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BR-234 February 2006
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ESA Telecommunications
SELECTED PROJECTS - Contents
1. User Segment 4
1.1. Applications 4
1.1.1 Satcom Network Systems and Services 4 BARRD Belgacom DVB-RCS ‘Broadband in the Sky’ Broadband to Trains CollaBOD HOST Pacific Skies SAGAN South West Broadband Initiative Wired Ocean
1.1.2. Community Information Services 16 The Lift Channel Sat’n Surf
1.1.3. B2B/B2C 20 BrandTV EDIBS E-Screen ESEMAR In-Flight Reporting Tool MeCA Multi-PID SATMODE SatServ
1.1.4. Telemedicine/Medical Education 32 DELTASS Health Information Services I-DISCARE MAYFLOWER NESA REACH SKYMED SKYNURSE TEMOS
1.1.5. Distance Learning 44 Espresso SchoolCast SpaceForScience
Telecommunications Satellite Applications
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1.1.6. Location Based Satcom Services 50 AeroFleet Birdcom i4S MUTIS PERUSE Railway Freight Wagon Tracking and Reporting WICOR
1.1.7. Disaster Relief/Emergency Management 60 I-GARMENT SARFOS SASS TRACKS
1.1.8. e-Government 66 e-regSAT
1.2. User Terminals 70 400W C and Ku Band TWT Satcom Amplifiers MMSA PocketSAT Waveguide Lens Antenna
2. Multimedia Systems 76
AmerHis
3. Technology 80
APEX CASIMO ENHANCED SKYPLEX
4. Mobility 86
AMETHYST BGAN Extension CarBuddy SDMB
Telecommunications Satellite Applications
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1. User Segment
The User Segment Project promotes near-to-market development activities in the area of satellite communications that have a direct impact on the user community. User Terminals and Applications are the two main lines of development.
If the Applications represent the final product for which the end users would be eventually willing to pay the bill, the User Terminals constitute the instrument to provide the Applications to the end-user community. The development of Applications and User Terminals are strongly interrelated, to the point that the success of one side of this binomial cannot be achieved without the contribution of the other. The availability of a suitable combination of Applications and User Terminals is therefore crucial to developing the satellite communications market.
1.1. Applications
1.1.1. Satcom Network Systems and Services
This area hosts projects aimed at the development of satellite telecommunication networks and associated elements (hardware and/or software) devoted to providing and supporting general purpose end-to- end connectivity services.
• BARRD - Broadband Access For Rural Regeneration with DVB-RCS • Belgacom DVB-RCS ‘Broadband in the Sky’ • Broadband to Trains • CollaBOD - Collaborative Bandwidth on Demand • HOST - HELLAS SAT Offering in Satellite Communications • Pacific Skies - Broadband for Asia • SAGAN - Web-Based Satellite Capacity Management System • South West Broadband Initiative • Wired Ocean
Telecommunications Satellite Applications
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BARRD - Broadband Access for Rural Regeneration with DVB-RCS
Applications: Satcom Network Systems and Services
"... satellite will have an important role to play in the mix of technologies that will be a part in bridging the digital divide in rural or less privileged areas of Europe" PriceWaterhouseCoopers
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Avanti Communications Ltd. 28-20 Hoxton Square London N1 6NN United Kingdom http://www.avanti-communications.com
CONTACT Avanti Communications Ltd.: Trevor Barker Project Manager E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +44 20 7749 1600 Fax: +44 20 7749 1633
PROJECT PARTNERS: Rural Solutions (UK) Eutelsat (France)
PROFILE:
Countries across the European Union are beginning to appreciate the benefits that rural regeneration can bring to both quality of life and the environment. There is a growing trend of knowledge-based workers migrating from the cities to the countryside to establish small businesses or take up tele-working.
However, one problem that has the potential to slow down this trend is the lack of broadband connectivity to many potential business locations. For a number of years it was believed that ADSL and cable technologies would provide low cost broadband communications for all. However, it is now clear that this will never be the case.
In order to provide the benefits of broadband to businesses in remote locations a different solution is required, a solution that is cost effective, quickly deployable and adaptable to the many varied circumstances encountered in the rural community. To this end, Avanti is conducting a trial of Wireless Internet Points of Presence (WIPoP) in 20 rural business parks across the UK. The WIPoPs employ a combination of technologies, using DVB-RCS to provide back-haul communications and un-licensed 2.4 GHz wireless technology for “last mile” connections.
The project will demonstrate the power of DVB-RCS in providing communications that meets the needs of businesses:
• An “always on”, two-way service • A secure means of transmitting data • A cost effective solution • Fair access to bandwidth • Tiered service levels.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/barrd e-mail: [email protected] October 2004 Satellite Applications
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Belgacom DVB-RCS, “Broadband in the Sky”
Applications: Satcom Network Systems and Services
"Belgacom DVB-RCS enables Service Providers to build their own broadband service based on a shared platform concept. This innovative approach gives them the benefit to start without making massive investments usually necessary.” Stein Peeters, Project Manager, Belgacom
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Belgacom Koning Albert II-Laan, 27, 1030 Brussel Belgium http://www.belgacom.be/satellite
CONTACT BELGACOM: Stein Peeters Project Manager E-Mail : [email protected] Phone: +32 2 202 93 62
PROJECT PARTNER: Newtec (Belgium)
PROFILE:
Belgacom, the leading Belgian telecom operator, has developed a broadband platform that supports the delivery of advanced IP based services to and through multiple service providers. The platform has been developed in cooperation with another Belgian company, Newtec. The project is called Belgacom DVB-RCS, “Broadband in the sky” and builds on the DVB-RCS standard which provides the technological basis for two-way satellite IP communications.
The goal of such a project was to provide Internet service providers with broadband Internet access by enabling them to define and deliver a service package matched to their own market requirements. The main benefit of this business model is the fact that service providers will share the two-way DVB-RCS IP satellite communication platform, resulting in a lower operating cost. As a result, end users will also be able to benefit from more attractive IP services over broadband connectivity via satellite in areas not otherwise connected.
In achieving this, the project team had identified four main challenges: management of resource sharing to enable multiple service providers to use the system, providing service provider operator management access to the system to enable them to manage their terminals and end-users profiles, security aspects of multiple operator access to management systems, and finally testing of relevant usage scenarios.
The service is now commerically deployed. See also www.belgacom.be/satellite.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/belgacom e-mail: [email protected] November 2004 Satellite Applications
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Broadband to Trains
Applications: Satcom Network Systems and Services
“21Net has demonstrated that it really is possible to deliver a business-class broadband service to train passengers - multimegabit data rates over a bidirectional Ku-band satellite link with a high speed train travelling at 300 km per hour.” Henry Hyde-Thomson, Chairman, 21 Net Ltd.
PRIME CONTRACTOR: 21Net Ltd. Anglesey House 1 Worcester Road Malvern WR14 4QY United Kingdom http://www.21net.com
CONTACT 21Net Ltd.: Henry Hyde-Thomson Chairman E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +44-(0)845-053-1733 Fax: +44-(0)1684-580661
PROFILE:
21Net is providing train passengers in Europe with high speed Internet access and entertainment services, including TV, music, and films streamed directly to their own wireless-enabled laptop or PDA.
The 21Net system uses two-way Ku-band satellite links directly to a tracking antenna mounted on the roof of the train travelling at speeds of up to 300 km/h. The satellite link is augmented by “Wi-Fi” and GPRS data links in tunnels, stations and other locations where the satellite may be unavailable.
By equipping the trains with video servers and “Wi-Fi” wireless networks, 21Net gives business-class travellers Internet access and a variety of entertainment services streamed directly to their laptop screens.
Working with Spanish satellite operator Hispasat and a local partner in Spain, 21Net first demonstrated its technology in 2004 on a high speed train operating on the Madrid-Seville route. The 2MBit/s satellite connection was shared by 10 laptops which were able to send and receive e-mails with attachments of 5 MBytes or more, at the same time as receiving real-time streamed video from the Web … all on a train travelling at 300 km/h. Since spring 2005, 21Net has been running a full trial on the Thalys train operating between Brussels and Paris, providing service to as many as 100 users per train simultaneously.
21Net believes that a 2MBit/s downlink and a 512kBit/s uplink per train are necessary to provide business class Internet services and to support broadband services for the train operator and its customers.
All major train operators are looking for Internet access and service solutions for millions of European passengers, preferably without having to manage the service themselves or to modify their trains. 21Net has demonstrated that it can deliver this.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/bb2trains e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications
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CollaBOD - Collaborative Bandwidth on Demand
Applications: Satcom Network Systems and Services
“ Now that user groups can schedule and operate their own satellite sessions, the network operations staff are no longer involved in the day-to-day operations of bandwidth-on-demand user programming. Thanks to CollaBOD, staff are only involved if there is trouble.” Keith Sheppard, Project Manager, Colabnet
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Collaborative Network Technologies Inc. (Colabnet) 55 Bond Street, Suite 202 St. John‘s, NL Canada, A1C 5V3 http://www.colabnet.com
CONTACT COLABNET: Keith Sheppard Project Manager E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +1 709 754-7482 Fax: +1 709 754-7406
PROJECT PARTNER: Telesat (Canada)
PROFILE:
CollaBOD is an integrated Bandwidth-on-Demand management system developed to control satellite circuits in real time and fill a gap between three user groups:
• the satellite network operations centre (central operations) • the programme real-time operators (regional operations) • the regional programme coordinators (advance booking and billing).
‘Central operations’ is a user-group that is involved in the configuration and monitoring of satellite circuits. The ‘regional operations’ user-group is involved in the real-time operation of satellite facilities, shared user facilities, and equipment. The ‘regional coordinators’ user-group is responsible for advance detection of conflicts involving end-user equipment, facilities or bandwidth. CollaBOD provides interfaces for each of these user groups.
CollaBOD has a distributed user interface for the advance reservation of network resources and real time circuit control. Conflicts are detected when the reservations are requested. CollaBOD provides usage-tracking reports for billing and capacity planning. Access to the CollaBOD resources is based on a user profile configured at the central CollaBOD server. Each user is provided with an interface that reflects the subset of resources for which they are responsible. This helps to reinforce the responsibilities of each user within the customer-support network.
CollaBOD is deployed with Telesat Canada which supports projects such as Smart Labrador under Canada’s national Smart Communities Program, where IP-based services are provided to multiple user sites in Canada’s North for data and video- conferencing applications.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/collabod e-mail: [email protected] June 2004 Satellite Applications
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HOST - HELLAS SAT Offering in Satellite Communications
Applications: Satcom Network Systems and Services
“From now on, someone enjoying his holidays in a small beautiful island will be able to have a full broadband access to the internet from his portable computer at affordable prices.” Christos Papachristos, Manager, Communications Network, Hellas Sat S.A.
PRIME CONTRACTOR: HELLAS SAT 99 Kifissias Av. 24 Marousi 151 Athens Greece http://www.hellas-sat.net
CONTACT HELLAS SAT: Christos Papachristos Project Manager E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +30 210 6100600 Fax: +30 210 6111545
PROJECT PARTNERS: Avanti (UK) Intracom (Greece) Attisat (Greece)
PROFILE:
The HOST programme focuses on the development of the Hellas Sat commercial offering in end-to-end satellite telecommunication services for supporting the delivery of bi- directional (broadband) applications in Greece, the Balkans, SE Europe, and the Middle East.
Since its launch last May, Hellas Sat has received several requests for end-to-end satellite telecommunication service provision from a variety of potential customers for applications and generic services in the area of e-Government, e-Business, e-Inclusion/Digital Divide. Also, market data in the area of interest for Hellas Sat support the business case for such an end-to-end service provision.
In order to address this market and complete its basic offering of capacity for TV and occasional transmissions, Hellas Sat and its partners decided to develop an end-to-end satcom service able to HOST a wide range of applications. A range of Pilots will be performed within the project, addressing representative market segments.
The 'HOST Service Platform' will be based on DVB-RCS technology, which will support independent networks providing several kinds of applications within the Hellas Sat coverage. The DVB-RCS standard supports bi-directional broadband connectivity via satellite enabling services such as fast Internet access, intranet/VPN for secure connections, multicast and real time applications.
The forward link, from the central Hub, is based on the DVB-S/MPEG-2 data format and is capable of carrying information with bit rates up to 45 Mbps. At the receiving site, each SIT connected to the network is able to upload at up to typically 2Mbps per carrier in the return direction using a Multi Frequency-Time Division Multiple Access (MF-TDMA) scheme.
The DVB-RCS Multimedia Platform will use Hellas Sat 2 capacity. During the initial stages of the HOST project, a number of pilot trials will be undertaken in the areas of tele-Education, tele-Medicine, e-government, Digital Divide and corporate networks (VPN).
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/host e-mail: [email protected] October 2004 Satellite Applications
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Pacific Skies - Broadband for Asia
Applications: Satcom Network Systems and Services
“Within the Pacific Skies project we have created a ‘hub within a hub’ that allows each ISP to fully manage their own resources without the need for a large capital investment.” Steve Collar, Vice President of Asset Management and Product Development, New Skies Satellites
PRIME CONTRACTORS: New Skies Satellites Newtec Rooseveltplantsoen 4 Laarstraat 5 2596 KR The Hague 9100 Sint-Niklaas The Netherlands Belgium http://www.newskies.com http://www.newtec.be
CONTACT New Skies Satellites: David Burr Director, Internet Product Development E-mail: [email protected] Tel: +31 (70) 306-4202 Fax: +31 (70) 306-4240
CONTACT Newtec: Geert Adams DVB-RCS Program Manager E-mail: [email protected] Tel +32 3 780 65 00 Fax: +32 3 780 65 49
PROJECT PARTNER: Alcatel Bell Space (Belgium)
PROFILE:
The aim of the Pacific Skies project is to develop and pilot a new service, which it is hoped will become a sustainable operational business. The service, branded IPsys Broadband, offers two-way Internet Access for corporate end users and will be distributed through local service providers. The network will support services typically demanded by corporate users, such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) suitable for Intranets and Extranets.
South East Asia has been reluctant to embrace the use of Ku-band, which is necessary to reduce end-user equipment costs to the level required to penetrate the market. The lack of sufficient technical solutions, in turn, leads to a commercial reluctance to invest in Ku-band services.
In order to achieve the goals of the project, a number of developmental objectives must be met:
• The implementation of rain fade countermeasures and turbo-coded return carriers, which are essential in the provision of services in rainy regions such as South East Asia. • The implementation of multi-ISP network management tools, which allow ISPs to operate independent networks within a shared hub, minimizing the investment required for small- and medium-sized ISPs to provide satellite broadband services. • A successful pilot phase with real end users acting as a proof-of-concept and showing the feasibility of two-way Ku-band services for broadband access. Together, these development objectives overcome the technical hurdles and address the reluctance of the market to invest in Ku-band services. It is hoped that the project will seed the market for DVB-RCS services in Asia and lead to an increase in both the number of subscribers and the number of networks in the region.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/pacificskies e-mail: [email protected] September 2004 Satellite Applications
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SAGAN
Applications: Satcom Network Systems and Services
“The system will be a powerful tool to automate and improve the procurement of satellite resources that, until now, is being done by a human operator.” Pedro Lopez, Project Manager, SGI
PRIME CONTRACTOR: SGI Isaac Newton 11 P.T.M. Tres Cantos 28760 Madrid Spain http://www.sgi.es
CONTACT SGI: Pedro Lopez Project Manager E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +34 91 806 16 00 Fax: +34 91 806 16 99
PROJECT PARTNERS: GMV (Spain) Hispasat (Spain)
PROFILE:
SGI, GMV, and Hispasat of Spain have been working together on a project aimed at automating the provisioning of satellite capacity. In the past a human operator is needed to organise the various booking requests for capacity. The task of the operator was to gather requests and identify the best operational mode. SAGAN, consisting of hardware and software, is an automated capacity management system, which allows web-based access to allow the best possible use of ESA-leased satellite capacity.
To achieve all this, the three companies have developed software modules, interfaces and utilities, as well as purchased the necessary hardware. The system is open-source-based and can be accessed with standard http browsers.
The SAGAN webserver can be accessed at: https://sagan.esa.int/sagan
SAGAN has led to a better response to multiple requests for ESA-leased satellite capacity. It is therefore possible to increase efficiency and allow better management of the growing demand for satellite capacity. Distribution of satellite capacity resources has been optimized to the greatest possible extent.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/sagan e-mail: [email protected] November 2004 Satellite Applications
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South West Broadband Initiative
Applications: Satcom Network Systems and Services
“Satellite technology provides a more cost-effective way of delivering internet outside of the larger towns. It’s just cheaper than laying fibre in the ground.” John McAleer, Director of the South West Regional Authority
PRIME CONTRACTOR: South West Regional Authority Innishmore Ballincollig Co. Cork Ireland http://www.swra.ie/broadband/
CONTACT SOUTH WEST REGIONAL AUTHORITY: Ms. Sinead Crowley Project Manager E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +353 21 4876877 Fax: +353 21 4876872
PROJECT PARTNER: Ildana Teo. (Ireland)
PROFILE:
Having secured funding from the European Space Agency under the ARTES 4 Programme, the South West Regional Authority in Ireland and project partner Ildana Teo. have successfully carried out and completed several field trials to test the role of satellite broadband technologies in bringing high-bandwidth connectivity to rural and remote locations in the south west of Ireland.
The fundamental aims and objectives of SWB were:
• through a range of field trials, to independently and rigorously test satellite as a means of accessing broadband connectivity within the business, community, education and public sector domains • to evaluate the suitability of the technology, together with its affordability, usability, sustainability and reliability • to support and sustain innovation in technology and business development, and • to evaluate and disseminate our experiences, for the benefit of other peripheral regions in Ireland and across Europe.
Overall, the project has been a very successful venture in the delivery of satellite broadband to rural areas. It has highlighted the ability of local providers, local or regional authorities or community-based groups to adopt a successful self-help approach to broadband servicing. Although the field trials under SWB have formally ended, some communities have decided to keep the service in place, having experienced for themselves the wide and far-reaching benefits that broadband has to offer.
During the course of the SWB project, significant developments have taken place to address the Digital Divide in Ireland. These include an in-depth review and report by the Oireachtas (Parliamentary) Joint Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, which recognises the potential of satellite technology. The project has also very successfully raised the profile of satellite broadband across much of the European Union, with a significant influence on the Digital Divide debate also in the USA.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/swb e-mail: [email protected] July 2004 Satellite Applications
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WIRED OCEAN
Applications: Satcom Network Elements
“Compared to commonly used existing systems the Wired Ocean system has the potential to increase Internet access speeds at sea by a factor of ten and to reduce costs by a factor of 70% to 90%.” Victor Barendse, Project Manager, Actinus
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Wired Ocean 301B Harbour Yard Chelsea Harbour London SW10 0XD United Kingdom http://www.actinus.com
CONTACT WIRED OCEAN: Victor Barendse Project Manager Email: [email protected] Phone: +44 20 8440 6254 Fax: +44 20 7751 5516
PROJECT PARTNER: Hollycroft Associates (UK)
PROFILE:
Wired Ocean's objective is to significantly improve the availability of Internet access from ships at sea. Compared to commonly used existing systems the Wired Ocean system has the potential to increase Internet access speeds by a factor of ten and to reduce costs by a factor of 70% to 90%.
The chosen technology is a 'hybrid' of broadband Ku-band satellites for the downlink and narrowband mobile satellites (or cellular) for the return channel. Wired Ocean has already developed a specialised client server (the Wired Ocean Satellite Broadband Server) to manage the communications sessions at the ship end. The server interfaces to a tracking TV receive only (TVRO) antenna to receive the downlink and to a narrowband terminal for the return channel. Many ships already have either a TVRO antenna or narrowband terminal or both.
The objective of the project is to implement a DVB downlink service, integrate it with the client server, develop features to minimise the overall cost of use and implement support functions. Wired Ocean will need to meet a number of requirements that are unique to the maritime industry including coverage of water rather than land, providing Internet access at an orbital location that also has popular television programming, and providing service to remote locations that have minimal IT support.
Once operational the system will be trialled by ten vessels over a six month period. The trial will enable us to demonstrate the performance and stability of the system and well as to meet and resolve the issues that only become apparent in real world operation.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/wiredocean e-mail: [email protected] August 2005 Satellite Applications
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1.1.2. Community Information Services
These activities are dedicated to the provision of satcom-based applications and services to the benefit of specific communities or user groups.
• The Lift Channel • Sat’n Surf
Telecommunications Satellite Applications
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The Lift Channel
Applications: Community Information Services
"The Lift Channel will exploit a niche market within the Digital Signage industry". Seamus O'Leary, Technical Director, Inhouse Technologies
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Inhouse Technologies Unit 4a, Block 42 Rosemount Business Park Blanchardstown Dublin 11 Ireland http://www.iht.ie
CONTACT Inhouse Technologies: Seamus O’Leary Technical Director E-mail: [email protected] Phone: (+353) 1 8829705 Fax: (+353) 1 8829710
PROJECT PARTNER: DV4 (Ireland)
PROFILE:
The In House Technologies (IHT) Lift Channel system is a multimedia technology platform. It enables multimedia clips to be assembled for any purpose and then simultaneously transmitted to any number of remote locations across Europe. The content is distributed via satellite and then presented on screens in business locations or within the lift compartment of a normal lift system. It is based around the growing Digital Signage industry. The project has completed development of the service and trials with a number of different organisations.
Any kind of media can be displayed from moving video with audio, to still pictures and graphics. The system can be used for advertising purposes and many different applications such as information sharing, the provision of safety information and topical news relevant to a particular organisation. The system allows the screen to be partitioned with live video, audio, a ticker tape and graphics such as logos, all broadcast simultaneously.
The targeting of small demographic groups is possible using this approach. Many buildings are occupied by a single organisation or the tenants may be of a single discipline. Examples of discipline-specific developments include financial districts and technology parks. The overall percentage of ABC1 individuals reached by this system will be very high and with a fairly even split between male and female.
The opportunity for Inhouse Technologies is to build a presence in what is an as yet untapped and large marketplace using ostensibly existing technology. To make this happen IHT will have to form alliances with stakeholders and advertisers.
The work packages within this project were completed by Inhouse Technologies and DV4 of Dublin Ireland and in association with other stakeholders. Inhouse Technologies and DV4 envisage setting up a separate organisation to operate, develop and sell the advertising slots.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/liftchannel e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications
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Sat’n Surf
Applications : Community Information Services
“Sat@Once aims to transform the Internet into a new medium rivalling that of radio and TV.” Vu Tien Khang, Project Manager, SES ASTRA
PRIME CONTRACTOR: SES ASTRA Château de Betzdorf L-6815 Luxembourg http://[email protected]
CONTACT SES ASTRA: Vu Tien Khang Project Manager E-mail : [email protected] Phone : +352 710 725 615 Fax : +352 710 725 433
PROJECT PARTNERS: Deutsche Welle (Germany) CRP Henri Tudor (Luxembourg) Technisat GmbH (Germany)
PROFILE:
Sat’n Surf builds upon the success of the Sat@Once project, which was concluded in mid-2004.
The Sat@Once platform provides a community service that distributes the most popular Internet content free-of-charge to people equipped with a Windows PC, a DVB-S receiver card (or USB box), and a dish pointed to ASTRA at 19.2 deg East.
It uses software called “Casablanca” (4.8 MB) that can be downloaded free of charge. The purpose of Casablanca is to select the most popular free Internet content, as determined by the quantity of online visitors, and to broadcast these pages via satellite 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The votes of from the individual Sat@Once users will decide on the actual content being broadcast. In addition, an intelligent filtering algorithm will profile the user’s personal fields of interest.
By mid-2005, more than 140 000 users were registered across Europe and North Africa. Sat@Once transmits more than 250 different sets of content simultaneously on three parallel channels: one channel is dedicated to Italian content, one channel dedicated to German content and a third channel for the rest of Europe (French, English, Polish, Czech, Spanish).
Starting in September 2005, there will be five distinct services broadcast by the platform in the scope of the Sat’n Surf project:
• Webcasting: multicast of most popular web pages • RSS feeds: multicast of most popular RSS links and related web pages • Podcasting: multicast of most popular podcasts and container web pages • Newscasting: multicast of most popular newsgroups • Mailcasting: multicast of most popular mailing lists.
Most importantly, the popularity of the Sat@Once platform has motivated the German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle to assess the usability of Sat@Once as a new information, education and entertainment medium on top of their current Internet offering. In addition, an improved private user profiling and filtering mechanism is to be implemented by the Centre de Recherche Public Henri Tudor (CRP-HT). Furthermore, SES ASTRA is working to expand the audience-measurement and content-management tools to improve the use of Sat@Once as a new advertising channel, with a business model similar to commercial television.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/satnsurf e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications
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1.1.3. B2B/B2C
This section hosts activities dealing with the generic distribution of digital assets and interactive services for commercial applications.
• BrandTV • EDIBS – Embedded DVB Services • E-Screen • ESEMAR • In-Flight Reporting Tool • MeCA – Marine eCommerce Applications • Multi-PID • SATMODE • SatServ
Telecommunications Satellite Applications
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BrandTV
Applications: B2B/B2C
“In the increasingly competitive high street market BrandTV allows customers to differentiate themselves from their competitors. With the capability to add corporate branding and personalise text information, BrandTV provides a cost effective means of delivering a bespoke television channel without the complexity of a full broadcast studio.” Paul Griffiths, Technical Director, Satellite Information Services
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Satellite Information Services 17 Corsham Street London N1 6DR England http://www.satelliteinfo.co.uk
CONTACT Satellite Information Services: Steve Barber Technical Projects Manager E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +44 (0) 20 7696 8605 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7608 0834
PROJECT PARTNERS: Coral Eurobet (UK) Hollycroft Associates (UK) Onelan Limited (UK)
PROFILE:
BrandTV gives the user the power of a broadcast studio, without the outlay for equipment or satellite bandwidth.
Initially designed for use within SIS’s existing high street betting-shop market, BrandTV is sufficiently flexible to be used in many circumstances where a user needs to produce customised marketing information for the retail and leisure market.
BrandTV uses a clean-feed video signal, locally overlays a corporate logo and then adds text information in a “Bloomberg” style layout around the video. Corporate branding is seen as a key factor in enhancing corporate profile and in increasing brand loyalty. The text information is derived from an XML source, which may be edited or appended to by a user through a web interface. This information is sent as IP-over- satellite to each user group, with shared usage of a clean-feed video signal, making the system suitable for customers of any size, and who also make efficient use of limited satellite bandwidth. The system is addressable either by single site or in groups (for example by region, or by shop size).
Through its “store and forward” capability, BrandTV gives the opportunity for users to broadcast training videos or corporate staff messages to their closed user group. Playout of media files may be instigated locally or through a broadcast trigger message. The decoder can hold approximately 10 hours of video media files (depending on data rate/quality required).
BrandTV builds onto the “Satellite Electronic Signage” project from Onelan, which was itself developed under an ESA ARTES 3 contract.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/brandtv e-mail: [email protected] October 2004 Satellite Applications
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EDIBS - Embedded DVB Services
Applications: B2B/B2C
“PVRs and other digital timeshift devices and technologies dramatically endanger the commercial basis of free TV by enabling recipients to completely wipe out advertisements. Imagine if a TV-station could directly reward every recipient for every viewed spot. EDIBS® makes it possible and adds a new dimension of customer relationship for broadcasters!” Harald Hackenberg, Managing Director F5
PRIME CONTRACTOR: F5 GmbH Odoakergasse 34-36 1160 Vienna Austria http://www.f-5.at
CONTACT F5 GmbH: Harald Hackenberg Managing Director E-mail: [email protected] Phone: + 431 888 6545 Mobile: +43 676 9376971 Fax: +43 8863164
PROJECT PARTNERS: Institut für Computerwissenschaften, Universität Salzburg (Austria) Mitropa (Austria) ORF (Austria)
PROFILE:
EDIBS® enables broadcasters to counteract the challenges of TiVO® and other PVR devices which seriously endanger the commercial basis of free TV by encouraging recipients to skip advertisements. Offering EDIBS, TV stations can promote and reward their audience for viewing habits that do not disregard their commercial interests. EDIBS is a DVB-compliant technology which is partly based on MHP. It works with most MHP-compliant set-top boxes equipped with a hard disk recorder without any hard- or software adaptations.
The ECS (embedded content server) enables broadcasters to embed additional video clips of an unlimited size and in broadcast quality into their TV programme without requiring additional transmission bandwidth. Once additional content is transmitted, it will be received and managed by the MHP-compliant EDIBS client application. The broadcaster defines the criteria for viewers to be able to make use of this additional content.
EDIBS offers more than the innovative technology. A wide range of content services has been developed offering breathtaking benefits not only to broadcasters, but also to TV customers. Following frequent-customer bonus programmes, which are common for a number of branches, one EDIBS service will allow recipients for instance to collect embedded content which their favourite TV-station spreads throughout its programme until they have received a complete bonus movie.
The EDIBS technology and services create a new dimension for interactive television while strengthening the relationship between TV-stations and their customers.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/edibs e-mail: [email protected] October 2004 Satellite Applications
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E-Screen
Applications : B2B/B2C
"Anticipating the future of Digital Cinema, E-Screen is also a proof of concept for the application of satellite technologies to the cinema domain." Silvio Borri, Project Manager, Elsacom
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Elsacom S.p.A. Via Giulio Vincenzo Bona, 87 00156 Rome Italy http://www.elsacom.com
CONTACT ELSACOM: Silvio Borri Program manager for Digital Cinema & New Media E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +39 06 4121 4320 Fax: +39 06 4121 4300
PROJECT PARTNERS: United Cinemas International (UK) Screen Digest (UK) Cinecitta Holding (I – Sponsoring Partner) Marinastudios (I – Sponsoring Partner)
PROFILE:
The E-Screen project has been aimed at implementing and operating a network of 10 cinemas in various European countries, equipped with digital technologies for content storage and projection, and served by satellite connections for the reception of contents in both live and store & forward modes.
E-Screen has been the first D-Cinema multinational and multilanguage network across Europe to be served by a single delivery and remote control station, which was located at the Elsacom earth station in Avezzano (Italy). From this earth station the 1st satellite delivery of a movie to cinemas ever done in Europe was performed. In the period March-April 2005, four classic movies (“Robin Hood”, “Singin’ in the Rain”, “Blow Up” and “Casablanca”) were digitally post-produced by the E-Screen partners, delivered via satellite and then projected inside European cinemas, with a very good response from the audience in terms of image quality.
The E-Screen project also hosted three live events, including a rock concert of the Italian group “Le Vibrazioni”, the projections of many blockbusters digital movies coming from the Hollywood majors, the projection of digital short movies and digital screen advertising.
While anticipating the trends of Digital Cinema, E-Screen has constituted a remarkable example of how satellite technologies can easily be integrated with the audiovisual ones, providing some important evidence on how a satellite-based proposition for Digital Cinema (and related applications, such as advertising and live events) can be of great success in just a few years from now.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/e-screen e-mail: [email protected] August 2005 Satellite Applications 24 ALLsheets-BR234NEW 2/10/06 11:50 AM Page 25
ESEMAR
Applications: B2B/B2C
“Imagine you are working, travelling or cruising aboard vessels. We help you stay in contact with your maritime travel or tourism organisation.” Pier Paolo Simionato, Project Manager, Telespazio
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Telespazio Via Tiburtina 965 Rome 00156 Italy http://www.telespazio.it
CONTACT TELESPAZIO: Pier Paolo Simionato Project Manager E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +39 06 4079 3052 Fax: +39 06 4079 3625
PROJECT PARTNERS: ITS (Italy) Ash Multimedia (Italy)
PROFILE:
The aim of the ESEMAR project is to increment the information flow between all those in the maritime travel or tourism organisations and the people working, travelling or cruising aboard vessels. ESEMAR can be thought of as an overlay network built to deliver content and allow access to a distributed audience. The actors with respect to this content distribution network can be grouped as follows:
• Companies or organisations wishing to offer information or market their travel and tourism products to a wide, geographically distributed audience. • Individual travellers or organisations searching for information or interested in booking everything they need online.
The operations are conducted in cooperation with TIRRENIA, a major shipowner and sailing group providing its services within the main Mediterranean routes. The services proposed to ESEMAR users are “business opportunity oriented” services and, in essence, can be summarized as follows:
- Internet access, over local content (1-way) or high speed (only on 2-way terminals) - Video-advertising. - Tourist e-booking. - Telephonic services through VoIP (only on 2-way terminals).
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/esemar e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications
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In-Flight Reporting Tool
Applications: B2B/B2C
“The ability to transfer important data en-route enables efficient processing of the aircraft during the aircraft turnaround cycle.” Ciaran Bernard, Project Manager, AMT Ireland
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Aircraft Management Technologies 1 The Green Malahide Co. Dublin Ireland http:// www.flightman.com
CONTACT Aircraft Management Technologies: Ciaran Bernard E-mail:[email protected] Phone:+353-1-8061000 Fax: +353-1-8061025
PROFILE:
The project objective was to provide a reporting system that would enable the in-flight reporting of airline operational data over satellite communication systems. The reporting system provides the Flight Crew and Cabin Staff with the ability to issue reports during all phases of flight. A ground-based server makes the reports available to both authorised personnel and legacy airline systems in real time over the Internet. The ability to transfer important data en-route enables efficient processing of the aircraft during the aircraft turnaround cycle.
The system is comprised of onboard and ground-based components. The onboard components enable a user to generate reports and ensure the dissemination of these reports over the appropriate communication channels, such as satellite, WiFi, GPRS and SMS. The ground component then makes the received reports available to authorised personnel via the Web, e-mail or SMS alerts. The reports are also translated and forwarded to existing airline systems.
The ability to assign value to data is a key requirement for effective use of available communication channels. For data of high value, such as critical defects or important operational data, it is essential to transfer the data en-route via satellite. For data of lesser value, such as manuals or updated schedules, data can be transferred during the turnaround cycle using low-cost GSM/GPRS or WiFi links.
Through the application of Satellite and Internet technology, an effective platform has been provided for the in-flight reporting of airline operational data. This platform ensures that aircraft are more efficiently processed during the turnaround cycle, offering significant economic gains for the airline.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/inflightreportingtool e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications
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MeCA - Marine eCommerce Applications
Applications: B2B/B2C
“Technological advancements from the MeCA project will benefit both marine operators and passengers. In addition to commercial applications, real-time data collection and reporting will improve vessel safety and performance with navigational and weather analysis.” Roger Flood, President and CEO of Marine Atlantic
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Telesat Canada 1601 Telesat Court Ontario, K1B 5P4 Canada http://www.telesat.ca
CONTACT Telesat: Abdul Lakhani Senior Broadband Architecture Specialist/Manager Broadband Technology Department E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +1 613-748-0123 Fax: +1 613-748-8712
PROJECT PARTNERS: Colabnet (Canada) Marine Atlantic (Canada) Woodwards Group of Companies (Canada) Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland (Canada) SmartLabrador (Canada)
PROFILE:
Through previous projects such as MIST (Marine Interactive Satellite Technologies),Telesat and its partners have validated the concept of using satellite- based IP technologies for marine broadband service delivery. This led the MeCA project to adapt commercially deployed Ku-band satellite technologies to provide full- time IP connectivity in the marine environment. This technology is also used as the basis for a commercial service offering to fleet operators that would also allow an economic return to the operator through revenues generated through enhanced passenger services such as on-vessel information services, VoIP communications, banking services (e.g. ATM access), and wireless and kiosk-based Internet access.
On successful demonstration of eCommerce applications under the MeCA project, Infosat, a wholly owned subsidiary of Telesat, is now providing commercial services to Marine Atlantic for its three vessels (MV Joseph and Clara Smallwood, MV Caribou, MV Leif Ericson) which provide a vital marine transportation link between Newfoundland and Labrador and mainland Canada. Infosat is also providing commercial services to Woodwards Group for its two vessels (MV Northern Ranger, MV Sir Robert Bond) serving coastal Labrador. Infosat is continuing to actively promote the eCommerce services in the marine environment.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/meca e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications
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Multi-PID - Broadcast Media Monitoring System
Applications: B2B/B2C
“Content owners and advertisers are desperate for a cost effective way of monitoring when and where their products are aired on the proliferation of broadcast channels. Mutli-PID uses digital audio watermarking and an all-digital monitoring architecture to provide reliable and cost-effective monitoring of all the major European TV and radio stations.” Andy Middleton, Managing Director, AI Satcom Limited.
PRIME CONTRACTOR: AI Satcom Limited 50 Minsterley Avenue, Shepperton, Middlesex TW17 8QT United Kingdom
CONTACT AI Satcom Ltd: Andy Middleton Project Manager E-mail : [email protected] Phone : +44 7775 667140
PROJECT PARTNERS: V2 Music Group (UK) Ishce Limited (UK) Novra Technologies Inc (Canada)
PROFILE:
In the world of broadcasting, media organisations such as music companies, production companies and advertisers generate huge revenues from their valuable content. These companies are desperate to have an independent and easy to use method of knowing when and where their products are being played on the broadcast channels. The advent of digital audio watermarking now allows media companies to insert inaudible watermarks into their products. The only remaining hurdle is to develop a cost-effective monitoring system to cover the main European broadcast channels.
The objective of the “Multi-PID” project was to develop and demonstrate a state-of-the- art system to allow multiple DVB channels to be filtered and routed over a local area network for subsequent processing, monitoring and reporting of digital watermarks. The Multi-PID project implemented this key hub technology and supporting infrastructure to create an extremely cost-effective way of monitoring the numerous broadcast satellite channels. The project provided a generic and modular architecture that may be used in a number of commercial applications.
The ARTES-3 pilot trial gave an ideal opportunity to test the technology in an operational broadcast environment. Content from V2 Music Group was watermarked and subsequently monitored across a wide range of European broadcast stations, including both music tracks on major radio stations and videos on the many music TV stations. The watermarking proved to be highly reliable and “lessons learnt” were fed back into further improving the system and processes.
Following the success of the ARTES-3 trial in monitoring music tracks and videos, the Multi-PID service is now running as a commercial service. The service has been expanded and enhanced and is now supporting customers from both the content and advertising market segments.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/multi-pid e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications
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SATMODE
Applications: B2B/B2C
"SATMODE will add a new dimension to satellite distribution for our media customers. The television industry is embracing all forms of interactivity and our ability to provide satellite-based interactivity on a large scale, and at low cost, will further encourage the development of interactive services. When fully implemented, the system will enable simultaneous and real-time responses by millions of TV viewers to questions or other types of interactive material presented on screen." Ferdinand Kayser, CEO, Astra
PRIME CONTRACTOR: SES ASTRA S.A. Château de Betzdorf 6815 Betzdorf Luxembourg http://www.ses-astra.com/
CONTACT SES Astra: Jean Pierre Choffray Project Manager – SES Global E-mail: [email protected] Phone: (+352) 710725-401 Fax: (+352) 710725-9482
PROJECT PARTNERS: NDS (France) Newtec CY N.V. (Belgium) SES-Global S.A. (Luxembourg) STMicroelectronics S.A. (France) Thomson Multimedia R&D S.N.C. (France) SpaceBridge SemiConductor Corp. (Canada)
PROFILE:
SATMODE aims to develop a low-cost, two-way communication channel that will connect TV consumers to each other, to their entertainment providers and to other communication infrastructures. Remote interactivity is the key element needed for the continued growth of digital television and there is a strong demand for TV enhancements using interactivity. SATMODE provides the secure, real time, always on, instantaneous connectivity this interactivity requires.
One of the major benefits of SATMODE is that it is very scalable and can address a mass market of several million users. It also provides 100% coverage, which is not the case for xDSL, ISDN or mobile phone services. SATMODE’s performance closely matches the end-user requirements as well as the interactive provider and broadcaster requirements.
Services that SATMODE is covering are for instance: • Tele- Voting, Polls, Play-along, Quiz • Interactive advertising • Home shopping • Personal Data Consultation/banking • Chat, SMS, E-mail • Instant Messaging System (IMS), Multimedia Messaging System (MMS)
The antenna is as easy to install as current TV receive-only dishes. It gets rid of the need to connect a Set-Top-Box to a PSTN line, thus removing an obstacle for TV viewers to using interactive application. For the interactive provider and broadcaster, SATMODE provides an efficient alternative to existingterrestrial return channels. This can lead to a substantial revenue increase due to churn reduction, incomes fromnew services, interactive advertisement and piracy control, etc. The proposed SATMODE programme comprises the development of an ultra-low-cost satellite interactive system, which includes all required activities, including commercialfield trial.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/satmode e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications
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SatServ
Applications: B2B/B2C
“The C-MAP Norway Satellite Service Project provides updated navigational information directly to the end-users.” Terje Grastveit, Project Manager, C-MAP Norway AS
PRIME CONTRACTOR: C-MAP Norway AS PO Box 212 Egersund 4370 Norway http://ww.c-map.no
CONTACT C-MAP Norway AS: Terje Grastveit Project Manager E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +47 51464700 Fax: +47 5146701
PROFILE:
C-MAP aims to become the one-stop-shop for all nautical information necessary for safe navigation. It aims to:
• Improve the real time chart updating service to include new chart editions • Provide access to maritime navigational information, such as weather and tidal information • Supply accurate and up-to-date data for weather routing systems.
Apart from the real time chart updating service, the SatServ project in particular enables C-MAP to improve online access to navigational information via a single communication terminal. The application is designed to use all SatCom solutions currently available to service customers who have already installed a communication platform. This will reduce their costs and avoid any need for extra equipment.
The aim of the SatServ development was to verify compliance with the most frequently used satellite communication terminals.
The client part (known as the C-MAP Terminal) supports all common standards and protocols being used onboard vessels today, and will also be able to update itself when online. It can be used on stand-alone communications computers and can support ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems)/ECS (Electronic Chart Systems) with backwards compatibility. The server part (known as the C-MAP Data Centre) supplies the onboard terminal software with all existing and future nautical information available from C-MAP.
The main benefit of this system is that it ensures safer navigation as the navigators will have constant real time access to the latest nautical information. The workload for the navigators can be lowered as the information is automatically or semi- automatically loaded directly into their ECDIS/ECS. The distribution of data is more efficient and demands less logistics than the current method of sending CD-ROM’s. It is a great benefit to be able to get a varied portfolio of nautical information from a single supplier and be able to monitor the information from a single user interface.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/satserv e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications 30 ALLsheets-BR234NEW 2/10/06 11:50 AM Page 31 ALLsheets-BR234NEW 2/10/06 11:50 AM Page 32
1.1.4. Telemedicine/Medical Education
This area hosts activities dealing with healthcare related applications, including emergency consultations, tele-consultations, medical research, access to multimedia patient databases and support to medical education.
• DELTASS • Health Information Services • I-DISCARE • MAYFLOWER • NESA – Next Generation Emergency Satellite Assistance • REACH – Remote Assertive Community Homecare • SKYMED • SKYNURSE • TEMOS
Telecommunications Satellite Applications
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DELTASS
Applications: Telemedicine/Medical Education
“DELTASS, a satellite communication based system to help healthcare emergency operations particularly in critical situations as disaster context and a solution to improve search, diagnosis and therapeutic intervention on victims in medical emergency situations.” Malecka Saleman, Project Manager, CNES
PRIME CONTRACTOR: CNES (French Space Agency) 18 Avenue Edouard Belin 31401 Toulouse, France http://www.cnes.fr
CONTACT CNES: Malecka Saleman Project Manager E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +33 5 6127 41 62 Fax: +33 5 6128 33 89
PROJECT PARTNERS: MEDES (France) EADS DORNIER (Germany) Alcatel Space Industries (France) EADS Systems and SPACEBEL (Belgium) Defence Electronics (France) CHARITE SRU OP 2000 (Germany)
PROFILE:
DELTASS (Disaster Emergency Logistics Telemedicine Advanced Satellites System) is a mobile telemedicine demonstrator designed to improve the efficiency of the management of rescue, first aid and emergency operations in Disaster Telemedicine contexts such as earthquakes or large explosions. The project, developed under the ESA Telecom User Segment, aims at demonstrating the capability of satellite-based systems to answer basic requirements of Disaster Telemedicine with effective and affordable solutions.
The different components of the DELTASS system are:
• Mobile Teams , deployed at the disaster site for search, first triage and victim evacuation. They are equipped with portable telephones and PDA's and/or Portable Telemedicine Workstations (PTW) for the transmission of locally recorded data to the Permanent Centre (PC) or to the Mobile Field Hospital (MFH) operators. MT's are equipped with GPS for real-time localisation and data transfer to PC's and MFH's. Equipment allows phone communication between them and the PC or MFH and other hospitals. • A Permanent Centre (PC), possibly located in a region providing humanitarian help. It receives voice and data communications from MT's, manages and redirects this to a Reference Hospital (RH) and MFH. The PC carries out co-ordination and medical functions while the MFH is deploying. • A Mobile Field Hospital (MFH), deployed at disaster sites providing co-ordination of MT's on disaster site, triage, reception, first aid treatment, conditioning for transportation, management of victim evacuation, medical expertise for patients through access to external medical databases or videoconferences between MFH's and Reference Hospital’s (RH). The MFH is equipped with medical means, databases and telecommunication systems. • A Reference Hospital (RH), located in a region or foreign country which acts as a medical knowledge centre for the MFH providing further medical expertise, triage and medical treatment, by interactive telemedical services. Healthcare services of the MFH are improved by: tele-services, telemedical and database applications installed at both sites.
The DELTASS system shows that satellites systems are indeed very well adapted to disaster situations, where usually ground infrastructures are partly or even totally destroyed. Even in a large geographic or isolated area, space based services can easily and quickly be deployed in a cost-effective way. DELTASS was run in the period July 2001 – December 2002.ESA is currently running the co-funded project I-DISCARE (as part of the ARTES 3 Line 1 programme element) to get the concept developed in DELTASS into the hands of real users for actual emergency cases.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/deltass e-mail: [email protected] July 2003 Satellite Applications
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Health Information Services
Applications: Telemedicine/Medical Education
Michael Nuhn, Managing Director, TeleSana
PRIME CONTRACTOR: TeleSana Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsinformationen mbH Taubenstraße 1 10117 Berlin Germany
CONTACT Tele Sana Gesellschaft für Gesundheits-information mbH: Michael Nuhn Managing Director E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +49 30 2060 791-0 Fax: +49 30 2060 791-5
PROJECT PARTNERS: Real Media – Munich – Berlin (Germany) NDSatcom – Friedrichshafen (Germany)
PROFILE:
Health Information Services is a television based information platform for the distribution of medical and general information for doctors and medical personnel in surgeries and at other medical sites and for the information and entertainment of patients waiting at these sites.
The basic considerations for implementation of this new service offer are:
• Health Care is one of the key topics for the global community • An ageing society has an increasing need for information in the sectors of medicine, prevention, health-systems • Doctors are facing a large and rapidly changing offering of scientific information and education • Certification of Qualification will build further need for dedicated training and information platforms • Market participants such as the Pharmaceutical Industry, Health Insurance Companies, Medical Associations and Public Services are looking for more efficient ways of B2B and B2C communication
Patients receive TeleSana live, a continuously broadcast live-programme covering selected health issues embedded in news-orientated infotainment.
For doctors and medical staff TeleSana professional provides a platform for specialized information for use on demand at any time and with an interactive response possibility.
These channels can be customized to supply individual content to selected user groups in connection with regional demands or medical service specializations. Health Information Services will use satellite communication to reach both target groups – patients and doctors – with a mixed content stream of DVB and IP.
The results of an independant market research showing approving ratings of the different issues up to over 80% are confirming the TeleSana concept in its entirety, among others especially the programming based on health issues and news.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/his e-mail: [email protected] July 2005 Satellite Applications
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I-DISCARE
Applications: Medical Education
“Based on satellite technologies the I-DISCARE system allows the bringing together of viable support for medical activities in remote, mobile and disaster situations.” Bernard Comet, Project Manager, MEDES
PRIME CONTRACTOR: MEDES (Institute for Space Medicine and Physiology) 1 Avenue Jean Poulhes 31403 Toulouse France http://www.medes.fr
CONTACT MEDES: Bernard Comet Head of Applications Department E-mail: bernard.comet@medes.fr Phone: +33 5 3431 96 14 Fax: +33 5 3431 96 01
PROJECT PARTNERS: Elsacom (Italy) Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine, NST (Norway)
PROFILE:
I-DISCARE, derived from an earlier system called Disaster Emergency Logistics Telemedicine Advanced Satellites System (DELTASS), is one of the few possible solutions for rescue services when natural or man-made disasters destroy the telecommunications network. Medical emergency services, military medical services and humanitarian medical organisations will benefit from this system. I-DISCARE was tested by 11 organisations between January 2003 and January 2005. At the end of the project the system is commercially available on either a sale or lease basis from a new company MEDESSAT created in Toulouse in 2005 .
Originally conceived as a system solely for use in disaster areas where local communications had been destroyed - such as earthquake, tsunami, flooded areas - its planned range of applications has since been broadened for isolated and mobile sites.
“After the DELTASS and I-DISCARE trials it became obvious that the overall system or parts of it would also be applicable in a wide range of contexts short of full-scale disaster," said Bernard Comet of MEDES.
The system makes full use of Compact Data Terminals, Ambulance Terminals and Portable Telemedicine Workstations, as well as satellite phones. Search and Rescue (SAR) workers use these for initial patient identification and triage. A patient’s vital signs such as electrocardiograms (ECGs) and blood pressure are relayed to the dispatching operator.
The I-DISCARE dispatcher can also plot rescue teams' positions on a map of the area, enabling efficient 'top-down' management. Victims being evacuated in emergency vehicles can have their exact location and medical conditions remotely tracked by an Ambulance Terminal linked to onboard monitoring equipment.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/i-discare e-mail: [email protected] Satellite Applications September 2005
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MAYFLOWER
Applications: Telemedicine/Medical Education
“Tele-education, intended as a way of delivering content as well as tutoring and evaluation to students, is one of the most suitable topics for Internet-like satellite networks.” Fabrizio Aversa, Project Manager, Kell
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Kell S.r.I. Via E.Q. Visconti 8 00193 Rome Italy http://www.kell.it
CONTACT KELL S.r.I: Fabrizio Aversa Project Manager E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +39 06 36004916 Fax: +39 06 3216937
PROJECT PARTNERS: Elsacom S.p.A. (Italy) Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine (Norway) University of Perugia (Itay)
PROFILE:
The Italian companies Kell, Elsacom, and the University of Perugia Italy along with the Norwegian centre for Telemedicine, have developed the e-learnig platform Mayflower.
The objective is to enable wider delivery of university medical courses. Italian nursing students and Norwegian nursing and medical students attend the courses of both universities either from home or in classrooms. Persons needing flexible scheduling, students seeking a reduction in travelling time, less developed regions and special- needs students will all benefit from Mayflower. In line with European Union objectives, one advantage of distance learning is that medical practitioners need not be reintegrated into their communities once their studies have been completed. The Mayflower service is now on-line at www.e-mayflower.org.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/mayflower e-mail: [email protected] June 2004 Satellite Applications
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NESA - Next Generation Emergency Satellite Assistance
Applications: Telemedicine/Medical Education
“The huge amount of resources allocated by public administrations to emergency health care operations makes the viability of the NESA model immediate.” Fabrizio Aversa, Project Manager,Kell
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Kell Via E.Q. Visconti 8 00193 Rome Italy http://www.kell.it
CONTACT KELL: Fabrizio Aversa Project Manager E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +39 06 3600 4916 Fax : +39 06 321 6937
PROJECT PARTNERS: Elsacom S.p.A. (Italy) Aethra (Italy)
PROFILE:
The NESA (Next generation Emergency Satellite Assistance) project is dedicated to in- the-field radiology, carried out employing an RX apparatus on-board an ambulance. The RX images are transferred via satellite for remote analysis, together with supplementary clinical information. The personnel in the field are in contact with the consulting physician from whom they receive instructions.
The NESA ambulance is able to bring patients directly to the the most appropriate destination, saving both time and resources. NESA has also been used extensively in remote hospitals and elderly people residences to avoid transportation to hospitals for RX and other exams. NESA helps serving many patients a day, due to the capability to operate its transportable devices far from the vehicle.
The NESA project is focused on delivering immediate assistance to patients in emergency situations. This is accomplished by sending to the scene of the emergency a vehicle and paramedics to:
• Perform remotely guided diagnosis, mainly based on RX and vital signs monitoring
• Transport the patient to the most appropriate hospital for selective admission. The NESA vehicle is an innovative form of support to the "118" Italian medical emergency telephone number.
The patient can be directed to the most appropriate structure depending on the pathology diagnosed in the field, avoiding emergency department congestion. The transportation of patients in remote hospitals can be avoided, as exams can be made there and examined by remote specialists. The ambulance crew can be made up of paramedics only, leaving the physician at the emergency service centre free to assist many ambulances. From a social point of view, the improvement in quality of assistance and in potential number of lives saved by using NESA is vitally important.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/nesa e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications
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REACH - Remote Assertive Community Homecare
Applications: Telemedicine/Medical Education
“Tools developed by REACH reduce the time ACT teams spend travelling from the home of one client to another. This enables them to treat more patients more frequently without sacrificing quality of care, thus decreasing the number of days that patients would otherwise need to spend in hospital.” Dr. Robbie Campbell, Psychiatrist, Regional Mental Health Care, London, Ontario, Canada
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Telesat Canada 1601 Telesat Court Ontario, K1B 5P4 Canada http://www.telesat.ca
CONTACT Telesat Canada: Abdul Lakhani Senior Broadband Architecture Specialist/Manager Broadband Technology Development E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +1 613-748-0123 Fax: +1 613-748-8712
PROJECT PARTNERS: Lawson Health Research Institute (LHRI) (Canada) Communications Research Centre (Canada) The Peel Corporation (Canada) VaaSah Incorporated (Canada)
PROFILE:
REACH is a homecare pilot project. Its primary purpose is to assess the extent to which videoconferencing technology and remote vital-sign monitoring technology can be used as an adjunct to clinical home-care providers.
REACH enables clinicians to work from their offices when talking with clients, rather than having to physically travel to their homes. REACH uses satellite- and terrestrial- based telecommunications technologies in a hybrid network to connect clinicians to their clients. Clinicians are able to verbally and visually interact with clients, observe them taking their medication, measure various types of vital signs remotely, and more. REACH is viewed as complementing conventional travel-based visits, rather than replacing them.
The project partners are working in co-operation with the Oxford County Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team and its parent organisation the Regional Mental Health Care of London, Ontario, Canada.
The pilot project treats 22 clients at 18 sites, which includes a group home. Patient Stations are specifically designed to meet the needs of severely mentally-ill people. For example, clients use a touch screen rather than a mouse or keyboard when interacting with the Stations. Screen selections are limited to a few familiar choices. Vital signs are entered automatically via wireless technology in most cases. The privacy and confidentiality of clients is protected by giving each person the ability to accept or reject a video visit, just as he or she can decide whether to accept a telephone call or a knock at the door of his or her home. Clinicians are equipped with Nurse Stations, which enable them to initiate and manage video visits to clients, and review and update patient records. The Oxford County ACT team is equipped with two Clinician Stations. The psychiatrist supporting the team from RMHC in London is also equipped with a Clinician Station. The technology has been well-received by both the clients and clinicians.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/reach e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications
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SKYMED
Applications: Telemedicine/Medical Education
“Continuing Medical Education (CME) is an integral part of the design and evaluation of a new model for teaching and communication for Medical Distance Learning.” Arcangela Colitta, Project Manager, Alenia
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Alenia Spazio Via G.V. Bona 85 00156 Rome Italy http://www.alespazio.it
CONTACT TELBIOS: Arcangela Colitta Project Manager E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +39 06 4151 490 Fax: +39 06 4151 471
PROJECT PARTNERS: TelBios (Italy) Trastec (Italy) ITS (Italy) Sudler & Hennessy (United Kingdom)
PROFILE:
SKYMED is an initiative launched in 2000 dedicated to developing and operating in a pilot service phase an advanced satellite based e-Learning system to support Continuing Medical Education (CME) services.
Part of the SKYMED project has been addressed to defining and developing a suitable multimedia interface for on-line and off-line training activities, also providing voice and textual chat interactions among the different client sites. Two courses (one on Medical Imaging, the other in Ambulatory Surgery) have been developed and delivered to seven classrooms in different public Local Health Authorities (ASL) and to ten single users, all in the Veneto region.
Through an IP over DVB content delivery network based on the SkyPlexNet system, the SKYMED content is directly transmitted to the satellite and the related transport stream is then multiplexed on-board with the transport stream (TS) of other content contributions originated by other providers. The multiplexed TS is forwarded in downlink as a conventional DVB-S stream which can be received by Personal Computers equipped with a DVB reception board, or by DVB receivers/routers, able to distribute the multicast traffic within the Local Area Network of the remote attendant sites.
The SKYMED system has been used since the beginning of February 2003 to support a number of actual medical education events, and in particular for the transmission of live surgical interventions, offering the possibility of remote attendance and interaction. In this context, this technology has demonstrated its validity as a good cost-benefit compromise allowing high quality video using a limited satellite bandwidth allocation (512 kbps).
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/skymed e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications
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SKYNURSE
Applications: Telemedicine/Medical Education
“Learning is like rowing upstream: not to advance is to drop back”.
Chinese proverb
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Padova Ricerche S.C.p A. Galleria Spagna, 28 35127 PADOVA Italy http://www.padovaricerche.it
CONTACT PADOVA RICERCHE: Mauro Zucchetto Project Manager E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +39 049 7621 211 Fax: +39 049 7621 210
PROJECT PARTNERS: Didael S.p.A. (Italy) Eukrasia Consortium (Italy) TelBios S.p.A. (Italy)
PROFILE: SkyNurse is a pilot project that intends to develop an operating centre for the delivery of satellite distance education and residential courses designed for nursing personnel of non-EU countries, in order to employ the trained personnel in EU hospitals and health care centres that express such a need.
The aging of the general population and the demand for increasingly qualified assistance has created a scenario in which there is a strong demand for qualified nursing staff that is difficult to satisfy with the local workforce. It is therefore crucial to recruit qualified human resources both to Italy and other EU countries in order to reduce training time and costs and to create nursing personnel with a homogenous level of knowledge, to ensure safety standards for health care and to develop standard operating procedures in nursing.
SkyNurse is intended for public health organisations that need qualified nursing personnel for their staff and non-EU public health organisations who want to improve the professional qualifications of their nursing staff, bringing them up to the most advanced European standards.
The operational centre transmits the content via satellite to the users in the remote classroom, who can interact with the tutors or lecturers via Internet, using chat lines or e-mail The pilot project includes two training course stages:
• an intensive remote course delivered via satellite, lasting three months and taking place at the Romanian universities taking part in the project; • a three-week residential course in Italy before the qualification exam.
To create a remote classroom, the following equipment is required: a file server PC, a number of PCs to suit the number of end users, a LAN router, a hub, an ISDN serial modem and a satellite dish 120 cm in diameter.
The SkyNurse project involves the University of Pitesti (Romania), the "Politehnica" University of Bucharest (Romania) and Padova General Hospital, which will provide a professional outlet for the non-EU nursing staff requalified as a result of the training course.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/skynurse e-mail: [email protected] June 2004 Satellite Applications
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TEMOS - TElemedicine for the MObile Society
Applications: Telemedicine/Medical Education
“Optimising medical care for travellers all over the world is the main objective of the TEMOS project. Satellite-based telemedicine makes it possible.” Claudia Mika, TEMOS Management
PRIME CONTRACTOR: University Hospital Aachen Institute of Aerospace Medicine Kullenhofstr. 52 52074 Aachen Germany http://www.temos.ukaachen.de
CONTACT UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL AACHEN: Dr. Thomas Kuepper Project Manager E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +49 (0) 241- 80 80 827 Fax: +49 (0) 241- 80 33 88 723
PROJECT PARTNERS: German Aerospace Centre (DLR) (Germany) Centre for Travel Medicine (CRM) (Germany) Telemedicine Technologies SA (France)
PROFILE:
The project's objective is to establish a globally active satellite-based competence network, which optimises medical care of humans (tourists and business travellers) in the mobile society.
Globalisation increases worldwide tourism, business travel and working in foreign countries. In the case of a medical emergency abroad, it is often difficult to decide whether and how a particular patient should be repatriated, what the appropriate medical treatment should be, and how reimbursement is covered.
The TEMOS project establishes a satellite-based network of interested medical partner institutions who commit themselves to follow defined quality standards. This network is open to all interested medical institutions like hospitals, general practitioners or assistance companies who accept and apply to the TEMOS quality criteria, which have been developed within the framework of the project. A medical tele-consultation network with its headquarters at the University Hospital of Aachen, Germany, and a tele-education network for hospitals and physicians to improve their knowledge of the realities and necessities of travel medicine have also been established. Existing travel- medicine curricula will be expanded and converted into distance-learning courses, which will be available worldwide.
At the moment, the satellite infrastructure and the different telemedicine workstations for the project partners are being set up. The first 65 hospitals in India, Greece and Turkey have been evaluated, the first hospitals have become members, and several are in the process of becoming members of the TEMOS network.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/temos e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications
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1.1.5. Distance Learning
This area hosts initiatives addressing tele-teaching and tele-learning via satellite, both on-line and off-line.
• Espresso • SchoolCast • SpaceForScience
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Espresso
Applications: Distance Learning
“The Internet is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. With Espresso you can leave children to explore as there are no links out - it is a totally enclosed environment.” Jeff Smith, Head Teacher, Anson Primary
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Espresso Education Ltd. Riverside Studios Crisp Road Hammersmith London W6 9RL England http://www.espresso.co.uk
CONTACT ESPRESSO: Lewis Bronze CEO E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +44 208 237 1202 Fax: +44 208 237 1201
PROJECT PARTNER: Astra-Net (United Kingdom)
PROFILE:
The Espresso for Schools project, partially funded under the ESA Telecom’s User Segment line, demonstrates that satellite is a viable and highly cost-effective delivery system for high-bandwidth, video-rich applications, which enhance curriculum delivery in the classroom. This project successfully ran a major trial, regularly delivering and updating a large and comprehensive video-rich web site designed specifically for teaching and learning of the UK primary school national curriculum.
Almost four years after the end of the project in December 1999, Espresso is highly successful and has achieved outstanding results against the strategic objectives set for the project. The company launched a full commercial service in 2000. Espresso Education's award-winning “Espresso for Primary Schools” service is now used by more than 1700 schools across England and Wales, strengthening Espresso's position as the world's leading provider of broadband content services to schools. Following the resounding success of its “Espresso for Primary Schools” service, Espresso Education has also launched its groundbreaking “Espresso for Secondary Schools” service in 2002. For the first time, children can use Espresso at home thanks to the brand new homework service, which incorporates printable worksheets and links to relevant websites.
Espresso has won the European Multimedia (EMMA) Award in the category: Education & Home Learning Up to 11 years Online, the “BETT Innovation Award” and the “BCDF Imaginative Content” Award at the IIR's Broadband Content Congress in Barcelona.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/espresso e-mail: [email protected] December 2003 Satellite Applications
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SchoolCast
Applications: Distance Learning
“The planned schools network in Ireland offers an opportunity for ‘Centralised hosting and delivery of curriculum-related digital content and applications’. This presents the opportunity to build to a position where digital content is delivered in a planned or on-demand manner by servers such as Scoilnet.” Schools Broadband Connectivity Study – Final Report to the Department of Education and Science, Ireland, by Datanet International July 2003
PRIME CONTRACTOR: ATiT Ireland New Lodge Garristown Co. Dublin Ireland http://www.atit.ie
CONTACT ATiT: Sally Reynolds Project Manager E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +32 16 284 040 Fax: +32 16 223 743
PROJECT PARTNERS: Web-Sat (Ireland) Intel IT Innovation Centre (Ireland) GCS- Global Communication & Services (Austria) NCTE (Ireland) HEAnet (Ireland)
PROFILE:
SchoolCast is a pilot content delivery system aimed at the compulsory schools environment. It is partially funded by the European Space Agency under the Telecom’s Multimedia Programme. The intention is to pilot test the SchoolCast system in schools in Ireland with a view to its take-up as a sustainable commercial service, and to prove the overall validity of the proposed delivery service, which is based on satellite communications.
SchoolCast plans to design and implement a pilot service to transmit a variety of multimedia files (internet, video, audio, image) to 10 or more schools using a 2-way satellite infrastructure, and cache the files on the school server for fast local access. The pilot will validate the service also on high bandwidth terrestrial multicast networks through the collaboration of HEAnet.
The content delivery system is a combination of technologies and human procedures that support the management and the process of selection, validation, aggregation, scheduling and booking of the transmission of content, as well as the verification of reception and access to the content on the client side. This complete system is called the Content Delivery Service SchoolCast.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/schoolcast e-mail: [email protected] October 2004 Satellite Applications
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SpaceForScience - Multimedia and Communication Satellite Systems for Scientific Research and Education
Applications: Distance Learning
“SpaceForScience offers satellite telecommunication solutions specifically designed for the Scientific, Educational and Research institutions.” Jean-Christophe Honnorat, Project Manager Business Development, Alcatel Space
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Alcatel Space 100 Bd du Midi 06156 Cannes La Bocca France http ://www.alcatel.com
CONTACT Alcatel Space: Jean-Christophe Honnorat Project Manager E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +33 (0) 4 92 92 33 18 Fax: +33 (0) 4 92 92 77 60
PROJECT PARTNERS: IBM (France) UNESCO C2 Consultants (France)
PROFILE:
SpaceForScience aims to facilitate scientific cooperation in Europe, especially in Southern and Eastern Europe, by providing virtual, collaborative working and education applications for research institutions, via fast academic networks and bi- directional DVB-RCS satellite links.
The goal of SpaceForScience project is to enable remote centres all over Europe to connect, meet, work, teach and learn whatever their geographical position, thus enabling isolated institutes to enter the cooperative research, education and technology transfer networks.
The solutions provided by the application platform are designed to support scientific use, offering content management facilities, portal services, network optimization and connectivity services, such as fast Internet access or secure connectivity and fast broadband access to academic backbones. Through a one-stop-shop system, users can also access specific e-education applications and interactive services, such as video conferencing, remote conferencing, collaborative working off-line and in real time.
The group of users, selected with the help of UNESCO, represents a variety of scientific communities, which will participate in the pilot step of the project, to use and evaluate the system in the context of their own particular scientific activities, within the following themes:
• Life sciences (molecular biology and genetics/ epidemiology/ plant biotechnology) • Nanotechnology (solar, hydrogen, fuel cell energy conversion cycle) • Information and communication technologies (security/ satellite/ signal processing/ GRID) • Earth sciences ( earthquake hazard mitigation).
SpaceForScience uses the latest IP and DVB-RCS satellite telecommunication standards, as space technologies are the perfect solution for complementing and extending an IP network infrastructure to provide high speed Internet access even to those located beyond the local, terrestrial DSL network.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/spaceforscience e-mail: [email protected] October 2004 Satellite Applications
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1.1.6. Location-Based Satcom Services
This area groups projects that have the objective of developing applications, terminals and services for the exchange (through satellite telecommunication networks) of information associated with the geographical location of the end-user terminal.
For historical reasons related to the set-up of the ESA Navigation Programme, this section also hosts projects that do not include elements of satellite telecom networks.
• Aerofleet – Satellite-based Air Fleet Communication and tracking System • Birdcom • i4S – Innovative Satcom Security System for Ships • MUTIS – Multi Modal Traffic Information System • PERUSE – Personal Safety System Utilising Satellite Combined with Emerging Technologies • Railway Freight Wagon Tracking and Reporting • WICOR
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AeroFleet - Satellite-based Air Fleet Communication and Tracking System
Applications: Location-Based Satcom Services
“The AeroFleet system provides up-to-date flight progress information to the Airline Operations Centre. Furthermore, world-wide coverage of the SatCom system allows for uninterrupted communication between dispatch and the flight crew. Both features are key to efficient and customer-friendly airline operations.” Dr. Stephan Romahn, Product Manager Aerospace, Euro Telematic AG
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Euro Telematik AG Riedweg 5 D-89081 Ulm Germany http://www.euro-telematik.de
CONTACT Euro-Telematik AG: Dr. Stephan Romahn Head Air Traffic Solutions E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +49-89-665603-53 Fax: +49-89-665603-59
PROFILE:
Euro-Telematik has developed and put into operation a fleet tracking and communication system called ‘AeroFleet’. It allows an operator of an aircraft fleet to track, monitor, and communicate with the aircraft over their full operating range, even at large distances from the operating centre, via satellite communication.
In this project, our partner Luxembourg Air Rescue (LAR) is evaluating the system in its daily ambulance and air-rescue operations, and is already benefiting from the systems features at this early stage.
Suitable areas of application include the operation of specialised aircraft fleets, such as:
• rescue operations in difficult terrain • transport operations in remote areas • offshore platform services • power line maintenance • fire fighting • all-weather operation • governmental operations / police / coast guard.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/aerofleet e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications
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Birdcom
Applications : Location-Based Satcom Services
“The business of service provisioning for ultra-light aviation is entirely new and our preliminary analysis shows high potential and user-community expectations. The proposed services enhance safety and introduce very useful features that are currently lacking in the commercial aviation sector.” Sebastiano Tirrò, President of Space Engineering
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Space Engineering SpA Via dei Berio 91 00155 Roma Italy http://www.space.it
CONTACT SPACE ENGINEERING: Giuseppe Chiassarini Project Manager [email protected] Phone : +39 06 22595 224 Fax : +39 06 2280 739
PROJECT PARTNERS: KELL (Italy) Elsacom (Italy)
PROFILE:
The BIRDCOM project developed and integrated an airborne user terminal based on commercial satcom, navigation and computing modules. The target market is the growing ultra-light aviation segment made up of the aircraft owners and operators. The terminal has been tested in a real airborne environment with the application software needed for the provision of new services. The space segment used is Globalstar.
The resulting terminal should also prepare the ground for applications dedicated to the general and commercial aviation market, and for the employment of other space segments in the airborne environment.
The availability of the ultra-light flight environment enables this development at a fraction of the cost of the same development in the commercial aviation environment.
The main services available are:
• On-line and off-line maps and information with 3D real-time rendering • Air Traffic Control • Black-Box Telemetry • Emergency Telecommanding • Voice Communications
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/birdcom e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications
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i4S - Innovative Satcom Security System for Ships
Applications: Location-Based Satcom Services
“The rationale behind this project is to support the development of our spin-off company by creating new services dedicated to maritime activities in accordance with current maritime regulation to improve security onboard ships.” Jean Muller, Commercial Director, Novacom Services
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Novacom Services Parc Technologique du Canal 8-10 rue Hermes 31520 Ramonville France http://www.novacom-services.com
CONTACT NOVACOM: Jean Muller Business Director E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +33 5 61 39 50 10 Fax: +33 5 61 39 50 01
PROFILE:
A subsidiary of CLS, the exclusive operator of the Argos system, and CNES, the French space agency, Novacom Services is an application service provider dedicated to vehicle tracking and data collection from any PC connected to the Internet. Novacom Services offers turn-key services to road hauliers, merchant shipping, construction companies and waste-management companies for large cities.
The i4s project objective is to develop a dedicated maritime service based on an application hosted by the existing Novacom platform. Future clients such as ship owners and shippers will use the Novacom platform in an Application Service Provider mode: access over the Internet with the possibility to retrieve regular position information and to send return messages to the field in real-time.
The i4s project objective is to build an SSAS service based on the adoption of the SOLAS regulation. This regulation requires ships over 500 GT to be equipped with an alarm system (Ship Security Alert System) in order to reinforce ship security. This system allows the crew to push an alarm button, in the case of piracy for example, that automatically sends a message to the competent authority and to the ship’s owner.
Though the i4s application is the heart of the project, the service can only be complete with a hardware terminal installed on the ship. The primary intention is to build on the existing ARGOS beacon, the ShipLoc IV terminal, dedicated to piracy prevention. Nevertheless, the strategy is clearly to keep the service open to the largest range of equipment by developing several space telecom interfaces.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/i4S e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications
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MUTIS - Multi Modal Traffic Information System
Applications: Location-Based Satcom Services
“The MUTIS project will reveal how far the LEO based communication services can push forward the development of the Danube river as an environmentally friendly way of transport.” Manfred Seitz, Managing Director, via donau
PRIME CONTRACTOR: via donau – Österreichische Wasserstraßen-Gesellschaft mbH für Telematik und Donauschifffahrt Donau-City-Strasse 1 1220 Vienna Austria http://www.via-donau.org
CONTACT via donau: Marko Jandrisits Project Manager E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +43 1 595 48 96 23 Fax: +43 1 595 48 96 19
PROJECT PARTNER: FH Technikum Wien (Austria)
PROFILE:
The political and economic step-by-step integration of Eastern and South-Eastern European countries into the European Union will substantially increase the volume of freight traffic along the Danube corridor, which is one of the Europe’s major East-West transport routes. A primary concern of transport policy in the European Union and other countries must therefore be to find measures coping with these traffic volumes in an environmentally sustainable and socially responsible way.
The strategic objective of via donau is to develop the Danube river as an environmentally friendly method of transport. This aim requires a mix of measures, above all the introduction of innovative telematics applications like a River Information Services (RIS). The MUTIS project evaluated the impact of new and conventional communication technologies for the implementation of River Information Services in the Danube corridor. The following project steps were carried out:
• Analysis of the potential of new, i.e. satellite based, and conventional (GSM/SMS) communication technologies for RIS in the Danube region • Analysis of the possibilities to integrate traffic information from all transportation modes into a common intermodal database.
For this purpose, a vessel was equipped with the necessary devices to generate traffic data along the Danube waterway between Vienna and Constanta at the Black Sea. The position and other dynamic data were transmitted from the vessel via the satellite communication systems GLOBALSTAR, IRIDIUM and THURAYA as well as terrestrial GSM. Additionally, the availability of the communication systems along the Danube waterway was monitored. The collected data were analysed against the specific project aims. The project results will be used as a basis for further developments in the field of inland navigation and to offer intermodal traffic information services.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/mutis e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications
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PERUSE - Personal Safety System Utilising Satellite Combined with Emerging Technologies Applications: Location-Based Satcom Services
“Our device can be carried or worn by a person, making them feel more secure in the knowledge that they can signal for help at the touch of a button.” George Brosnan, CEO, Securecom Technologies Ltd.
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Securecom Technologies Ltd. Kerry Technology Park Tralee Co. Kerry Ireland http://www.securecom.ie
CONTACT Securecom Technologies Ltd.: George Brosnan CEO E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +353 (0) 66 7190370 Fax: +353 (0) 66 7190375
PROFILE:
The PERUSE Project is developing a Wireless Personal Alarm (WPA) solution which is carried by or worn on a person and allows the user to signal for help at the touch of a button.
Upon activation of an SOS alarm, the WPA transmits a low power signal to a satellite communications handset, which forwards a message to an authorized number, including the identity of the person in distress, as well as their current location. The WPA also has the potential to transmit the user's current state of health and local environmental parameters.
It is likely that recipient of the user's SOS signal will be a suitably equipped Emergency Monitoring Centre with which the user has agreed pre-defined steps to be carried out in the event of an emergency.
Prototypes of the following two devices have been developed:
• a Wireless Personal Alarm (WPA), which will be carried by or worn on a person and allows the user to signal for help at the touch of a button, and
• a Dongle (BTD), which provides a satellite communications handset with a low power wireless link to the WPA.
In the next stages of the project, the devices will be trialed and evaluated.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/peruse e-mail: [email protected] October 2004 Satellite Applications
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Railway Freight Wagon Tracking and Reporting
Applications: Location-Based Satcom Services
“In Railway Applications, what is usually missing from a pure GPS receiver is normally available via the Wheel Slide Protection Electronics. Maximum synergy is gained by integrating them together.” Luca Ghislanzoni, Project Manager, C-Sigma s.r.I.
PRIME CONTRACTOR: C-Sigma s.r.I. Via Cavour, 18 23900 Lecco Italy http://www.c-sigma.it
CONTACT C-SIGMA: Luca Ghislanzoni Project Manager E-mail:[email protected] Phone: +39 0341 362083 Fax: +39 0341 362083
PROFILE:
On railway freight wagons the only electronic unit installed is typically the Wheel Slide Protection (WSP) electronics, which controls the pneumatic brake so as to prevent any wheel-lock condition. The latter is very damaging for the wheels.
The WSP electronics already includes digital processing capabilities, as well as electrical power generation, conditioning, and storage (and for the most modern applications, also the interface to the vehicle data bus, when available). It therefore seems the natural place to install the additional electronic boards required for GPS based Fleet Management. The advantages gained by integrating a GPS-GSM board into WSP electronics go even further: the presence of a GSM modem also allows the monitoring of useful diagnostic information concerning the overall brake equipment. Furthermore, the fact that the WSP already processes the signals from the axle- mounted speed sensors opens up new possibilities, for example the monitoring of the wheel's wear rate (by comparing the speed signals from the sensors to the GPS speed data), which is very useful information when scheduling preventive maintenance.
A GPS-GSM Location Rx Board (G2LRB) has therefore been developed, to the point where it is ready for commercial exploitation, and can be plugged directly into the existing C-Sigma WSP electronics.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/railway e-mail: [email protected] September 2004 Satellite Applications
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WICOR
Applications: Location-Based Satcom Services
“No single safety and security communication system today answers the demand for robustness and high performance coupled with cost effectiveness. WICOR is a project to develop an intelligent communication router to seamlessly combine multiple systems.” Stefan Baumann, Project Manager, Telematica e.K.
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Telematica e.K. Baiernrainer Weg 6 83623 Linden Germany http://www.telematica.de
CONTACT TELEMATICA E.K.: Stefan Baumann Project Manager E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +49 8027 9316 Fax: +49 8027 9315
PROJECT PARTNER: OECON GmbH (Germany)
PROFILE:
The key-objective of WICOR was to design and develop a multifunctional “black-box” that consists of an intelligent user terminal router providing interfaces to multiple communication systems. SatCom, GSM/GPRS, and WLAN were considered. The “black box” also incorporates a positioning capability (GPS). The core element of this “black-box” is a processor with dedicated software to manage the overall system. The main task of this software is to analyse permanently the “communication environment” to identify, whether e.g. GSM/GPRS is available and, if not, switch to SatCom.
WICOR defined, developed and demonstrated prototype services for safety & security related users, too. The overall design of the “black-box” was defined and developed in such a way, that it resulted in a maximum level of flexibility for the customer to select systems of his/her choice (e.g. INMARSAT or Globalstar as SatCom systems, GSM or Tetra(pol) as cellular networks and WLAN or bluetooth as local area systems). Even the selection of multiple systems of each category is supported. The selection of the communication system to be used is managed by appropriate software taking into account predefined and user specific preferences (e.g. communication cost, data security, reliability of connection over a predefined period of time, etc.).
WICOR improves the communication capability for various safety & security related applications, which suffer from limited availability of a single communication source. For example, satellite communication requires a direct line-of-sight (LoS) to the satellite, cellular networks have restricted coverage in rural/remote areas, WLAN is restricted to access points, etc. Those users in need of permanent access to communication links have to be equipped with a number of communication devices to be sure that one of them is ready to use in case a communication link is required. By combining a variety of communication links in an intelligent way, it is the intention of WICOR to choose the most cost-effective, secure data transfer channel possible, thus creating new applications and prospects.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/wicor e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications
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1.1.7. Disaster Relief/Emergency Management
This area addresses the provision of satellite based solutions for organisations and operators that are involved in emergencies and relief of disaster situations.
• I-GARMENT – Integrated System for Management of Civil Protection Units • SARFOS – Search and Rescue Forward Operation Support System • SASS – Satellite Based Alarm and Surveillance System • TRACKS – Transportable Station for Communication Network Extension by Satellite
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I-Garment-Integrated System for Management of Civil Protection Units
Applications: Disaster Relief/Emergency Management
“I-Garment delivers full-bodied smart garments equipped with sensors to monitor officers’ positions and vital signals. This information is sent via a wireless link to Civil Protection Officers in the HQ, processed and returned to field officers equipped with PDAs.” Tiago Fonseca, YDreams COO
PRIME CONTRACTOR: YDreams Madam Parque Quinta da Torre 2829-516 Caparica Portugal http://www.ydreams.com
CONTACT YDREAMS: Tiago Fonseca Chief Operations Officer E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +351 212949683 Fax: +351 212952380
PROJECT PARTNERS: Instituto Telecomunicações (IT) (Portugal) Miguel Rios Design (Portugal)
PROFILE:
Urban and forest fires are a tremendous challenge to fire brigades. New technology and equipment is needed to meet this challenge.
I-Garment, a solution comprising smart full-body garments for firefighters integrated with a Civil Protection Unit management system using satellite communications, is up to the challenge.
I-Garment addresses the need to know where each member of the force is during an emergency and his/her state of health, allowing replacements to be organised in a timely fashion and teams to be moved according to the operational needs of the situation.
I-Garment results from intensive R&D effort involving clothing design, sensor integration, telecommunications and mobile interfaces. The high-tech suits make use of satellite communications and position sensors to detect motion and monitor environmental conditions and vital signals. These features are essential to track and manage Civil Protection Units in near-real-time – anywhere, anytime.
The system integrates with existing Civil Protection Agency databases and delivers user-friendly interfaces for PDAs, Tablet PCs and Laptops. The management-centre wireless infrastructure, based on a satellite link, guarantees communications between HQ and field officers under any conditions.
The potential markets for this development are Civil Protection Units such as police officers, fire-fighters and mobile health-response teams, as well as private security companies where accurate positioning for effective resource management is a critical issue and service has to be available 24/7, independent of availability of the terrestrial network.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/i-garment e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications
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SARFOS-Search And Rescue Forward Operation Support System
Applications: Disaster Relief / Emergency Management
“Rescue personnel are not in a situation to bother with complicated technological tasks or to carry around ineffective tools. The support system, and especially the communications gear, will have to be highly mobile, automated, ruggedized and easy to use.” Wolfgang Lechner, Project Manager, teleCrossAlpina GmbH
PRIME CONTRACTOR: teleCrossAlpina GmbH Marktgasse 37 CH-3001 Bern Switzerland http://www.telecrossalpina.ch
CONTACT TELECROSS ALPINA GmbH: Wolfgang Lechner Managing Partner E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +41 8027 9310 Fax: +41 31 320 37 30
PROFILE:
The purpose of SARFOS is to develop a forward emergency response coordination and communication system using a combination of the latest technology in the fields of integrated satellite and terrestrial communication, navigation and information databases.
The innovation of the SARFOS project is to provide its services also in rural or remote areas without terrestrial communication system coverage. The mobile satellite communication will be seamlessly integrated, without the individual user having to bother about the availability of particular communication links.
The system consists of two subsystems :
- a SARFOS Mobile Unit (SMU) and - a Field Operations Server (FOS).
With the SARFOS project, the mobile user terminal (SMU) becomes sufficiently small, robust and easy to use for end-user applications in a harsh environment. The user terminal provides three key functionalities:
- Automated exchange and visualisation of field-unit positions. - Data collection in the field and immediate transmission to a centralised service application. - Navigation and coordination support to field units.
Applications in an Alpine environment require ruggedized mobile units. The prototype system is being defined, implemented and finally demonstrated especially for and in cooperation with key mountain-rescue services.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/sarfos e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications
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SASS - Satellite Based Alarm and Surveillance System
Applications: Disaster Relief/Emergency Management
“The SASS system is a cost effective solution to provide connectivity for alarm and security systems where terrestrial broadband networks with the transmission performance mandatory for security applications are not available or more expensive to use.” Andreas Nil, Managing Director, MediaMobil Communication GmbH
PRIME CONTRACTOR: MediaMobil Communication GmbH Fahrenheitstrasse 1 28359 Bremen Germany http://www.mediamobil.de
CONTACT MediaMobil Communication: Andreas Nil Managing Director E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +49 421 2010086 Fax: +49 421 2239418
PROFILE:
The SASS project has developed a Satellite-based Alarm and Surveillance System. The system, which is now being tested in a three month field trial phase, provides connectivity between alarm and surveillance systems at one end and security centres or other receivers at the other end.
The SASS system makes use of DVB-RCS compliant satellite networks and supports the transmission of alarm information, live video pictures, bi-directional audio and IP data. The following solutions have been successfully implemented:
1. A Satellite Alarm Terminal (SAT) with built-in interfaces for certified alarm systems, CCTV cameras, audio equipment and data devices. 2. A Satellite Transmission Service providing reliable connectivity between the Satellite Alarm Terminals and security centres as well as other receivers. 3. A Network Management System which controls and monitors the connections via the DVB-RCS and terrestrial network segments with Quality-of-Service compliant to the requirements for alarm transmission networks with the highest performance classification.
The ongoing field trial involves a number of Satellite Alarm Terminals installed at end user premises and two different security-centre operators. The main objective is to validate the performance of the network resources management functions for different traffic priorities and qualities, both from the technical and the user point of view. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2005. Subject to the results of the trial phase, commercial operation is envisaged to start early 2006.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/sass e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications
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TRACKS - Transportable Station for Communication Network Extension by Satellite Applications: Disaster Relief/Emergency Management
“Temporary land mobile network cell extension by Satellite in case of nonexistent or damaged terrestrial infrastructures.” Hilarion Raobadia, Project Manager, EADS Astrium
PRIME CONTRACTOR: EADS Astrium 31, rue des Cosmonautes Z.I. du Palays 31402 Toulouse Cedex 4 France http://www.astrium.eads.net
CONTACT EADS Astrium: Hilarion Raobadia Project Manager E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +33 (0) 5 62 19 67 31 Fax: +33 (0) 5 62 19 79 99
PROFILE:
TRACKS is a transportable station dedicated to meeting the communications needs in both of the following areas:
• Rural areas in developing countries for telephony and Internet access. • Areas subject to natural risks, industrial risks and specific events where terrestrial infrastructures are either nonexistent or temporarily damaged.
To comply with the above needs, TRACKS ensures the extension of current the GSM network via satellite and provides mobile GSM services as well as rural fixed ones.
Its design and development benefit from a working synergy between the needs of developing countries and those of crisis management in order to provide satellite solutions to areas where terrestrial infrastructure is lacking.
TRACKS takes into account such operational constraints as:
• strong resistance to climatic environment so as to ensure reliable and efficient operations in crisis areas as well as in rural areas of developing countries • ease of operation and deployment with a high level of autonomy • cost affordability for developing countries, both in terms of acquisition and operations.
The TRACKS project is expected to result in the development of a transportable station with following beneficial characteristics:
• optimum overall use of bandwidth on the satellite network as well as on the terminals for mobile and fixed services; • cost affordable both in terms of acquisition and operations, facilitating and contributing to the development of telephony and Internet access via satellite in rural areas of developing countries; • providing efficient communications, while still being flexible and easy to put into service in crisis situations.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/tracks e-mail: [email protected] October 2004 Satellite Applications
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1.1.8. e-Government
The area of e-Government includes initiatives for the setting up of services by Public Administrations for citizens through the utilisation of communication satellites.
• e-regSAT – Regional Interactive Information Services based on satellite broadband
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e-regSAT - Regional Interactive Information Services based on satellite broadband
Applications: e-Government
“E-Government services delivered via satellite are intended to increase efficacy and effectiveness.” Pier Paolo Simionato, Project Manager, Telespazio
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Telespazio (A Finmeccanica/Alcatel company) 965, Via Tiburtina 00156 Rome Italy http://www.telespazio.it
CONTACT TELESPAZIO: Pier Paolo Simionato Project Manager Mail: [email protected] Tel: +39 06-4079-3052 Fax: +39 06-4099-9649
PROJECT PARTNERS: Giunti Interactive Labs (Italy) netStre@m (Italy) NEXUS (Italy) SDE (United Kingdom) T&M (Italy)
PROFILE:
Telespazio and its partners intend to validate a model to deliver innovative e-government services (communication, information and training services) using satellite-based technologies. The e-regSAT project targets the following areas:
• Distance learning and collaborative work processes for Regional and Local Public Authority employees, and University employees. • Institutional communications and services for citizens. • Enterprise services.
The project is developed by a consortium of companies — NetStre@m and T&M of the ITS group for the applied and multimedia part; Nexus for the learning processes and some of the contents; SDE (Sustainable Development Enterprise of Oxford) for the territorial development contents; Giunti Interactive Labs for the learning management system. Its mission is to deploy a services provisioning infrastructure with capabilities to provide value-added services, delivered via satellite:
• Distance Learning Services • Web Conferencing • Infonews Channel: For this service, an additional task specific to the deployment of MHP-delivered applications is planned.
The e-regSAT platform will be deployed on top of Telespazio’s Evolv-e satellite communications infrastructure. It is intended to operate in an e-government scenario, which will be identified in cooperation with Regione Abruzzo.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/eregsat e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications
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1.2. User Terminals
Development support is being increased for advanced low-cost ground terminals for both the professional and consumer markets. Indoor and outdoor units for both fixed and mobile systems are addressed here.
• 400W C and Ku Band TWT Satcom Amplifiers • MMSA – Mobile Multimedia Satellite Antenna • PocketSAT – Satcom Enabled PDA via Software Radio • Waveguide Lens Antenna
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400W C and Ku-band TWT Satcom Amplifiers
Applications: User terminals - Professional
“Both C- and Ku-band units have been launched at major exhibitions and an encouraging level of customer interest has been recorded.” Dr Paul John, Technology Manager, e2v
PRIME CONTRACTOR: e2v technologies (UK) Ltd. 106 Waterhouse Lane Chelmsford, Essex United Kingdom http://www.e2v.com
CONTACT e2v TECHNOLOGIES: Dr Paul John Technology Manager [email protected] Phone: +44(0)1245 453309 Fax: +44(0)1245 492492
PROFILE:
The initial project proposal was to develop a Satellite Communications (Satcom) amplifier for use in ground terminals as part of the earth station. Such units will find application in satellite newsgathering trucks, earth communication station satellite hubs, and digital data transmission (internet or telecommunications). The project output was planned to be two engineering prototypes, two prototype units, and twelve pre-production units (C- and Ku-band in each case). The amplifiers were designed for operation in outdoor environments for fixed and mobile applications. Utilising TWT technology, the amplifiers provide a platform for covering a wide range of operating frequencies and powers.
It was intended that, as a minimum, the product range would include:
• C-band 400 W • Ku-band 400W.
The range would share a high degree of commonality with regard to TWT supplies, control system and mechanical layout. The different frequency bands will be achieved by changing the TWT and associated RF components and assemblies.
The design phase for both the C- and Ku-band units was completed within the allocated time. During the subsequent project phases, 16 engineering, prototype and pre-production units were realised. The 16 units comprise 1 C-band and 1 Ku-band engineering unit, 1 C-band and 1 Ku-band prototype unit, and 6 C-band and 6 Ku- band pre-production units.
All units were subjected to rigorous performance, safety and environmental testing at e2v. All test results have been reported to the sponsor and debated at project-review meetings. The results confirm that the performance of the units meets or exceeds the requirements of the specification as determined at the outset of this development.
e2v technologies has undertaken a considerable marketing exercise targeted at established and expected users of the new units. Both frequency variants have been formally launched at major trade shows around the World. The expected positive customer response has been received, together with a number of requests for loan/demonstration units. Moreover, in the past months, e2v technologies has received an encouraging number of firm orders for the units.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/satcomamplifier e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications
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MMSA - Mobile Multimedia Satellite Antennas User Terminals: Mobile
"Our all-in-one antenna will enable mobile users to access rich multimedia contents, services and navigation aids through a single device fully embedded in the vehicle profile. This solution will ease the simultaneous adoption of multiple mobile satellite systems and will foster the synergy between them.” Ferdinando Tiezzi, Project Manager, JAST
PRIME CONTRACTOR: JAST PSE-EPFL P.O. Box 127 1015 Lausanne Switzerland http://www.jast.ch
CONTACT JAST: Ferdinando Tiezzi Project Manager E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +41.21.693.89.20 Fax: +41.21.693.89.20
PROJECT PARTNER: Laboratory of Electromagnetics and Acoustics – École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Switzerland)
PROFILE:
The goal of the MMSA project is the development and market assessment of flat multi- band antenna front-ends for vehicular terminals. The system will be able to satisfy simultaneously the requirements of several Mobile Satellite Systems (MSS) applications like:
• Reception of commercial broadcasting transmissions in L and Ku band: Satellite Digital Audio Broadcasting (S-DAB), Satellite Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB-S) and Data Casting. The main service providers are WorldSpace, Eutelsat and Astra. • Accurate positioning and navigation systems. Reception of GPS/Galileo + EGNOS signals (L-band). Main applications: intelligent car navigation systems, road traffic management, etc. • Mobile telecommunication systems (Thuraya) and global coverage systems will be addressed.
The antennas will be developed taking into account the requirements of vehicular mobile applications, namely aerodynamics, mechanical strength, light weight and small size. Car and boat applications will be the main targeted applications, but train and plane applications will also be considered.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/mmsa e-mail: [email protected] February 2004 Satellite Applications
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PocketSAT - Satcom Enabled PDA via Software Radio User Terminals: Professional
“Global Internet access in the palm of your hand, whether stationary or on the move. PocketSAT will turn your PDA or Smartphone into the ultimate personal communicator.” Richard Proud, Managing Director, ComSine Ltd.
PRIME CONTRACTOR: ComSine Ltd. Norwich House 14 North Street Guildford GU1 4AF United Kingdom http://www.comsine.com/
CONTACT ComSine Ltd.: Dr Ian Morrison Technical Director (Telecoms) E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +44 (0)1483 457121
PROJECT PARTNERS: Giastar Ltd. (United Kingdom) Jast Sarl (Switzerland) Gate House A/S (Denmark)
PROFILE:
With ESA’s support, ComSine and its partners are developing technologies and key components for a new miniature satellite communications terminal known as ‘PocketSAT’.
PocketSAT is a complete satellite terminal in a single compact package no larger than a PDA. The unit incorporates omni-directional antenna, RF, satellite modem, protocol stack, Bluetooth interface, GPS receiver and battery/charger. It can be used as a clip- on accessory to a PDA or Smartphone to create a fully mobile hand-held data terminal with global connectivity. The PocketSAT unit and host device communicate wirelessly via Bluetooth. This allows the terminal unit to be detached from the host device and located up to tens of metres away from the user, giving a high degree of flexibility in operational configuration. For example, the terminal could be placed on the deck of a yacht while the user browses the web below decks on a PDA.
Targeted at Inmarsat’s forthcoming BGAN system, PocketSAT is designed to communicate at L-band with Inmarsat-4 satellites in geostationary orbit, providing data rates comparable to terrestrial mobile services such as GPRS. The terminal will be capable of supporting peak user data rates in the vicinity of 50 kbit/s in both the forward (in-bound) and return directions. With a future enhancement to the RF section, peak rates in the vicinity of 100 kbit/s in each direction will be supported. A voice capability may be added in a future evolution of the product.
The high degree of miniaturisation is achieved through the rigorous application of low-power miniature components and the use of an advanced and highly integrated software-radio architecture.
The target price for the PocketSAT terminal is around 500 Euros. Together with the small, lightweight form factor, this should bring satellite communications within the reach of new and potentially mass markets, including adventure tourists, business travellers, field workers, leisure boat owners and members of remote communities.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/pocketsat e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications
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Waveguide Lens Antenna
User Terminals: Consumer
“The Waveguide Lens Antenna works like an optical lens, but for microwaves. It is a new, vital component that will improve wireless communication. This ESA Telecom project has proved this.” Ulf Grape, Managing Director, Telewide
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Telewide AB Norrbölegatan 66 931 37 Skellefteå Sweden http://www.telewide.se
CONTACT TELEWIDE: Ulf Grape Managing Director E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +46 910 173 40 Fax: +46 910 173 48
PROFILE:
For millimetre wave frequencies, the concave reflector, or dish, has so far been the predominant antenna design for professionals and consumers requiring high gain. Variants and improvements on the dish have been made over the years but the fundamental of a mathematically defined focus point has remained.
As new communication structures evolve and higher frequencies are used, driven by the demand for increased bandwidth, the limitations of this technology, such as for handling several signal sources simultaneously, becomes evident. These limitations have been the driving force in the development of the technologies behind the Waveguide Lens Antenna.
A Waveguide Lens Antenna is an array of rectangular waveguide channels arranged rotationally and symmetrically around the antenna axis. This arrangement allows the lens antenna to focus an electromagnetic wave at a focal plane behind the antenna. The lens focuses, and thereby amplifies, all polarizations equally, which is favourable for circularly as well as plane-polarized waves.
A plane electromagnetic wave encounters the antenna surface and passes through the waveguide channels. The wave achieves a higher phase velocity within the channels and, with suitable length and geometry of the channels, a wave front is obtained that refracts to a common focus.
The frequency range in which the antenna operates is determined by the cross-section of the waveguide channels. A higher operating frequency requires a smaller cross- section and vice versa. Frequencies outside the chosen range are automatically filtered and not amplified, thus improving the signal-to-noise level in the frequency ranges that are amplified.
The symmetrical arrangement of the waveguide channels provides easy control over the electromagnetic behaviour of a lens antenna and the arrangement also provides for low cross-polarization, while preserving amplification in offset angles of the encountering wave.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/waveguide e-mail: [email protected] February 2004 Satellite Applications
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2. Multimedia Systems
For the development and launching of complete state-of-the-art interactive multimedia satellite systems services, ESA maintains the Multimedia Systems programme line. It is designed to be well equipped to meet a broad range of the future market needs of European companies.
Various broadband systems are being developed in order to encourage multiple source manufacture and provide equal opportunities for operators.
• AmerHis
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AmerHis
Multimedia Systems
“This project will be profitable for everyone, the operators, industry and the Agency. It will serve the users and is a good symbol of European cooperation in the field of satellite communications.” J.M. Casas, Head of Science Projects Division, ESA
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Alcatel Espacio C/ Einstein, 7 (PTM) 28760 Tres Cantos (Madrid) Spain http://www.alcatel.es/espacio
CONTACT ALCATEL ESPACIO: Miguel A. Rey Project Manager E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +34 91807 7947 Fax: +34 91807 7979
PROJECT PARTNERS: Alcatel Space Industries (France) Mier Communicaciones (Spain) Indra Espacio (Spain) EMS Technology (Canada) Nera ASA (Norway)
PROFILE:
AmerHis is an ALCATEL ESPACIO initiative, supported and co-funded by ESA and Industry, with the support of CDTI, to deploy an advanced communications system based on a regenerative payload on board the AMAZONAS satellite. The new system concept offers a broad range of new services in the field of satellite communication.
The AmerHis payload flies on Hispasat’s satellite Amazonas, launched in August 2004. It works like a ‘switchboard in space’, providing unique connectivity between the different coverage areas of the satellite and making possible a wide range of interactive satellite services over the Atlantic.
AmerHis is a win-win-win solution for Interactive Network Access Providers (INAP’s), service providers and customers. The much greater flexibility for managing and selling capacity is such that all of the main players will benefit from this advanced technology. Real- and non-real-time mulitmedia services and applications can be provided on readily available DVB-S/DVB-RCS compatible terminals.
The system permits the assignment of resources to different sub networks in a very flexible manner and allows user transmission rates ranging from 512 kbit/s to 8 Mbit/sec. The system supports IP-based as well as native MPEG (Motion Pictures Expert Group) -based services, with efficient mechanisms for the provision of uni- and multi-cast services, and the possibility to define various quality-of-service (QoS) levels to meet differing user needs. These services include high-speed Internet, multicasting (broadcasting towards selective groups), video and radio on demand and many others.
Thanks to AmerHis, Hispasat is able to offer more and better services to its customers anywhere in Europe, North America, South America or Brazil without requiring costly and cumbersome double satellite hops.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/amerhis e-mail: [email protected] August 2004 Satellite Applications
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3. Technology
The Technology programme line focuses on the development of equipment and subsystems for evolving satellite telecommunications systems.
Working closely with industry, ESA co-ordinates and sponsors the research and development necessary to bring new technologies to near-market-readiness. By investing in new technological venues and new system concepts, the Agency helps European industry to develop and exploit the emerging products, services and markets.
• APEX- Automated Procedure Execution • CASIMO - Carrier Signal Monitoring • ENHANCED SKYPLEX
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APEX - Automated Procedure Execution
Technology: TT&C station
“The APEX study delivers a portable ‘lightweight’ procedure definition and execution environment that facilitates the automation of spacecraft operations and testing.” Julian Long, Project Manager, SciSys
PRIME CONTRACTOR: SciSys Ltd. Methuen Park Chippenham Wiltshire SN14 0GB United Kingdom http://www.scisys.co.uk
CONTACT SciSys Ltd.: Alastair Pidgeon Space Business Development Manager [email protected] Phone: +44 (0) 1249 466 466 Fax: +44 (0) 1249 466 666
PROFILE:
Automated Procedure EXecution (APEX) is a generic portable procedure definition and execution tool that enables the automation of spacecraft operations and EGSE checkout.
Designed to be performant, portable, distributable and scalable, its lightweight distributed architecture means that APEX is able to support any mission configuration, from checkout for a single payload instrument to mission operations for satellite fleets or constellations.
APEX builds on SciSys’s extensive experience in providing quality automation solutions for spacecraft fleet operations, for agencies such as Eutelsat, the UK MoD and Eumetsat.
Operations automation reduces operator workload, reducing staff manning profiles and leading to significant savings in mission-lifetime operational costs.
APEX requires minimal integration and configuration effort, with low deployment and life-cycle costs. It is based on Java technology and open standards, and requires no third-party COTS software licences.
APEX is being installed at Eumetsat in 2005 as an upgrade to the existing UNiT system now used for MSG (Meteosat Second Generation). APEX is currently being enhanced to ensure compliance with the European Cooperation for Space Standardization (ECSS) PLUTO standard.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/apex e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications
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CASIMO- Carrier Signal Monitoring
Technology: Network Control
“The dramatic increase in satellite channels in the near future will force satellite operators to carefully supervise their signals and guarantee the signal quality to their users. Hence, speed of measurement and flexibility in measuring a great variety of signal parameters including baseband demodulation parameters, and cost-efficient solutions will be necessary.” Erwin Greilinger, Project Manager, Siemens
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Siemens Austria Gudrunstrasse 11 1100 Vienna Austria http://www.siemens.com
CONTACT SIEMENS: Johann Pohany Director Space Business Unit [email protected] Phone: +43-51707-24620 Fax: +43-51707-52902
PROFILE:
The goal is to extend the successful commercialisation of satellite ground systems, particularly in the area of satellite communication monitoring systems. Siemens wants to extend its existing portfolio (Siemens Carrier and Communication Monitoring System SIECAMS™, Siemens DVB Monitoring System TESEUS and the ESA Mission Control System SCOS-2000), by adding extended DSP functionality to the SIECAMS product. Siemens is already successfully commercializing Satellite Ground Systems, both at the institutional (e.g. ESA, DLR, Eumetsat) and commercial market levels. The latter are satellite integrators or manufactures such as EADS Astrium, Alcatel or Lockheed Martin, as well as commercial telecom satellite operators such as Eutelsat, Intelsat and Hellasat.
A satellite communication monitoring system is absolutely essential for all telecommunication satellite operators, including institutional, commercial and military ones. The proposed activity will allow Siemens to address additional market segments and also to extend the footprint of the existing customer base.
CASIMO is an enhancement of the Siemens Carrier Monitoring System SIECAMS, with the following functionality: - Highly sophisticated transponder scanning (selected band mode) in terms of automatic carrier detection and characterisation, comprising the following baseband parameters and measurement results: - On a configurable basis, the parameters mentioned above will also be measured during automatic background and selected carrier monitoring, where nominal carrier parameters are defined in the frequency-plan database configuration. - Any identified carrier may be added to the frequency-plan database by means of user-friendly point-and-click operations. - Non-intrusive signal-under-carrier detection (spectrum of the error vector magnitude). - Hidden carrier characterisation by applying relevant filter and blind-scanning algorithms (non-intrusive). - Carrier saturation analysis by comparing the average power of the individual carrier with the theoretical average power of the undistorted signal. - Significant performance increase due to DSP-based spectra calculation (FFT) for carriers below 500 kHz. - Real-time data acquisition
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/casimo e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications
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ENHANCED SKYPLEX
Technology: Payload Equipment
“The optimised version of Skyplex is the first on board fully operational regenerative DVB Multiplexer for TV and multimedia data broadcasting.” Rocco Novello, Project Manager, Alenia Spazio
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Alenia Spazio Via Saccomuro, 24 00131 Rome Italy http://www.alespazio.it/
CONTACT ALENIA SPAZIO: Rocco Novello Project Manager E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +39 06 4151 2081 Fax: +39 06 4151 2507
PROJECT PARTNER: SPAR (Canada), now EMS Technologies
PROFILE:
SkyPlex is the world's first satellite platform to deliver Internet and TV services with a regenerative transponder. When launched it will provide much more flexibility and lower operating costs for Internet Service Providers with respect to traditional satellites platforms.
This represents a breakthrough in multimedia service provision across Europe. Major benefits of SkyPlex will be the independent and distributed up-link to the satellite resource (accordingly to DVB-S standard) as well as the availability of a near bandwidth-on-demand capability. The cost competitiveness of DVB-S is considered an important key factor.
The Enhanced Skyplex Unit has the same functionality as the Skyplex units embarked on Hot Bird 6 and W3A. However, both the mass and volume are reduced. The left unit is the normal Skyplex and the right one is the Enhanced Skyplex.
The Enhanced Skyplex unit weighs about 5.4 kg.
All of this was made possible by applying advanced digital signal processing with state-of-the art semiconductor technology. The key-feature of the Enhanced Skyplex Unit is the on-board Turbo Decoder. This advanced coding scheme allows a reduction in the transmitted power of about 5.8 dB without changing the information rate or bandwidth of the channel.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/skyplex e-mail: [email protected] February 2004 Satellite Applications
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4. Mobility
The Mobility programme line concentrates on system concepts based on next-generation regional mobile systems. An example of this is a seamlessly integrated satellite element - Mobile Satellite Systems (MSS) and Digital Audio Radio Services (DARS). Development and adoption of appropriate standards and compatibility with terrestrial infrastructure is a priority.
• AMETHYST • BGAN Extension • CarBuddy • SDMB – Radio Phase A
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AMETHYST
Applications: Mobility
“ ESA is supporting the AMETHYST Programme because of its high strategic importance to explore new mobile satellite system concepts and maintain the key leading position of the European Industry.” Juan Rivera Castro, Satellite Communications Systems Engineer, ESA
PRIME CONTRACTOR: EADS Astrium SAS (F) 31 avenue des Cosmonautes Z.I. du Palays 31402 Toulouse Cedex 4 France http://www.space.eads.net/
CONTACT EADS Astrium SAS: Stéphane Boichon Project Manager [email protected] Phone: +33 5 62 19 77 66 Fax: +33 5 62 19 94 94
PROJECT PARTNERS: EADS Astrium Ltd. (UK) ESYS Ltd. (UK) Inmarsat (UK)
PROFILE:
With the AMETHYST programme, EADS Astrium is continuing a long and successful history in the development of geomobile satellite systems, since it has participated in the development of all of the generations of Inmarsat satellites (Marecs, Inmarsat-2, Inmarsat-3) and is now the Prime Contractor for the Inmarsat-4 satellites.
One the key challenges of geomobile system design consists of providing ever- increasing bit-rate performances to mobile users equipped with lightweight terminals. This progress has been permitted in the past thanks to the parallel evolution of satellite technologies and transmission techniques. Based on this guideline, the AMETHYST programme was initiated in 2003 to prepare the foundations for the next generation of geomobile systems.
AMETHYST Phase-0 (2003) aimed to capture initial operators’ requirements and identify associated system design drivers with respect to existing products, and to perform system-level analysis.
AMETHYST Phase-1A (2004-2005) is a sub-project dedicated to the system and design analysis of Geomobile Networks, aiming at the integration of Satellite Networks with Ancillary Terrestrial Component Systems that will allow the use of new types of satellite-enabled mobile terminals based on the terrestrial standards. The project is focused on system analysis, satellite and payload analysis and consolidation of the telecom ground infrastructure. The key purpose of Phase-1A is to devise and then validate new system architectures based on an analysis of present and future satellite- technology limitations.
AMETHYST Phase-1B (2004-2005) is a feasibility study focussing on adaptation of the Inmarsat-4 spacecraft design to offer high-performance services in the L-band extension decided at the WRC-03 conference. The AMETHYST project has been extended with new activities dedicated to analysing GBBFT (Ground Based Beam Forming Frequencies).
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/amethyst e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications
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BGAN Extension
Applications: Mobility
“Mobile Satellite Telecommunication Systems have undergone an enormous evolution in the last decades. The interest in telecommunication services, available anywhere and at any time with ever-higher capabilities to offer advanced multimedia services, is leading to incredible advances in this sector. This unique innovation positions the Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) alongside the world's most advanced digital mobile services” Juan Rivera Castro, Satellite Communications Systems Engineer/BGAN Extension Technical Officer, ESA
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Inmarsat Limited 9 City Road London EC1Y 1AX United Kingdom http://www.inmarsat.com
CONTACT INMARSAT: Eyal Trachtman Project Manager E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +44 0207 728 1112 Fax: +44 0207 728 1175
PROJECT PARTNERS: EMS SatCom UK Ltd. (UK) Nera ASA (N] LogicaCMG [UK] University of Surrey [UK]
PROFILE:
The Inmarsat Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) system has been specified to support point-to-point telecommunication services on portable and semi-fixed land mobile platforms with low to medium-gain, non-tracking antennas providing bit rates in the 216 to 432 kbps range in downlink, and 72 to 432 kbps in uplink, depending on the type of terminal. The BGAN air interface is optimised for a land-portable environment with directional antennas.
BGAN Air Interface and Platform Extension The BGAN Extension Project aims at extending the BGAN air interface and platform portfolio to truly mobile maritime, aeronautical, and land-vehicular environments not covered in the baseline system definition, in order to benefit these mobile communities. In addition, the activity will extend the BGAN air interface in support of an omni-directional user terminal, in order to cover a potential gap at the lower end of the product portfolio, serving a variety of applications targeted for the portable as well as mobile markets, and requiring low to medium bit rates through small low-cost terminals.
BGAN Service Extension to Multicast The BGAN baseline system has been specified for point-to-point S-UMTS services to individual terminals. Satellites offer a resource-efficient means of multi-casting over wide areas. It is believed that there is a potentially considerable marketing opportunity in the MSS domain. This work aims to develop a solution for supporting efficient multicasting via BGAN technology.
The BGAN Extension Project has adopted the “Open Standards” approach and will aim to open the new specifications to the exploitation of the wider community through the standardisation process, thereby facilitating further gains for the Mobile Satellite community (manufacturers and operators, as well as the users) from the economies of scale. The standardisation activities will focus on the BGAN System and BGAN air interface as a satellite component of UMTS. The range of design and specification contributions is expected to produce significant input for various European and International standardisation bodies.validate new system architectures based on an analysis of present and future satellite-technology limitations.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/bgan e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications
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CarBuddy
Applications: Mobility
“CarBuddy is a central platform for reception of the S-DMB broadcasting system in the car. It will enable passenger entertainment and infotainment.” Michael Dieudonne, Project Manager, Agilent
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Agilent Technologies Belgium NV/SA Wingepark 51 3110 Rotselaar Belgium http://www.agilent.com
CONTACT AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES: Michael Dieudonne Product Manager [email protected] Phone: +32.16.46.97.07 Fax: +32.16.44.54.81
PROFILE:
The CarBuddy project aims to develop a car receiver providing access to the S-DMB (Satellite Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) system. Specially designed for the automotive use, it will support the reception of audio and video through streaming or "push and store" services as defined by the S-DMB system.
The project will define, develop and validate the CarBuddy concept of having the S-DMB service in the car. The S-DMB services will be available to the passenger through the car based multimedia network or the passenger's handheld device.
The objectives of the project are to:
• Specify the functionality of the CarBuddy reference design. • Improve the reception compared to S-DMB handhelds. • Develop a prototype of the CarBuddy device. • Demonstrate the advantages of CarBuddy to: o Chip-set manufacturers o Car-equipment manufacturers o Automotive manufacturers • Assess the performance and Quality of Service in S-DMB-relevant environments.
Besides addressing the S-DMB reception, the CarBuddy Device architecture will be developed in such a way that other satellite broadcasting systems could be supported through a Software Defined Radio concept. These other broadcasting schemes will, however, not be implemented in the prototype.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/carbuddy e-mail: [email protected] October 2005 Satellite Applications
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SDMB – Radio Phase A
Applications: Mobility
“Our vision is to ensure that the envisaged SDMB system is fully interoperable with terrestrial UMTS standards in order to encourage multimedia usage adoption in Europe and contribute to the successful deployment of 3G. ” Nicolas Chuberre, SDMB Project Manager
PRIME CONTRACTOR: Alcatel Space Industries 54, rue La Boétie 75008 Paris France http://www.alcatel.com/space
CONTACT ALCATEL SPACE: Catherine Dargeou SDMB Project Manager E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +33 5 34 35 42 47 Fax : +33 5 34 35 61 69
PROJECT PARTNERS: ASCOM (Switzerland) AWE Communications (Germany)
PROFILE:
The Satellite Digital Multimedia Broadcast (SDMB) system studied in Europe intends to enhance 3G and beyond-3G systems with the provision of a direct distribution link to cellular handsets. By taking advantage of the outstanding satellite broadcast capability with global coverage and the efficient point-to-point service capability for interactivity with terrestrial mobile systems, one can make the most of both technologies to deliver popular rich multimedia content such as mobile TV or snapshot videos to a wide audience of 3G end-users in a cost effective manner.
The system is based on a hybrid geostationary-satellite and terrestrial-repeaters architecture offering nationwide umbrella cells with in-building penetration capability. It is designed to allow the integration of SDMB features into 3G cellular handsets with a very low impact on material costs and without any form factor modifications, easing mass market entry and penetration. For this, it relies on the 3GPP UTRA FDD WCDMA standardised technology and operates in the IMT2000 frequency band allocated to satellite systems, which is adjacent to the terrestrial IMT2000 frequency band. It also makes use of high-power geostationary-satellite technology providing a high reception margin in all coverage areas.
The system interacts smoothly with the 3G architecture via 3GPP standardised interfaces. It meets the 3GPP standardised Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) requirements in terms of service offering as well as operational constraints. This feature is defined to optimise terrestrial UMTS radio/network resources usage when delivering data to several users. It implements effective power-saving features that are used in SDMB to minimise the power consumption impact.
The system preserves the operating environment since the terrestrial repeaters are designed to be co-sited with 2G and 3G base stations. They can share part of the base station equipment such as the antenna and possibly up to the baseband. The system also limits the radio exposure since the SDMB-enabled handsets are always at the cell border from the satellite standpoint and the transmission power of the terrestrial repeaters, mainly deployed in city centres, never exceeds 20 Watts.
Telecommunications http://telecom.esa.int/sdmb e-mail: [email protected] September 2004 Satellite Applications
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BR-234 February 2006
For more information please contact: Ninja Mennning & Anna Jacobs ESA/ESTEC Telecommunications Department Keplerlaan 1 PO Box 299 2200 AG Noordwijk tel: +31 (0)71 565-6409/5445 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]
Prepared by: Ninja Menning & Anna Jacobs Telecommunications Department, EU and Industrial Programmes Directorate
Published by: ESA Publications Division ESTEC, PO Box 299, 2200AG Noordwijk The Netherlands
Editor: Bruce Battrick
Design & Layout: Leigh Edwards
Copyright: © 2006 European Space Agency
ISSN: 0250-1589 ISBN: 92-9092-574-4
Price: 20 Euros
Printed in: The Netherlands
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