managing, for example the satellite overhead, ESC, or on the
microwave transmission. Often times, these have limited bandwidth
capabilities and inherent delays that must be accounted for. Mercury
TM takes advantage of the TCP/IP protocol to ensure that the data
sent from the EM is actually received at the NOC. Other protocols,
such as SNMP Traps are based upon the UDP layer, and not all data is
guaranteed to be delivered. The EM must also accommodate for rapid
changes in the data at the remote site, and buffer the changes
during these periods so data is not lost when you exceed the
transmission capacity of the communications bandwidth that is
available.
The EM should also buffer data when the communications are lost
between the NOC and the remote facility so critical data required to
determine what caused the outage is not lost forever. Once an
operator has determined they have lost communications to a remote
site, they must be able to use a back up means to communicate to the
remote site. Often times, this can be accomplished using a dial up
line or via the internet. In many instances, the remote site itself
is the only means of communications to the township, oil rig, or
transportable/mobile terminal. In these cases, Newpoint has
incorporated support for the Iridium, Inmarsat and Globalsat modems
into the Mercury TM EM so when the primary communications are lost,
the operators can use the satellite modem to connect to the site no
matter where in the world it is physically located.
Once a connection is established, Mercury EM TM will then upload the
buffered data and in most cases operators can then recover the
service without leaving the NOC. At worst case, they can identify
the failure and dispatch a technician to the site with the right
equipment to restore the services without requiring a second or
third trip. By taking advantage of today’s technologies for managing
remote sites, your Network Management System can truly manage your
entire network. Network operators can significantly reduce the costs
of managing large geographically diverse networks and recover
services more quickly no matter how isolated or difficult to get to
a site may seem - all from the comfort of the operators console at
the NOC. More importantly, customers will see their services
experience better performance and less system down time then they
have in the past. To truly manage today’s networks, you can no
longer simply manage your NOC, you must gain control of your entire
network, even that equipment beyond the network operations center.
top
b The World
Space Industry: Back in the Big Time
Euroconsult projects clear skies and a robust growth cycle for the
satellite industry in the next 10 years with performance metrics
showing improvements across the board.
The newly-released 2007 Edition of Euroconsult’s “World Market
Survey of Satellites to be Built & Launched by 2016” projects
increases in market value for the space and launch industries from
2007 to 2016. It also projects more satellite launches in this
10-year period and an increase in satellite weights.
Incorporated in 1982, Euroconsult is a leading international
consulting firm that specializes in providing assessments and
strategic decision-making advice to the communications and space
sector.
Euroconsult estimates the space industry market at $145 billion over
the next 10 years compared to $116 billion from 1997 to 2006. The
value of the satellite market is projected at $104.5 billion (from
$80 billion in the previous decade) while the launch market is
expected to be valued at $40.5 billion (from $36 billion).
The manufacturing market is to be dominated by low Earth orbit
satellites (LEO) while geostationary satellites dominate the launch
market due to the cost of launching into 36,000 km altitude.
Euroconsult expects 960 satellites to be launched worldwide over the
next 10 years compared to 900 in the previous 10 years. Future
satellites will also be heavier at an average of 183 tons of traffic
to the various orbits per year.
Satellite industry growth will be driven by increasing demand from
both government and commercial customers. The manufacturing and
launch industries are entering a new growth cycle whose impact will
be perceptible in the next five years. Innovation and focus on value
for money will be the hallmarks of competitive satellite
manufacturing.
Market growth in the next ten years, however, will continue to be
driven largely by government customers’ demand for satellites and
launch services. Both civilian and military government agencies will
launch 32 percent more satellites than in the past decade.
Demand will come largely from established space powers such as the
USA, Europe, CIS, Japan, China and India. More developing countries,
however, are expected to be involved in satellite programs as proven
by the establishment of 10 new space agencies since 2000.
Satellite demand will be diversified, with civilian programs
expected to represent two- thirds of the 616 government satellites
to be launched over 2007-2016; the remainder will be military
satellites. The proportion of civilian satellites will be higher
than in the past 10-years since military demand will remain focused
on a few countries.
Market shares in the coming years may depend on the ability of
companies to manage their product line-ups, ranging from “basic” to
highly-complex satellites. Maintaining competitiveness in the global
marketplace will likely require increasing research and development
efforts, as well as new marketing alliances between companies if not
capital investment, dual use capabilities and public/private
finance.
Euroconsult believes the industry is entering into a new reshaping
phase. Market penetration of Russian and Ukrainian vehicles are
being challenged by the recent separation of ILS from Lockheed
Martin and by the recent failure of Sea Launch, while the growing
launch rates of Western-made vehicles (Ariane 5ECA, Atlas-5, H-2A)
may result in a redistribution of markets shares.
top
1 Globalstar
Faces Possible System Shutdown
Satellite voice and data provider Globalstar may have some
explaining to do regarding its two-way service if it can't repair
its aging satellite fleet.
According to its filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission earlier this week, many of the company's 40 satellites
are suffering from degraded performance in their S-band antennas,
and the rate of degradation has accelerated. Service could be
affected as early as next year.
"Sometime in 2008, this will have a significant adverse impact on
the company's ability to provide uninterrupted two-way voice and
data services on a continuous basis in any given location,"
Globalstar wrote. "Subscriber service will continue to be available
but, at certain times at any given location, it may take
substantially longer to establish calls and the average duration of
calls may be impacted adversely."
The carrier hasn't been able to fix the problem so far, and it warns
it may not be able to.
Globalstar has eight ground spares scheduled for deployment by a
pair of Soyuz rockets in March and May, respectively. And in
December 2006, Globalstar awarded a contract to Alcatel Alenia Space
for a second-generation constellation of 48 satellites, with the
first spacecraft expected to be available in late 2009. The deal,
worth some $9.7 million, named Alcatel Alenia Space as prime
contractor, charging it with the design, manufacturing and delivery
of the satellites as well as related work including launch-support
services and operations-support services.
In November 2006, Globalstar launched an IPO initially priced at $17
per share and trading on the Nasdaq under the symbol GSAT. At press
time, the stock was trading at $10.29.
top
2
AMC-21 satellite to be launched for SES AMERICOM by Arianespace
Arianespace announced today that it will launch the AMC-21
telecommunications satellite.
AMC-21 is the 26th satellite entrusted to Arianespace by a member of
the SES family of companies (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock
Exchange: SESG) one of the world's leading satellite operators. The
launch of AMC-21 is scheduled for the 2nd quarter of 2008 on an
Ariane 5 vehicle from Europe's Spaceport at the Space Center in
French Guiana.AMC-21, under construction by Alcatel Alenia Space,
will have a liftoff mass of approximately 2500 kg. The satellite is
based on Orbital Science's Star-2 satellite bus, and will provide
high-powered satellite services with its payload of 24 active
Ku-band transponders.
The AMC-21 satellite, which will be operated by SES AMERICOM, is
designed for a minimum operational lifetime of 15 years, and will
offer television and enterprise distribution services across the
United States, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central
America from the orbital position of 125 degrees West.
Edward Horowitz, President and CEO of SES AMERICOM, said, "We
appreciate that Arianespace has incorporated AMC-21 into their first
half 2008 manifest, as there is a high degree of demand for Ku-band
capability in North America." He continued, "AMC-21 is an important
component in our spectrum of service offerings; it is designed to
meet the growth demands of our media, enterprise and new services
customers."
Arianespace CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall said, "We are extremely gratified
to be chosen again by SES to launch one of their satellites, and
advance their coverage of the Americas. It is appropriate that the
contract for AMC-21 follows on the heels of Arianespace's recent
successful launch of another SES satellite, AMC-18."
-----------------
ARTEL Awarded $70 Million in Task Orders to Provide Satellite
Services to U.S. Central Command
ARTEL, Inc., announced that the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has
competitively re-awarded ARTEL two task orders to provide satellite
services to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) in support of U.S
warfighters in the Middle East and Southwest Asia. The awards are
worth more than $70 million if three one-year option periods are
fully exercised.
The task orders were awarded under the Defense Information Systems
Network Satellite Telecommunications Services-Global (DSTS-G)
contract. DSTS-G provides a contractual vehicle for the Defense
Department, federal agencies, and other users authorized by DoD, to
obtain global fixed satellite service (FSS) bandwidth and related
satellite-based services and applications. DoD originally awarded
ARTEL, one of three prime contractors, the DSTS-G contract in 2001.
“In the current global war fighting environment, the integrated
solutions that ARTEL provides are critical to the success of the
missions and programs that are undertaken around the world, often in
remote areas that rely on satellite services for communications
needs,” said Abbas Yazdani, president and CEO of ARTEL. “This
contract win underscores the value of the services that ARTEL
continues to provide to the Department of Defense.”
In areas where U.S. warfighters will be using ARTEL’s services,
little infrastructure is in place for terrestrial services and the
military heavily relies on satellite services to carry out its
missions. Under the task order award, ARTEL will provide satellite
connectivity as well as real-time, proactive monitoring and control
over the day-to-day physical and logical configuration of leased
bandwidth, earth terminals and associated terrestrial
interconnection resources.
top
3
TANDBERG Television Wins $5M+ US MPEG-4 AVC HD Order
TANDBERG Television has received an order, valued in excess of $5m,
from a leading North American satellite direct to home broadcaster
for its market-leading, second generation MPEG-4 AVC EN8090 video
compression systems.
The contract is a continuation of that direct-to-home provider’s
deployment of HD content to local markets. Under IFRS accounting
principles, the revenue is expected to be recognized in the first
half of 2007
top
4 Expand Networks
Supplies 200th Software License to EMS Satcom for its CNX-200
Network Accelerator Airborne Networking Product
Expand Networks, a leading provider of application acceleration
solutions over the WAN, and recently positioned in the Gartner's
Leaders Quadrant for WAN Optimization Controllers 2006, announced
today that EMS Satcom has purchased its 200th license for the Expand
software that is integrated into EMS Satcom's CNX-200 Network
Accelerator - airborne networking equipment.
Certified by the Federal Aviation Administration, the EMS Satcom
CNX-200 Network Accelerator, a member of the CNX Cabin Gateway
Series of products, delivers optimized broadband communications
capability to the airborne market. Global companies and government
officials rely on the CNX-200 device, which incorporates Expand's
unique data compression and acceleration technology, to satisfy
their airborne broadband networking requirements. By leveraging the
Expand Compass Platform. aspxCompass, airborne users achieve up to
five-times the performance possible with traditional networking
equipment.
"Staying connected to the network while on the move has become an
absolute necessity for many corporate and government executives,"
said Howard Teicher, Vice President Public Sector & Satellite
Markets, Expand Networks. "The CNX Accelerator with Expand is the
only solution available today that offers acceleration, compression
and quality of service (QoS) on an FAA-certified platform."
"We rely on Expand technology to give us an edge with our CNX
products," says EMS Satcom's Vice President of Military and
Government Sales, Stephen Newell. "And with a number of the service
providers integrating this product directly into their networks, the
CNX-200 Network Accelerator is rapidly becoming the de facto
standard for airborne networking and broadband communications."
About Gartner's Magic Quadrant
The Magic Quadrant is copyrighted October 2006 by Gartner, Inc. and
is reused with permission. The Magic Quadrant is a graphical
representation of a marketplace at and for a specific time period.
It depicts Gartner's analysis of how certain vendors measure against
criteria for that marketplace, as defined by Gartner. Gartner does
not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in the Magic
Quadrant, and does not advise technology users to select only those
vendors placed in the "Leaders" quadrant. The Magic Quadrant is
intended solely as a research tool, and is not meant to be a
specific guide to action. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express
or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties
of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
About EMS Satcom
EMS Satcom, a division of EMS Technologies, Inc., specializes in the
design and development of satellite-based terminals and antennas for
the aeronautical, ground-mobile, maritime and emergency management
markets. EMS Satcom is a leader in developing and supplying
high-speed data communications equipment that enables vital
communications capabilities such as voice, e-mail and Internet, to a
broad variety of aircraft. With a long history in Search and Rescue,
it also provides leading-edge software and hardware that has helped
save tens of thousands of lives around the globe. Based in Ottawa,
Canada, it has development and sales offices in the U.K., United
States, Mexico and Europe.
About EMS Technologies, Inc.
EMS Technologies, Inc., is a wireless and satellite solutions leader
serving the aeronautical, defence, maritime, commercial space and
supply chain markets. Through its LXE, EMS Satcom, and Defense &
Space Systems divisions, EMS keeps people and their data connected,
wherever they are - on the ground, in the warehouse, in the air or
in space. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, has approximately
1,000 employees world-wide and operates major manufacturing
facilities in Atlanta and Ottawa, Canada.
About Expand Networks
Expand Networks is the pioneer and leader in helping organizations
simplify their IT infrastructure while delivering remote offices
fast, reliable and secure access to networked applications. This
results in improved user productivity and cost-effective IT
management. Expand offers a multi-service integrated platform that
ensures superior performance for any application over any network.
From its headquarters in Roseland, NJ and its global locations,
Expand Networks serves more than 1,450 enterprise and government
customers including: American Express, Bacardi USA, BMW, Continental
Airlines, Carr America, Colgate, Elizabeth Arden, Reed Exhibitions,
Target and United States Department of Defense.
(source: Expand Networks)
Top
5
EchoStar Invests $40 Million in TU Media Corp.
Strategic Investment Furthers Expansion of Emerging Global Mobile TV
Services and Technologies
EchoStar Asia Holdings Corporation, has invested $40 million in TU
Media Corp., South Korea's only operator of satellite digital
multimedia broadcasting (S-DMB) services with more than one million
subscribers. As a result of this transaction, EchoStar becomes the
second largest shareholder of TU Media Corp. SK Telecom, Co. LTD, a
leading mobile operator in Korea, remains the largest shareholder of
TU Media Corp.
"We are pleased to partner with TU Media Corp., a pioneer in
satellite digital multimedia broadcasting, and we see a bright
future ahead for their business," said Steve Schaver, President,
EchoStar International. "Linked together, TU Media Corp., SK
Telecom, and EchoStar can accelerate the adoption of mobile video."
"Strong financial backing from leading providers of
satellite-delivered digital television such as EchoStar will allow
TU Media Corp. to maintain a competitive advantage in mobile
broadcasting services," said Ki-Han Park, Vice President of TU Media
Corp. "Our strategic partnerships afford us the opportunity to
pursue cutting edge and innovative solutions that will define the
next generation of mobile entertainment, and we look forward to
working with EchoStar and SK Telecom to further expand our mobile
video business in Korea and worldwide."
"SK Telecom is proud of the progress delivered by TU Media Corp., as
the milestone of one million subscribers is a significant
achievement," said Shin Cho, Senior Vice President of SK Telecom.
"We look forward to working closely with EchoStar as a strategic
partner, whose more than 13 million subscribers demonstrate a firm
commitment on behalf of the company to provide consumers with the
best value and choice in programming."
Top
6
ORBCOMM Completes Construction of Gateway in Australia
ORBCOMM announced that a new ORBCOMM gateway earth station (GES)
located in Rutherglen, Australia has entered commercial service
allowing ORBCOMM to provide near real-time services in Australia,
New Zealand and other parts of Asia. This new GES is a terrestrial
link to ORBCOMM’s network of low-earth orbit satellites providing
low-cost, near real-time, two-way machine-to-machine (M2M) satellite
communications.
“The unique attributes of ORBCOMM make it an ideal network for a
wide range of M2M applications,” said Christian Allred, Vice
President of International Sales at ORBCOMM. “ORBCOMM, with its
contiguous coverage, is the perfect solution for many mobile and
fixed applications in Australia and New Zealand, many portions of
which are under-served by terrestrial networks.”
“We are extremely pleased to announce commercial service in
Australia and New Zealand, and we look forward to rapid market
development in this region,” said Marc Eisenberg, Chief Marketing
Officer of ORBCOMM. “Our International Value Added Resellers (IVARs)
and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), in most cases, already
have established sales and distribution channels in these markets.
They have been eagerly awaiting the completion of this GES.”
ORBCOMM’s expanding network of ground infrastructure makes it
possible for VARs, IVARs and OEMs to develop a product using a
single global standard and enjoy world-wide operation with a single
airtime agreement and
Top
7
Gilat provides SkyEdge broadband satellite network to Hyperia,
a leading ISP in Nigeria
Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. has been chosen by one of Nigeria's
leading Internet Service Providers, Hyperia Ltd., to provide a
SkyEdge broadband satellite hub, and initially, several hundred VSAT
terminals. The VSAT network will enable Hyperia to expand its
services in West Africa and to provide multiple services such as
broadband IP, telephony, mesh voice, mesh IP and video conferencing.
Gilat's SkyEdge redundant hub, supporting multiple transponders on
both C-band and Ku-band, will be deployed at Hyperia's network
operations center in London.
Hyperia Managing Director Sandeep Jayaswal said, "The continent's
progressive business communities, including large corporations and
banking institutions, are demanding a wide range of services for
corporate applications. We selected SkyEdge because of its excellent
solution for multiple services and network topologies as well as its
ability to support
high quality voice all on a single platform. Gilat's responsive
customer service is another factor that sets it apart from others,
and we believe that this is what makes it a good business partner.
"In Africa, VSAT networks have always been viewed as a reliable,
cost-effective solution with which service providers can enter the
market, provide superior service, and increase their presence
incrementally," said Janna Koretskaya, Gilat's vice president,
Africa. "We look forward to continuing our commercial partnership
with Hyperia as it expands by serving some of the continent's most
important businesses and institutions", she added.
Top
8
Orbital Reports
Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2006 Financial Results
Orbital Sciences Corporation announced financial results for the
fourth quarter and full year 2006. Orbital reported fourth quarter
2006 revenues of $215.8 million, an 8% increase compared to revenues
of $199.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2005. The company’s
fourth quarter 2006 operating income rose 50% to $20.4 million as
compared to $13.6 million of operating income in the comparable
quarter in 2005. Fourth quarter adjusted net income* was $12.5
million in 2006, compared to net income of $7.5 million in 2005, and
adjusted diluted earnings per share* (EPS) was $0.20, compared to
diluted EPS of $0.12 in the fourth quarter of 2005. Orbital reported
fourth quarter 2006 free cash flow* of $2.9 million compared to free
cash flow of $26.5 million a year ago.
For the full year, Orbital reported revenues of $802.8 million in
2006, up 14% as compared to $703.5 million in 2005. Operating income
was $67.9 million in 2006, up 29% as compared to $52.5 million in
2005. Adjusted net income was $39.6 million in 2006, or $0.63
adjusted diluted EPS, compared to net income of $27.8 million, or
$0.45 diluted EPS, in 2005. Orbital reported $78.5 million of free
cash flow for the full year of 2006, compared to $59.1 million in
2005.
Commenting on Orbital’s financial results, Mr. David W. Thompson,
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, “With exceptionally
strong fourth quarter results, Orbital completed an outstanding year
in 2006. The company’s commercial satellite business generated
strong revenue growth and significantly higher operating profit
margins as compared to last year. Our missile defense programs also
continued to post solid results, as did the other products in our
launch vehicles segment. In addition, we completed a long-term debt
refinancing late in 2006, enhancing our capital structure and
significantly reducing future interest costs. We also expect these
positive operational and financial trends to continue in 2007, as we
add human space exploration projects as a new contributor to revenue
growth and profitability for the company.”
New Business Highlights
During the fourth quarter of 2006, Orbital received approximately
$120 million in new firm contract bookings and $40 million in new
option contract bookings. In addition, the company received
approximately $60 million of option exercises under existing
contracts. For the full year, Orbital received approximately $1.05
billion in new firm contract bookings, $430 million in new option
contract bookings and $310 million of option exercises under
existing contracts. As of December 31, 2006, the company’s firm
contract backlog was approximately $1.79 billion, an increase of 42%
compared to its year-end 2005 level. Total backlog (including
options, indefinite-quantity contracts and undefinitized orders) was
approximately $3.43 billion, up 18% over a year ago.
Operational Highlights
In the fourth quarter of 2006, Orbital completed three major space
missions. In October, the Optus D-1 commercial communications
satellite was successfully launched and deployed for Optus Networks
of Australia. Orbital also carried out two successful rocket
launches, both in December, including a Minotaur 1 vehicle for the
U.S. Air Force carrying the TacSat-2 spacecraft and a suborbital
target vehicle in support of a Missile Defense Agency mission.
“For the year as a whole, Orbital carried out 16 major launch
vehicle and space system missions and 18 smaller sounding rocket and
missile target launches. The company also delivered 13 additional
rockets, satellites and other space systems for future deployments,”
said Mr. Thompson. “These highly successful operations increased our
record to 63 consecutive successful major space missions since 2002
and boosted our record to 149 successes out of 151 major space
missions during the past ten years,” Mr. Thompson added.
Orbital’s 2007 operational schedule is expected to be one of the
busiest in the company’s 25-year history. The company plans to carry
out approximately 25 major launch vehicle and spacecraft missions
and to complete and deliver an additional 15 or more launch vehicles
and satellites for future missions. Included in the operational
totals are between 18 and 20 interceptor, space launch and target
vehicle missions and the deployment of up to six spacecraft for
commercial satellite operators and U.S. government customers.
Top
9
Iridium Launches Industry-First Network Quality Guarantee
Iridium Satellite announces a new network quality guarantee program
for customers with a promise of 100 percent satisfaction with
Iridium service.
The "Iridium Network Quality Guarantee" promises credits of up to
100 minutes of airtime, as well as three months free subscription
fees, if the Iridium network fails to complete properly initiated
voice calls from customers' new Iridium handsets.
"Iridium is making this unprecedented offer to customers because we
have the utmost confidence in the reliability of our network," said
Matt Desch, CEO and Chairman, Iridium Satellite. "Year to year, the
Iridium system has consistently maintained an unmatched record of
service in the mobile satellite services industry. Our performance
metrics reveal that Iridium's connection rate for satellite calls is
near perfect."
The Iridium Network Quality Guarantee offer kicks off today,
February 15, 2007, and is valid for new customers using Iridium
handheld satellite phones. If a customer is dissatisfied with the
quality of Iridium's network service within the first 90 days of
service activation, the customer may submit a claim through their
participating Service Provider. Iridium will work with the Service
Provider to ensure issues are not related to user error or improper
usage, and, if possible, will provide assistance to remediate any
problems to the customer's satisfaction. If the claim is deemed
valid, Iridium will promptly issue the customer credits through the
Service Provider. The following Iridium Service Providers have
agreed to extend this industry-first guarantee offer: Global
Satellite USA, Infosat, The MVS Group, Roadpost, Satcom Direct,
Stratos and Telenor Satellite Services. Iridium anticipates others
will follow suit.
Robust, Reliable Satellite Calls Everywhere in the World
In addition to being the only mobile satellite services provider
offering this type of guarantee, Iridium runs the only network
offering ubiquitous pole-to-pole coverage with no services gaps
anywhere on the planet. The company's unique constellation of
cross-linked low-earth orbiting (LEO) satellites provides multiple
layers of built-in redundancy to ensure network reliability. Calls
are handed-off from one satellite to another until they are
downloaded to one of Iridium's terrestrial gateways and patched into
the public-switched telephone system. Iridium's 66 operational
satellites are supplemented by numerous in-orbit spares that can be
activated as needed, and backup gateway facilities are available if
necessary.
"Iridium's user base is increasing by 25 percent annually, as more
and more subscribers are coming to recognise the benefits of global
mobile satellite communications for a broad range of applications,"
said Desch. "Our typical customers are individuals and companies
with a critical need to communicate in places where terrestrial
landlines and cellular phone infrastructures are unavailable,
unreliable or overburdened."
To ensure continuity of service to its customers, Iridium is already
making plans for its next-generation satellite constellation,
"Iridium NEXT." In the meantime, the company continues to invest
heavily in service quality enhancements to the existing satellite
network. Iridium recently opened a new telemetry, tracking and
command/control station in Fairbanks, AK., and is opening another
similar facility in Svalbard, Norway, later this year. These
stations will provide increased redundancy for regulation and
management of the satellites in orbit.
Customers Depend on Iridium for Critical Communications
More than 175,000 users count on the Iridium system day-in and
day-out for dependable communications. Brad Zuercher of Rocky
Mountain Hydrostatics works on offshore pipeline construction
barges, frequently operating under some of the most difficult
weather conditions imaginable.
"Using the Iridium system (from The MVS Group) has been easy and
reliable, and I have never been denied a signal or dial tone,"
Zuercher said. "My ditch bag's contents include (in order of
importance) the 9505A satellite phone with solar charger, and then
food and other stuff. That is how much I trust this phone!"
Chris Groves, a Roadpost customer, understands the need for reliable
communications in one of the world's most remote and hostile
regions. He is proprietor of the Arctic Survival Store on Baffin
Island in Nunavut, Canada.
"We found that other mobile satellite providers simply do not reach
far enough, but the Iridium service covers even the North Pole,"
said Groves, who supplies equipment for lengthy hunting and fishing
expeditions into remote regions of the Arctic Circle. "The Iridium
system offers our travellers a lifeline during emergencies and a
means to call for help when they run out of gas for their
snowmobiles or need more food."
Skipper Joe Harris, a Telenor Satellite Services customer, trusts
Iridium to stay in touch with his family and shore support team from
his Open Class 50 racing sailboat.
"I am most amazed at the Iridium satellite network capabilities when
I am in the middle of the ocean, in horrendous weather with the wind
shrieking in the rigging and waves cascading over the boat," Harris
said. "Even during these extreme conditions, I can be down in the
warm, dry cabin talking to my kids at home as if I were there in the
living room with them."
Top
10 Rumored
Talks Over ShinSat Re-acquisition by Thailand
BANGKOK, Temasek Holdings Pte, investment arm of the Singapore
government, refuses to confirm reports that it is in talks with
Thailand to sell its 41 percent stake in Shin Satellite (ShinSat),
Thailand's only satellite operator that it bought last year. Getting
ShinSat back could cost Thailand some $280 million, according to
Thai government sources.
Council for National Security chairman Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratkalin,
who led the coup d'etat that ousted Prime Minister Thaksin
Shinawatra last year, said previously he wished this "national
asset" would be returned to Thailand.
Thaksin's family sold their 49 per cent stake in Shin Corp to
Temasek Holdings for US$1.9 billion under a tax-free deal in January
2006. Shin Corp is parent company of Shin Satellite plc (ShinSat),
Asia's third largest satellite operator. The sale triggered months
of street protests that eventually led to the military coup that
ousted Thanksin
in September.
Gen. Sonthi said the return of the satellite facilities to Thailand
is part of a strategy of “national salvation.” Recent reports say
two state-owned telecom firms might partner
with Samart Group, a Thai telecoms conglomerate, to buy back Shin
Corp. The two state-owned firms are said to be TOT Corp and CAT
Telecom.
Thai Information and Communications Technology Minister Sittichai
Pokaiudom said a deal would only go through if Temasek were willing
to sell the assets. Sittichai later said his government was in
informal talks with Temasek to buy back ShinSat.
Gen. Sonthi had accused Singapore of monitoring military phone calls
through Temasek's control of ShinSat and Thailand's biggest mobile
phone operator, AIS. ShinSat and AIS have denied the accusations.
Relations between Singapore and Thailand have been strained since
Thaksin visited the city-state in January and met with its deputy
prime minister.
The acquisition of Shin Corp by Temasek Holdings made Singapore
Asia's leading satellite operator. The deal also gave Singapore and
SingTel control over ShinSat's fleet of five satellites, including
the iPSTAR-1 Broadband Internet Satellite or Thaicom-4.
SingTel already controls Australia's SingTel Optus Pty Ltd, the
second largest telecommunications company in Australia, and its
fleet of six satellites while owning capacity on four other Asian
satellites (three from Apstar). Its ownership of both ShinSat and
Optus plus ownership of the ST-1 satellite launched in 1998 makes
SingTel Asia's largest satellite fleet operator with 12 satellites.
Top
11
ILS to Launch Canadian Ciel-2 Comsat
International Launch Services (ILS) will launch the Canadian Ciel-2
satellite on a Proton Breeze M vehicle in late 2008.
Ciel-2 will be the inaugural launch undertaken by the Ciel Satellite
Group, Canada's newest satellite operator. SES Americom Inc., a
minority partner in Ciel, was the contracting agent for the launch.
Financial details were not disclosed.
ILS president Frank McKenna said the company was pleased to have the
opportunity to assist Ciel Satellite in bringing new services to
Canada and the rest of North America. “We also welcome the expertise
of SES Americom, who assisted with the contract on behalf of Ciel.
The SES family is a long-time, valued customer, for whom we have
launched 11 satellites successfully on Proton."
Ciel 2 is a Spacebus 4000 C4 model satellite, the largest Spacebus
class satellite built by Alcatel Alenia, with a mass of 5,575 kg.
From its assigned orbital position of 129 degrees West longitude,
the high-powered Ku-band spacecraft will deliver a variety of
communications services throughout Canada and the larger North
American market.
David Lewis, president and chief executive officer of the Ciel Group
said his organization was pleased to be working with ILS on the
launch campaign for Ciel-2. He said the tremendous operational
experience of the ILS team and that of its technical adviser, SES
Americom, offer Ciel the best possible support leading to the
successful and timely delivery of Ciel-2 for operations at 129
degrees West.
The Proton vehicle, built by ILS partner Khrunichev State Research
and Production Space Center of Russia, has carried out more than 320
missions for the Russian government and commercial customers over
more than 40 years. Proton launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in
Kazakhstan.
ILS is a joint venture of Space Transport Inc., Khrunichev and RSC
Energia. ILS is incorporated in Delaware in the United States, and
is headquartered in McLean, Va., a suburb of Washington, D.C.
Ciel Satellite Group is a Canadian-owned and controlled satellite
operator with a combination of partners, including BPC
Telecommunications Corp., a company controlled by Borealis
Infrastructure and part of the Omers Pension Plan's group of
companies; Canadian satellite pioneer Brian Neill and SES Americom,
an SES company (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: (SESG).
Top
12
India Fast-Tracks Wireless Subscriber Numbers
India's adoption of wireless communications is moving faster than
anticipated, with predictions spiking to more than 265 million users
by 2010 from more than 100 million today.
According to research firm In-Stat, the subcontinent's wireless
carriers will continue to rake in profits, even though Average
Revenue Per User (ARPU) levels have declined significantly and that
downward trend is expected to continue, due to intense competition.
The list of rivals includes Bharti Airtel, BSNL, Reliance, Hutchison
and Idea Cellular (which is shopping its IPO around [TelecomWeb news
break, Feb. 2]). Combined, these players accounted for about 84
percent of the subscriber base in 2005. The company says ARPU in
India is one of the lowest in the world and could fall to $5.60 by
2010.
"The primary growth drivers for the subscriber base include the fact
that India is an under-penetrated market, a low tariff structure,
the increasing ability of the population to afford mobile services
and rapid network expansion by operators," says analyst Mayank Jain.
SingTel, the largest Asian wireless carrier aside from China,
released subscriber numbers earlier today that say it signed 11.5
million new subscribers in 4Q06, with the strongest uptake coming
from SingTel's agents in India and Indonesia. Bharti added nearly 5
million new clients for SingTel in the three months to December
2006.
In separate but related news, the Wi-Fi Alliance, in partnership
with Tonse Telecom, released a 60-page report "The Future for Wi-Fi
in India: Opportunities and Challenges," outlining the emerging
Wi-Fi ecosystem in India. The group predicts that as laptop adoption
and broadband penetration increase, Wi-Fi will experience the wide
adoption already seen in other markets.
Key findings in the paper include:
-
As
broadband wireless access grows, the WLAN network gear sector
will exceed $275 million by 2012 (not including embedded chips),
up from the current $23.1 million
-
The
combined Wi-Fi market (described as consisting of WLAN
networking gear, systems integration and professional services
but not including embedded devices and laptops) is expected to
exceed $744 million by 2012 (CAGR of more than 61 percent).
-
Hybrid Wi-Fi and WiMAX deployments are bringing broadband
connectivity to previously unconnected rural and urban areas
alike.
-
Dual-mode Wi-Fi /cellular handsets show promise for bringing
higher-throughput Internet connectivity to numerous Indian
citizens who don't own computers.
Top
13
Motorola Concludes A Different Kind Of Triple Play
In a wireless-industry hat trick, Motorola completed its acquisition
of Netopia Inc.; signed an agreement with Neotel in South Africa for
RF planning of its WiMAX and CDMA networks; and made an equity
investment in Tango Networks Inc., a privately held supplier of
hardware and software that integrates mobile phones with corporate
telephone networks.
Netopia, for which Motorola announced its intentions last fall (TelecomWeb,
Nov. 15, 2006), provides carrier-class broadband customer premise
equipment (CPE), remote management software and services to telecom
operators on a global basis. The Netopia transaction has a total
equity value of approximately $208 million on a fully diluted basis.
As a combined product portfolio, Motorola says sit now will offer
carriers a full suite of home CPE and remote management software,
providing support for any connected device in the home, including
media hubs, voice gateways, and IP set-tops.
Regarding Neotel, which cut over services in August 2006, Motorola
has been tasked with providing scaleable WiMAX and CDMA solutions to
optimize the South African carrier's network. The network currently
provides basic voice and data services, high-speed Internet (as well
as broadband access), virtual private networks, network management
and hosting services. Moving forward, Motorola and Neotel have
promised to use local Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) suppliers to
conduct site surveys around the country.
To date, Motorola has four WiMAX contract wins and is participating
in 22 WiMAX trials globally.
Finally, Motorola, through Motorola Ventures, its strategic venture
capital arm, made an equity investment of undisclosed size in Tango
Networks. The investment is part of Tango's Series A Financing.
Tango Networks reportedly is developing the Abrazo mobility solution
it says "enables any mobile phone to become a PBX extension on an
enterprise network. Enterprises are able to manage mobile
communications through a corporate-wide mobility policy while
enabling end users to effectively integrate their desk and mobile
phones into one experience."
Top
|
Space Segment acquisition agreements.
Spacenet Inc. announced the launch of the latest generation of its
Connexstar line of satellite networking