September/October 2017

Cover.pmd 1 16/10/2017, 22:41 Untitled-2 1 16/10/2017, 23:56 View From The Top

What does the future hold? It’s that time of year again when we need to start gearing up for the social season – we’ve got three months of social events geared around Halloween, Editor - Amy Saunders Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and everything in between. Children are returning to school, students are on their way back to university, and those of us in the satellite industry have recently returned from IBC 2017. This has been my second year at the show, and it didn’t disappoint. There’s far more on offer than any one person can possibly tackle on the show floor, which was reflected in the increased visitor numbers. As well as catching up with key players in the satellite and communications sector, I make it a priority to take stock of the show as a whole, to check out the latest trends and technology, and to assess the general feeling in the air. It was clear from this year’s IBC that 4K and HDR continue to be a major focus; many stand to benefit from a more extensive roll-out, from those selling the latest TVs, to the content creators, broadcasters and satellite operators. On a related note, content security seemed to have ranked up to a higher level of importance this year, likely due to a combination of growing 4K roll-out and the increasing piracy threat. It’s certainly a topic I’ll be looking into on a deeper level in future issues. Virtual and augmented reality, too, were well represented at IBC 2017, although there wasn’t anything as visually stunning at first glance as IBC 2016. On the Saturday morning, 16 September, press were invited to a conference with David Hanson of Hanson Robotics Ltd. While not within the satellite communications field, the technology on display was truly dazzling. ‘We bring robots to life’ is more than just their tagline – Hanson brought along two of his creations, Professor Einstein, an educational robot designed to teach children, and Sophia, an advanced robot designed in Audrey Hepburn’s image. During the event, press interacted with Sophia to test her intelligence, with extremely impressive, if unnerving, results. So, watch this space – human-like robots with artificial intelligence are getting closer than ever before. The general mood of the attendees was mixed this year. The exhibitors I spoke to were pleased with the event, and with their presence on the show floor – IBC remains a key show to be seen at. Visitors, too, were happy with the exhibition, and particularly pleased with the quality of the conference itself. However, there was also an air of concern about the status of the industry; finances are becoming increasingly pressed for many, and no one is entirely sure what the future holds. Nevertheless, in the next three months of social and professional engagements, we’re sure to get a better idea of what to expect. The grapevine is a wonderful way of gathering casual information, and everyone enjoys a little scuttlebutt.

Photo courtesy of Boeing Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

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editorial.pmd 1 16/10/2017, 20:53 ContentsContents

September/October 2017 - Vol.14. - No.5. 1 Editorial 4 Satellite news What does the future hold? News and Views

6 Cellular backhauling over satellite: The smart way to do it Extract of a white paper produced by ND SatCom

Photo courtesy Shutterstock

Editor Amy Saunders [email protected] Myth Buster - 3rd Edition Q&A RSCC Circulation Manager - page 8 - page 12 Elizabeth George

Publisher Richard Hooper [email protected]

Managing Director David Shortland [email protected]

SALES High Throughput Satellites Smart Cities CEO CAMS - page 16 - page 22 Christopher Ayres [email protected]

Whitehill Media Sam Baird [email protected]

No part of this publication may be transmitted, reproduced or electronically stored without the written permission from the publisher.

DS Air Publications does not give any Satellite Interference Q&A Cobham SATCOM warranty as to the content of the material - page 26 - page 32 appearing in the magazine, its accuracy, timeliness or fitness for any particular purpose. DS Air Publications disclaims all responsibility for any damages or losses in the use and dissemination of the information.

All editorial contents Copyright © 2017 DS Air Publications All rights reserved ISSN: 1745-5502

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Q&A NSLComm Tricolor TV Broadband Service - page 42 - page 46

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contents.pmd 2 16/10/2017, 23:00 Untitled-2 1 16/10/2017, 23:56 News Review & Analysis

Air quality-monitoring satellite in orbit to year demonstrates not only the well-coordinated work The first Copernicus mission dedicated to monitoring our of our team, but also the growing demand for satellite atmosphere, Sentinel 5P, has been launched from the communications. Today, our Company participates in Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia. The 820kg almost all government and social telecommunications satellite was carried into orbit on a Rockot launcher. projects in Russia. At the same time, RSCC is vigorously The mission is expected to begin full operations six operating in all geographically accessible markets, months from now. increasing the number of international contracts, and “Launching the sixth Sentinel satellite for the serving customers in over 50 countries of the world.” Copernicus programme is testament to the extensive In February 2016 the Express-AMU1 satellite was competence we have here at ESA, from its moment of commissioned, marking the completion by RSCC of the conception to well into operations,” said ESA Director satellite constellation upgrade program for 2009-2015. General Jan Woerner. “The Sentinel-5P satellite is now The Company has almost completely revamped its space safely in orbit so it is up to our mission control teams to fleet, which has more than doubled the capacity of the steer this mission into its operational life and maintain it Russian state-owned satellite orbital group. From 2009 for the next seven years or more.” to 2016, seven new spacecraft were built and put into Sentinel-5P - the P standing for Precursor - is the orbit: Express-AM5, AM6, AM7, AM8, AT1, AT2 and first Copernicus mission dedicated to monitoring our AMU1. In March 2016, the Government of the Russian atmosphere. Federation approved a new Federal Space Program for The mission is one of six families of dedicated 2016-2025. The Program envisages the building and missions that make up the core of Europe’s Copernicus orbiting of seven geostationary satellites for RSCC, environmental monitoring network. Copernicus relies on providing FSS, television and radio broadcasting, as well the Sentinels and contributing missions to provide data as mobile communications for the Office of the President for monitoring the environment and supporting civil and for the Government. Also, four satellites in the highly security activities. Sentinel-5P carries the state-of-the- elliptical orbit Express-RV are scheduled to be launched. art Tropomi to do just that. The plan is to build the new GEO satellites based on Developed jointly by ESA and the Netherlands Space extra-budgetary funds.  Office, Tropomi will map a multitude of trace gases such as nitrogen dioxide, ozone, formaldehyde, sulphur ViaSat to pursue legal action against Ofcom dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide and aerosols - all Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, has granted of which affect the air we breathe and therefore our Inmarsat a license for its European Aviation Network, a health, and our climate. move ViaSat strongly opposes. Sentinel-5P was developed to reduce data gaps The relevant radio spectrum was initially awarded to between the Envisat satellite - in particular the Sciamachy Inmarsat in 2009 to create a mobile satellite system that instrument - and the launch of Sentinel-5, and to could be used by the emergency services. As a result, complement the GOME-2 sensor on the MetOp satellite. the change of use of the spectrum into a commercial “Having Sentinel-5P in orbit will give us daily and opportunity creates an unfair competitive advantage and global views at our atmosphere with a precision we never could create a monopoly in the European inflight had before,” said Josef Aschbacher, ESA’s Director of connectivity market – ultimately, consumers will be the Earth Observation Programmes. “Our historic data ones who lose out as they end up restricted to a good- records, together with the long-term perspective of the but-not-great service, at best. Copernicus satellite programme, opens the doors for ViaSat has frequently opposed this misuse and is generating datasets spanning decades - a prerequisite now looking to pursue legal action against Ofcom as a to understanding our ever-changing Earth. “ result of its decision. ViaSat’s President and Chief In the future, both the geostationary Sentinel-4 and Operating Officer Rick Baldridge has issued the following polar-orbiting Sentinel 5 missions will monitor the statement: “We are extremely disappointed by Ofcom’s composition of the atmosphere for Copernicus decision to grant Inmarsat authorization to operate its Atmosphere Services. Both missions will be carried on EAN. The facts are clear: Inmarsat is abusing the initial meteorological satellites operated by Eumetsat. grant of the 2GHz spectrum, as set forth by the European Until then, the Sentinel-5P mission will play a key Commission (EC) by changing the original tender role in monitoring and tracking air pollution.  granted to them with their intent to deploy a Pan- European terrestrial wireless network; and admittedly RSCC in the top 10 operators in Russia missing numerous deadlines as related to the original RSCC’s performance in 2016 brought the Company into award. the top ten of the Russia’s largest telecommunications This blatant misuse of spectrum needs to stop now. companies, according to the rating prepared by the It establishes precedent for any organization to use CNews Analytics agency. RSCC has risen by three lines spectrum without following the rules. As we’ve publicly of rating vs. 2015. stated: we believe the EAN violates the original decision The Company’s revenue from the provision of of the EU legislature that the S-band be used for mobile services grew 23.7 percent, which at the end of 2016 satellite systems—not a terrestrial wireless network (also amounted to 11.4 billion roubles (excluding VAT). known as an Air-to-Ground or ATG). We remain diligent Yuri Prokhorov, RSCC Director General, comments: in our efforts to have the EC halt Inmarsat’s ATG “The confident growth of financial performance from year

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news.pmd 4 18/10/2017, 14:54 News Review & Analysis

deployments in the S-band; declare Inmarsat’s ATG plans So what can you expect to experience at AfricaCom? as inconsistent with EU law and the original S-band There will be a brand-new technology arena, dedicated spectrum award; and retender the spectrum. to mapping Africa’s journey through the fourth industrial And we’re not alone. A number of regulators have revolution. The Technology Arena will host the new shared their own frustration with the EC’s failure to act, AfricaCom 20/20 show floor feature, the AHUB, the despite requests for the EC to address this critical legal Innovation Stage and TV Connect Africa. Expect visionary question. If the EC does not do the right thing and make insights on future tech trends and a vibrant showcase of clear that Inmarsat’s ATG deployment is not a permitted new digital products. use of the original granted spectrum, we will be left with The satellite sector will be well represented at the event no other option: we will fight the decision in each country with companies such ABS, Avanti, Azercosmos, CETel, that authorizes an illegal ATG network deployment. China Satellite Communications, Comtech EF Data, In recent weeks, ViaSat has taken a strong stand in Eutelsat, Gilat, Intelsat, Measat, ND SatCom, Newtec O3b, fighting the EAN across Europe. We have advanced our Spacecom, SpacePath and UHP Networks. legal actions against Belgium and the European Stop by the ND SatCom stand (B42) to see the latest Commission; and filed challenges with German and Italian innovations in satellite communications: Cellular backhaul regulators, making clear that we will take further legal and SKYWAN 5G. action in Germany and Italy if they allow Inmarsat to The SKYWAN 5G represents the fifth generation of implement EAN as advertised. We now fully expect to the SKYWAN product family. SKYWAN 5G transforms the pursue legal action against Ofcom as a result of their way communication networks are created and behave by decision this week,” said Rick Baldridge, ViaSat’s merging VSAT & comprehensive IT capabilities into ONE President and Chief Operating Officer.  hardware device. SKYWAN 5G enables the most flexible, scalable and reliable VSAT networks ever. SKYWAN 5G is an MF-TDMA modem with integrated DVB-S2 receiver, Shaping Africa’s digital future allowing data to be transmitted in a single hop directly AfricaCom is one of those events that you ink in on your from their origin to their destination. Whatever type of schedule at the beginning of each year. But how effective network you request, from star to mesh or point-to-point, is it? It is certainly well attended and offers you the chance SKYWAN 5G reliably fits all topologies. One compact to network with thousands of industry professionals and hardware and one identical software for all network roles forge new business collaborations. simplify logistics, making hardware and software changes But is Africa still the growth market that many analysts superfluous. were predicting? Well demand for connectivity is certainly A company that has been in the news recently, with growing beyond the big cities, and this means the acquisition of Tango Wave Inc, is European-based communities need faster, more reliable broadband to SATCOM amplifier manufacturer and equipment supplier support business growth, as well as healthcare and - SpacePath. Exhibiting on stand B110, the company will educational services. be displaying their extensive satellite product range for In March this year, SES and Intersat announced that the African region. Tango Wave’s uplink amplifiers and they had signed a multi-year agreement to deliver internet sub-systems are among the most advanced on the market services across Africa. Intersat, one of the largest today, with small, lightweight, high efficiency designs providers of internet solutions on the African continent, offering superlative performance. will be providing broadband connectivity to businesses Also exhibiting are UHP Networks, one of the fastest and consumers via SES’s NSS-12 satellite, located at 57 growing VSAT network equipment suppliers in the world. degrees East. Its core products include UHP universal satellite routers “We have been in partnership with Intersat for many and advanced Network Management System. UHP is the years in various markets and sectors. The new agreement industry’s first fully software-defined, high-throughput reaffirms how SES satellites’ comprehensive coverage VSAT router, which can be used in a network of any size and SES’s competitively priced flexible connectivity and any topology either as remote or a building block of a platform with a 'plug 'n' play' offering has enabled Intersat VSAT hub. UHP-powered solutions are efficient and to expand their reach across East Africa,” said Ferdinand reliable, with industry-best total cost of ownership. These Kayser, Chief Commercial Officer at SES. solutions have been deployed in over 200 networks by According to Konnect Africa, more than half the broadcasters, Tier 1 telecom service providers, and population of Sub-Saharan Africa lives beyond a 25km government agencies. range of terrestrial fibre-optic networks. The company has The company recently entered in operation with bold ambitions for the region and offers innovative service Televisa, a major television network in Mexico. Televisa offerings and products. Packaged offers inspired by ‘pay has migrated more than 200 VSAT´s to UHP network for as you go’ models and Wi-Fi hotspots schemes, have data communications and asset monitoring operations already convinced a number of local operators, telecom across Mexico. Its unique architecture is based on a single companies and resellers. With products aligned with the UHP platform and comprises SNG trucks and flyaway preferences and habits of end-users, Konnect Africa is terminals to transmitting voice and data over TDMA links. making a strong push with a double objective: to be a UHP Networks CEO Vagan Shakhgildian stated, “This is partner of choice on the continent and to demonstrate an important milestone for us. We are proud to contribute how satellite technology is today the most relevant solution to the success of Televisa, a leading global media for unlocking access to the Internet in Africa. company.” 

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news.pmd 5 18/10/2017, 14:54 Cellular Backhaul: White Paper Extract

Cellular backhauling over satellite: The smart way to do it Satellite operators have been working with mobile operators for many years now. For the former, it has been a lucrative business with highly desired customers; for the latter, it has been the option chosen last. When compared to mobile’s own transmission networks based on high-throughput, low-cost optical networks, satellite has been characterized as an expensive, delay-introducing medium with limited throughput, to be used only when necessary. If satellite operators want to expand their business with mobile operators, they will

have to move on from their decades-old Photo courtesy of ND SatCom paradigms and start learning and providing what mobile operators really need. In this those areas. Moreover, they need to do it fast, because other White Paper extract, Robert Novak, Expert players in the market are becoming more interested in offering SKYWAN Cellular Backhaul ND SatCom the same services. Those players are, albeit smaller, very GmbH, explains. flexible and adapt to changes rapidly; plus they are open to new technologies without the need to operate expensive legacy infrastructures. While mobile penetration in some developed countries According to Ericsson, a great savings potential lies in has stabilized at around 120 percent of the population for the network design phase, i.e., network dimensioning: some years now, there are still around three billion people “Network measurements reveal that the low-load sites are without access to mobile telecommunications, which is almost often over-dimensioned, i.e., operating at sub-optimal 40 percent of the world´s population. Global mobile data traffic capacity utilization levels. This leads to higher energy overtook mobile voice in December 2009; only a year later consumption per transferred byte. Precise dimensioning with the volume of mobile data was twice that of mobile voice. the right radio site hardware for each traffic segment can Mobile operators have been very efficient in building the reduce energy consumption by up to 40 percent while infrastructure and providing mobile services to 60 percent of maintaining network performance.” the world’s population, yet to serve the remainder a new What goes for energy in this case also goes for capacity, telecommunication paradigm has to be adopted. which is even more pertinent when backhauling is done over satellite. With satellite bandwidth still so expensive, it is clear Business model why operators choose it only when absolutely necessary. It The business model behind the swift adoption of mobile is a sort of paradox: satellite operators’ hardest sales come services does not fit anymore. Average revenue per user from their technically most capable customers – mobile (ARPU) in remote and rural areas cannot cover the cost of operators. telecom equipment needed to provide the service, i.e., base It should not be that hard given all the physical stations and backhauling infrastructure. Operators must lower requirements for a cost-effective cellular backhaul over both CapEx and OpEx in order to run a profitable network in satellite are already there; what is needed is some development work and a bit of imagination. With that in mind, the three most important aspects of the new telecommunications paradigm could be described as:

• Use the best technologies; • Adopt dynamic network planning approaches; and • Develop new business models.

The entire White Paper is available from the Satellite Evolution Group website. Please use the following link: http://www.satelliteevolutiongroup.com/articles/SKYWAN- Photo courtesy of Shutterstock CELLBACKHAUL.pdf

6 www.satellite-evolution.com | September/October 2017

cellular.pmd 6 16/10/2017, 20:52 Untitled-2 1 18/10/2017, 13:38 Myth Buster 3rd Edition

Image courtesy of: iStock All satellite solutions deliver the same mobile broadband

experience! By Richard Swardh, Senior Vice President, MNO for Comtech EF Data

The third piece in my myth buster piece, “Challenging Perceptions” (see protocols and Quality of Experience as series focuses on the notion that all the May/June issue of Satellite a center piece. satellite bandwidth delivers the same Evolution), it is important in any mobile Being a mobile network executive is network performance when used for network design to first and foremost a very demanding job and there are mobile backhaul. In today’s competitive look at the application to be used end- many things that can keep you up at landscape, it is not uncommon to read to-end and then choose what night. Not only are you tasked to stay about satellite ground infrastructure underlying transmission technology has ahead of the latest technology trends providers, operators or integrators, the capability to support the service in like software defined networking, marketing backhaul services to mobile the most efficient way. In the case of virtualization and 5G, but also be up to operators claiming that all satellite mobile backhaul, this goes beyond date on new applications and the solutions are basically equal and deliver looking at just megabits per second on constant threat to the bottom line from similar levels of performance. But that the transmission link between the base over the top (OTT) services. In addition is not always the case. The impression station and the core network. Instead, to this, you are tasked with growing and that 1Mbps from one satellite platform it focuses on how the mobile services scaling your network cost efficiently with is always equal to 1Mbps from another as experienced by the consumer are the highest degree of quality while you platform does not hold true when you actually working and meeting the cater to an explosion in mobile data look beyond the physical layer and start expectations of the end user. This services. And, you are asked to do all to look at the application the holistic end-to-end approach goes of this while there is also ongoing, transmission is actually there to beyond just looking at data sheets and intense competition for new customers support. rate cards and instead, has a deep based on price, speed and network As I wrote in my first myth buster understanding of mobile network quality.

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myth.pmd 8 16/10/2017, 21:04 Myth Buster 3rd Edition

plan, but of the 11 decision factors used target. However, shared access in a McKinsey consumer survey, technologies like TDMA cannot meet network quality now occupies spots 2 the same KPI target because of its through 5. additional jitter and latency. The reason for this is that TDMA uses a time plan Key performance indicators to send information, i.e. data has to wait To be able to drive a mobile network to for a time slot to be transmitted which maximum efficiency and provide the introduces variable delay. Furthermore, best Quality of Experience to end users, if the data does not fit in an assigned there are a few Key Performance frame in a given time slot, a Indicators (KPI) that mobile network segmentation and reassembly (SAR) executives like to closely watch. In the process is invoked causing further jitter case of satellite backhaul and 3G and delay. networks in particular, one such KPI is The difference between the Heights Radio Resource Control (RRC) Networking Platform’s jitter of less than Richard Swardh is Senior Vice Accessibility Rate. In a mobile network 10ms and TDMA’s much higher jitter President, Mobile Network with fiber or microwave based backhaul, may sound insignificant and is many Operators for Comtech EF Data. In the goal of this parameter is 100 times overlooked. However, it this role, he leads the market percent. When the RRC Accessibility represents a significant difference in development and direction for the Rate KPI is not meeting this how a mobile network actually performs. 2G/3G/LTE mobile backhaul expectation, Quality of Experience for Over the past year, Comtech EF market, directing long-term strat- end users goes down and re- Data has collected statistics from egic initiatives and defining solution transmissions start to occur in the mobile operators all over the world suites and feature sets. A mobile backhaul. This translates to loss of running hundreds of sites backhauled network backhaul veteran, revenue for the mobile operator and a over satellite using both competitors’ Swardh’s background includes decrease in customer satisfaction. For solutions, as well as Comtech’s. Due to strategic and operational positions more details on this behaviour, I the confidential nature of the at Ericsson with business encourage you to read this white paper: information, we cannot provide names development, partnership manage- Performance Challenge of 3G over and exact details. However, the ment and strategy execution Satellite - Methods for Increasing examples are based on actual and responsibilities. He holds both a Revenue & Quality of Experience. recent measurements from mobile Bachelor of Science degree in But, mobile network operators are operators running production Comtech Mechanical Engineering and a not the only ones taking a keen interest Bachelor of Business degree in in KPIs. Telecom regulators across the Administration and Logistics from world keep a watchful eye on how Vaxjo University in Sweden. mobile networks perform, and in many countries spectrum licenses that MNOs It is a well-known fact in the mobile need to provide their services are tied industry that how a customer perceives to meeting a certain performance the network performance on his/her criteria. These regulations usually follow smartphone greatly affects the a model where there is an element of perception of the mobile network network coverage required, as well as operator (MNO) delivering the service. KPI targets for call completion rate and There is also a direct correlation throughput. The RRC Accessibility Rate between customer satisfaction, churn plays an important role here. If these and profitability. All MNOs understand KPIs are not met, the MNO is in violation this well, and it is therefore a common of the terms of the license and the practice to have performance bonuses Regulator may hand out a hefty fine, of senior executives tied to network revoke the license or in some cases quality. even imprison MNO executives! See As highlighted by McKinsey & reference 1, 2 and 3 for recent examples Company in their report “Everywhere, of regulators enforcing these rules in all the time, really fast: The importance Africa, Asia as well as Latin America. of network quality,” the use of The bandwidth sharing technology smartphones and the rise of mobile used in Comtech EF Data’s Heights broadband make network quality a key Networking Platform is based on SCPC topic as data-savvy customers technology that is an assured access increasingly select their carriers based technology. When using Heights, jitter on network coverage and speed. Price and latency is kept at a minimum and remains the most important factor for the RRC Accessibility Rate KPI will Photo courtesy of Jaromir Chalabala/ customers when selecting a mobile come very close to its 100 percent Shutterstock

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myth.pmd 9 16/10/2017, 21:04 Myth Buster 3rd Edition

and TDMA networks under load with mobile backhaul. The technical the superior mobile network real customer traffic. specifications developed by 3GPP and performance needed to achieve happy used in mobile networks are not end users who are satisfied with their Example 1 – Mobile Network Operator designed with satellite in mind and mobile service experience and stay running a 3G base station over satellite many of them are very sensitive to loyal to their mobile operator. Satellite using Comtech equipment: latency and jitter, especially when it service providers and integrators that involves delivering 3G services. The understand this will keep a competitive • The RRC Accessibility Success negative impact of jitter is real as shown edge and retain more satisfied Rate is around 99.95 percent. in the difference in RRC Accessibility customers who keep coming back for • In simplistic terms, this can be Rate KPI and poor performance reflects more all while enabling the MNO to translated to 1 out of 2,000 voice or badly on everyone. Comtech’s solution satisfy the terms of the mobile license data call attempts fail to be set up. has been designed with this challenge as set forward by the Telecom • This is an acceptable performance in mind and are well suited to deliver Regulator. according to most mobile network operators.

Example 2 – The same Mobile Network Operator as example 1 with a 3G base station connected via TDMA vendor 1:

• The RRC Accessibility Rate KPI is around 96.5 percent on average. • In simplistic terms, this can be translated to 1 out of 28 voice or data attempts fail with TDMA. • This, of course, will result in a considerable reduction in end users’ Quality of Experience beyond what many mobile network operators find acceptable.

Example 3 – Asian based Mobile Network Operator running a 3G base station over TDMA vendor 2:

• The RRC Accessibility Rate KPI is 70 percent on average and this is far outside any acceptable level of performance. • Needless to say, and after much regret, this mobile network operator closed down the TDMA solution and moved to SCPC.

Example 4 – Middle Eastern based Photo courtesy of Shutterstock Mobile Network Operator adding 3G base stations to an existing 2G network over TDMA vendor 3: References: • The RRC Accessibility Rate KPI is 1. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mythbusters-1st-edition-challenging- 65.9 percent on average for the 3G perceptions-richard-swardh?trk=prof-post traffic. 2. http://www.mckinsey.com/practice-clients/tmt/everywhere-all-the-time- • Solution being moved to Heights to really-fast-the-importance-of-network-quality fulfill both 2G and 3G KPIs. 3. http://www.comtechefdata.com/files/articles_papers/ Performance%20Challenge%20of%203G%20over%20Satellite.pdf While most satellite backhaul 4. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Call-drops-Trai-seeks-power-to- solutions appear to deliver a similar imprison-fine-violators/articleshow/52657540.cms service on paper, the examples above 5. http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/articulo/cartera/negocios/2015/11/9/ift- clearly demonstrate that not all satellite multa-con-410-mdp-telefonica technologies can deliver the same 6. http://www.nation.co.ke/business/Telecom-operators-cough-up-Sh190m- network performance when used for fine-for-poor-service/996-3438004-r3bq7dz/

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myth.pmd 10 16/10/2017, 21:04 Untitled-2 1 16/10/2017, 23:54 Q&AQ&A RSCCRSCC 50 years and counting The Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC) was founded in 1967 to deliver TV and radio broadcast and communications services. The company owns the largest satellite constellation in Russia, in addition to its capacity leased from other operators. The RSCC has a network of telecommunications and its own high-speed fibre. Amy Saunders spoke with Yuri Prokhorov, Director General of the Yuri Prokhorov, Director General of the RSCC RSCC, to find out more about the company’s market presence, services, and outlook, in its 50th year of operations. The Russian Satellite Commun- ication Company (RSCC) is the Question: Can you tell us about the operation in Russia of domestic Russian state satellite operator RSCC’s development over the years, communication and broadcasting whose spacecraft provide a global from its founding to where it stands satellites Molniya (‘Lightning’), Ekran coverage. RSCC belongs to the ten today? (‘Screen’), Gorizont (‘Horizon’), and largest world satellite operators in Yuri Prokhorov: In November 1967, the Ekspress (‘Express’), as well as DTH terms of satellites and orbital slots first satellite network of the Orbita satellite systems. and has more than 45 years of system was launched in the Soviet An important milestone for RSCC experience. RSCC provides a full Union to deliver Central Television was arranging satellite-supported range of communications and programs from Moscow to Siberia, the television broadcasts of the Moscow broadcasting services via its own Far East, and Central Asia. In 1968, the Summer Olympics in 1980. To solve this satellite fleet of 12 satellites and ‘Space Communications Station’ was problem, a Space Communications terrestrial infrastructure: video set up, whose tasks included the Center (SCC) was set up in Dubna in distribution and contributions, DTH operation and development of ground- the Moscow Region, which remains the services, satellite news gathering, based satellite communications largest teleport in Russia and Eastern presidential and government equipment, the provision of Central TV Europe. applications, broadband access programs and the telephone A new stage in the growth of RSCC and Internet, IP trunking and communication channels via satellites. began in the late 1990s and 2000s, cellular backhaul, mobility solutions Over the next 50 years, the Space when new satellites of the Express-A for vessels and other. The company Communication Station has grown into series were launched into orbit, followed deploys regional TV satellite a full-fledged operator – the RSCC, a by Express-AM satellites. distribution networks as well as federal state-owned unitary enterprise, In 2003 and 2004, three new multi-functional corporate and which today is one of the largest satellite teleports became part of RSCC - the government VSAT networks. operators in the world. Skolkovo, Zheleznogorsk, and The history of RSCC is inextricably Khabarovsk SCCs. linked with the development and The RSCC built its own VSAT network, and in 2009 started to actively pursue the services based on VSAT technologies - data transmission and the Internet, and communications and broadcasting services on sea vessels, including in the Arctic region. In 2015, we pioneered the Ka-band satellite services, which was a totally new market in Russia. Today, the length of the RSCC satellite network in Ka-band is seven thousand kilometres, which is perhaps the longest satellite network in the world. Currently, the RSCC fleet includes twelve spacecraft in geostationary orbit, and five teleports, i.e. space communication centres, throughout Dubna teleport Russia. The RSCC boasts its own center for compression of programs and

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multiplexing of digital transport streams, market, providing support to its regional Question: In February 2017, the and provides a wide range of modern and European customers. In addition, RSCC announced plans to expand its communication and broadcasting the RSCC successfully operates in equipment line in the ground-based services. All this enables the company North and Sub-Saharan Africa, South facilities to support TV and to occupy a leading position in the Asia and Latin America. broadband data transmission market of Russia, CIS and Central Asia, Vertical expansion meant the services. Can you expand on these as well as provide services to users development of new services and plans? from 52 countries. At the World Summit applications, including corporate Yuri Prokhorov: Indeed, the RSCC for Satellite Financing in Paris, RSCC networks, mobile communications, puts in a lot of time and effort to was recognized as the world’s best broadband access and RSCC own continually monitor new advanced regional satellite operator of the year in television platform. Based on its own technologies and equipment, both 2009 and 2015. television platform, RSCC provides a Russian and foreign-made, which we comprehensive service to broadcasters will be able to use in future to provide Question: The RSCC is celebrating its in a single window mode. Services broadcasting services or broadband 50th year of operations this year. provided through the platform are data transmission in the Ka-band. After What do you feel have been the focused primarily on media outfits that all, the initial list of equipment greatest achievements during the distribute their content in cable manufacturers that meet the last 50 years? television networks in Russia. requirements of RSCC for quality and Yuri Prokhorov: I think the main result Another promising area has been reliability is rather limited. Nevertheless, of our work is user satisfaction. From maritime solutions. Currently, we we are taking stock of new players. This the satellite communication station, provide services for sea vessels in the allows us to be at the forefront of whose tasks included exclusively the Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific Oceans understanding the market trends. We operation of facilities, RSCC grew into including access to the Internet, are committed to continuous a full-fledged universal operator. The reception of television programs, video improvement of the quality and enterprise was preserved and surveillance, weather data trans- reliability of services in order to meet developed in the era of political system mission, telephone communi- cations, the expectations of the most demanding change and deep economic crisis in the etc. client. country. We experienced a painful The market for technologies is period of spacecraft failures in orbit and Question: Where do you see the most changing very quickly, becoming more losses of satellites at launch. Today, opportunities for the RSCC going flexible and informative. We do not focus RSCC successfully operates in a highly forwards, and are there any on one manufacturer, which allows us competitive environment. challenges on the horizon? to remain free in terms of choice of We managed to become an Yuri Prokhorov: We see our main task technology and price policy. Various operator which is convenient to work in the full satisfaction of our customers. manufacturers of equipment offer their with. Having staged a management The market structure is changing today, wares to us quite often. If we see the revolution, we developed into a client- new areas appear at the intersection of potential promise and value for us, the oriented company that, in the satellite IT and communications. In our opinion, equipment would be subjected to our business, successfully competes with the future belongs to the convergence tough testing in a variety of conditions. the world’s top Big Four. In an open of services. Social tasks and rapidly We evaluate such equipment not only market, the Russian consumer and changing user needs acquire particular for compliance with the declared service providers today in most cases importance. We plan to work in all technical characteristics, but also for its choose the services of RSCC: 80 geographically accessible markets, real performance characteristics, percent of Russian users work through while continuing to develop vertically. maintainability, assembly culture and domestic operators. At present, our spacecraft are highly competitive on the global market.

Question: What can you tell us about the RSCC’s services and market presence? Yuri Prokhorov: Initially, the goal of the company was to satisfy the needs of Russian customers, but then RSCC began to offer international satellite capacity to domestic customers, subsequently turning into an international commercial operator. Today, about 40 percent of the company’s revenues come from international sales. The RSCC is one of the key players in the Middle East RSCC service area

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quality, and friendliness of the interface. Express-AM satellites are distinguished as a whole will be a new generation of All this enables our technical specialists for making it possible to support specialists coming to work in the to increase reliability of the equipment Europe-Asia, Europe-Middle East, and industry. and reduce fault rate in the process of Europe-Latin America connectivity Discoveries in related fields, such subsequent operation. without the need for relay operations as chemistry and material science, will and with minimal delays, which is of leave no stone unturned in the very Question: April 2017 saw the RSCC prime value for users. Agreements with approach to communication services. sign an agreement with HorizonSat HorizonSat and Romantis have enabled The English writer Arthur Clarke, who for the use of Express-AM6 satellite us to expand our presence in the Middle in 1945 proposed the idea of using the capacity and later in May 2017, a East and Central Asia. geostationary orbit for the purposes of similar deal was struck with communications and broadcasting Romantis for capacity on Express- Question: What do you expect the services, in his novel Fountains of AM7 and Express-AM22, to improve RSCC to achieve in the rest of 2017, Paradise acquainted the general public communications and broadcasting and indeed, during its next 50 years with the concept of the ‘space lift,’ Services in the Middle East and of operations? originally conceived by the Russian central and southern Asia. What are Yuri Prokhorov: Last year, against the scientist K.E. Tsiolkovsky in 1895. the regions of importance to the backdrop of falling revenues If in the future it becomes possible RSCC, and what do you expect to experienced by the majority of to overcome the major hurdle in this achieve from the agreements? operators in the world satellite concept, i.e. to develop a strong super Yuri Prokhorov: The RSCC primarily communications market, the RSCC fibre for the manufacture of a heavy- is a commercial operator, concentrating posted good revenue growth. Our Ruble duty cable, the space lift may become on the implementation of commercial earnings shot up by 24 percent. The a new economical means for launching projects and making a profit. We work main task of RSCC until the end of 2017 satellites. closely with European service providers is to maintain business growth and fulfill We could repair spacecraft in the to make communication services the planned indicators on revenues in geostationary orbit and upgrade them available in the Middle East, which, the conditions of the industry to comply with ever-changing needs incidentally, is the oldest region where stagnation. and technologies. This would allow the RSCC established its presence Going forward, looking ahead some satellite operators to become outside Russia. 50 years from now, the most important unprecedentedly flexible and better The solutions based on the game-changer in the satellite industry serve our users.

Zheleznogorsk teleport

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rscc.pmd 14 16/10/2017, 23:31 Untitled-1 1 02/05/2017, 22:18 High Throughput Satellites

AMOS-17 will deliver Ka, Ku and C-band services with a combination of broad regional beams and high throughput spot beams Changing the world with HTS High throughput satellites (HTS) have proved a real game-changer for the communications industry. Delivering up to 20 times as much throughput as a traditional satellite enables significant cost savings per bit, making new applications cost effective and accessible. While launch delays set back plans during the latter half of 2016, 2017 has been rife with news and launches of the latest HTS – here, we take a look at the latest developments.

Ask anyone in the satellite industry what the biggest around 100 more are expected in 2017-2025, with an average innovation in the last 10 years has been, and many will name launch rate of 11 each year. the advent of high throughput satellites (HTS). Lauded for “After relatively low net additions of HTS supply in 2015 their ability to deliver many times more throughput than and 2016, due in part to slippage of launch schedules, traditional satellites from the same amount of allocated orbital capacity supply is now set to more than double to nearly spectrum, HTS provide lower cost-per-bit capacity by 2,000Gbps by 2018, reaching roughly 3,600Gbps by 2020,” achieving a high level of frequency re-use and spot beam said Brent Prokosh, Senior Consultant at Euroconsult and technology. contributor to the report. “Nevertheless, the growth in GEO- Timing has been auspicious for HTS. Largely designed HTS is to be overshadowed by the emergence of non- to deliver broadband and connectivity services on a global geostationary (NGSO) constellation projects. NGSO-HTS scale, if the technology had been launched 20 years ago, it constellation projects are building momentum, promising probably wouldn’t have achieved the same level of backing massive volumes of capacity supply, low latency and global and popularity it has done today, in the age of the Internet. (or near-global) coverage. HTS technology has truly hit the ground running. While it is highly unlikely that all will come to fruition, NGSO-HTS projects such as the continued expansion of SES’ Storming the market O3b fleet of MEO satellites, OneWeb, SpaceX, Teesta and According to Euroconsult’s June 2017 report, ‘High Leos at would combine to account for over US$20 billion of Throughput Satellites: Vertical Market Analysis & Forecasts,’ required investment capital and add upwards of 40Tbps of the total committed investment from the 30 satellite operators supply.” in HTS systems has reached almost US$19 billion. There According to the report, NGSO-HTS demand, today have been 36 GEO-HTS launches in the last decade, but anchored by O3b, is expected to grow at an average rate of

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40 percent annually, with at least one LEO-HTS constellation Accordingly, the satellite industry will find itself in many anticipated to be launched within the forecast period. positions where growth needs to be scalable, and operators Euroconsult states that HTS capacity lease revenues are must find an effective way to sell much more capacity than anticipated to exceed US$6 billion by 2025, generating more previously. “This will lead to operators forging closer ties to than US$36 billion in aggregate revenues during 2017-2025, telcos, service providers, integrators, etc. - basically, despite lower capacity prices and increasing commoditisation. companies who have the infrastructure to move a lot of Consumer broadband services in North America are expected capacity,” said Blaine Curcio, NSR Principal Analyst and to remain the single largest driver, consuming 1,200Gbps of report author. “I believe that SoftBank - one of the world’s capacity by 2025. Meanwhile, civil government and enterprise largest telcos - investing US$1.4 billion into OneWeb, and networks should grow at a CAGR of 33 percent to 555Gbps the company’s subsequent interest in Intelsat, is not the last by 2025, while cellular backhaul and trunking is expected to time we will see a telco looking at a satellite operator as a reach more than 475Gbps by 2025, growing at an even faster strategic asset in a world increasingly based on global rate due to low-cost 3G and 4G backhaul solutions. Finally, connectivity. Though it certainly is a vote of confidence for demand in the aeronautical and maritime mobility markets is the industry.” anticipated to reach a combined leased capacity of 480Gbps by 2025. SKY Perfect JSAT invests in LEO-HTS Northern Sky Research (NSR) holds similar market NGSO-HTS is proving to be a real draw for some of the major expectations. Its ‘Global Satellite Capacity Supply & Demand, satellite operators, with SES famously acquiring O3b 14th Edition (GSCSD14)’ reports that, despite a decline of Networks, a medium Earth orbit (MEO) constellation of 12 more than US$2 billion in annual FSS revenues driven by C- Ka-band HTS in August 2016. An additional eight MEO band and Ku-band declines, HTS revenues will increase by satellites are planned to augment the existing constellation a factor of 10 between 2016 and 2026, producing a US$17 and meet demand, with four due for launch in 2018, and four billion annual market by 2026. NSR expects HTS capacity to in 2019. Similarly, Intelsat was set to merge with OneWeb, exceed 17Tbps by 2026, with around 60 percent of that which in July 2017 inaugurated the first assembly line in capacity coming from one or more LEO-HTS constellations, Toulouse, France, for its Ultra-high throughput LEO satellites, and 7Tbps coming from GEO-HTS, primarily on Ka-band. however, this deal was terminated in June 2017 after Intelsat’s

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The hybrid SES-15 satellite combines wide Ku-band beams with Ku-band spot beams and connectivity gateways in Ka-band. From its 129 degrees West position, SES-15 provides coverage over North America, Mexico and Central America, stretching from Arctic Alaska to the South of Panama, and from Hawaii to the Caribbean, and will deliver services to the aeronautical sector, maritime, government and VSAT networks. Coverage was designed to allow airline passengers full, seamless HTS coverage from New York to Hawaii, or from Alaska to Mexico. The satellite carries a Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) hosted payload that will enable the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to augment the Global Positioning Systems (GPS) with the goal of improving accuracy, integrity and availability for the aviation industry. SES-15 provides coverage over North America, Mexico and The launch of SES-12, originally expected to be SES’s Central America first GEO-HTS with a launch in the first half of 2017, has now been pushed back to the first quarter of 2018, reportedly. shareholders were unable to reach an agreement on the Like SES-15, SES-12 will deliver a combination of wide and exchange offer. spot beams in Ku-band, with coverage of key areas in the Most recently, in May 2017, it was announced that SKY Asia-Pacific region. SES-14, another Airbus Defence and Perfect JSAT Corporation (SJC) had entered into an Space Eurostar E3000 model satellite like SES-12, will also agreement to invest in LeoSat, which plans to launch a feature a mixture of wide and spot beams in Ku-band, with constellation of up to 108 LEO-HTS to provide the fastest, coverage over the Americas and North Atlantic, and has a most secure and widest coverage data network in the world. launch date in the first quarter of 2018. The unique HTS architecture includes inter-satellite laser links Looking ahead, in September 2016, SES ordered SES- which create an optical backbone in space, negating the need 17 from Thales Alenia Space. Due for launch in 2020, the all- to hop between Earth stations, and delivering gigabit per electric HTS will complement the company’s existing second data delivery. coverage with almost 200 Ka-band spot beams over the The investment will enable SJC to pursue new business Americas and the Atlantic Ocean region. opportunities in the data and mobility markets in telecommunications, enterprise, maritime and government Thaicom builds upon IPSTAR 1 legacy sectors. The LeoSat constellation’s unique features are Thaicom changed the world when it launched the first HTS, expected to prove useful for 4G and 5G backhauling, IPSTAR 1, in 2005. The SSL-built satellite has 45Gbps of delivering secure networks to banking foreign offices, capacity and was designed to provide Internet services over providing ‘enormous’ bandwidth for the energy and maritime the Asia-Pacific region, with speeds of 6Mbps down and sectors, ensuring critical back up for emergency 4Mbps up. communications, and enabling Internet access in remote The company’s latest HTS project was announced in communities. October 2016. Thaicom’s subsidiary, International Satellite “SJC sees the strategic importance of aggressively Company Limited (ISC), entered into a satellite procurement participating in the LEO/HTS business and we see the LeoSat contract with China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) solution as a key opportunity to opening up new markets for US$208 million. The satellite will have 53Gbps of and delivering business growth,” said Koki Koyama, Senior throughput via 37GHz of Ka-band capacity, and will provide Managing Executive Officer of SJC. “With the current and services over the Asia-Pacific region. The launch is expected future growth of data traffic and the unique nature of the by the end of 2019. LeoSat system and its focus on the business market, we “There is a growing demand for broadband services in believe there will be very strong demand for the LeoSat the future, which will lead to a lot of competition and interesting solution. This investment and development partnership with developments. But we believe that there continues to be a LeoSat will allow SJC to expand and complement our existing strong market for GEO satellite enabled broadband services. GEO satellite services and beyond by enabling us to respond Thus, we continue to invest in our broadband programme,” to customer needs which are not being met by today’s Patompob (Nile) Suwansiri, CCO of Thaicom, told Satellite technology.” Evolution. “IPSTAR was the first HTS in the world and since LeoSat is currently working with Thales Alenia Space to its launch in 2005, our name has become synonymous with finalise the manufacturing plan for the production of the entire satellite broadband services in Asia-Pacific. We want to constellation. continue to build upon this legacy.”

SES launches first HTS Intelsat advances EpicNG fleet While SES’s first HTS capacity came with the acquisition of For many in the industry, it’s impossible to think about HTS O3b networks as detailed above, the company has since without the minding flitting to the Intelsat EpicNG platform. launched its own HTS, SES-15, on 18 May 2017 with When completed, the platform will deliver global coverage Arianespace from French Guiana. with HTS technology based on open architecture, engineered

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for backwards compatibility, utilising C, Ku and Ka-bands with replacing Intelsat 903, which will be redeployed to another a mixture of wide beams, spot beams and frequency reuse position by the end of 2017. technology. “The successful launch of Intelsat 35e is a major milestone Intelsat EpicNG services were first launched in March 2016 in our business plan for 2017, furthering the footprint and with Intelsat 29e at 310 degrees East, providing coverage resilience of our Intelsat EpicNG infrastructure,” said Stephen over the Americas, the Caribbean, Eastern United States and Spengler, Chief Executive Officer at Intelsat. “With each the North Atlantic region. Consumers from every major end Intelsat EpicNG launch, we advance our vision of creating a user market, including government, defence, aviation, global, high performance for our customers that will unlock maritime, enterprise and broadcast have already signed up new growth opportunities in applications including mobility, to the service. Next, in January 2017, in-orbit testing was wireless infrastructure and private data networks. As we completed for the second EpicNG satellite, Intelsat 33e. further our innovations with respect to ground infrastructure Operating from 60 degrees East, Intelsat 33e provides and managed service offerings, like IntelsatOne Flex, we are coverage over Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, transforming the role of satellite in the telecommunications Mediterranean and Indian Ocean regions. Meanwhile, landscape.” February 2017 saw the launch of Intelsat 32e to 317 degrees Finally, at the end of September 2017, Intelsat launched East – the satellite will overlay certain beams of Intelsat 29e, Intelsat 37e, the first all-digital satellite to offer full, high increasing the throughput available in the high-traffic areas resolution interconnectivity between C, Ku and Ka-bands for over the Caribbean and North Atlantic routes. use in wireless backhaul, enterprise VSAT, government and More recently, in July 2017, Intelsat 35e was launched to mobility networks. According to reports, the C-band payload deliver coverage over the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe presents a comprehensive mix of high-power spot and wide and Africa from its orbital position at 325.5 degrees East, beams, designed to deliver additional services and improved

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throughput. The Ku- and Ka-band steerable beams, which are competitive with terrestrial telecommunications networks,” can be positioned as needed, have been added to increase Jean-François Fenech, CEO of Eutelsat Asia, told Satellite network access and support high-demand areas for Evolution. “In Europe, service providers using our government and commercial mobility applications. They will infrastructure are proposing connectivity for around Euro30/ complement the extensive Ku-band multi-spot beam month, in line with the price of terrestrial alternatives. This coverage. In addition, Intelsat 37e improves the resiliency of has allowed us to capture a great deal of the unserved areas. the IntelsatOne Flex managed platform, bringing additional We are now replicating this model in other regions of the throughput to support enterprise, broadband, government world, notably in Russia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin and mobility applications in the Americas, Africa and Europe. America.” “Intelsat 37e is a powerful addition to our award-winning Intelsat EpicNG network. It brings new technology and ViaSat plans global HTS coverage resilience as we continue to deploy the first, all-digital, high- Global broadband services and technology company ViaSat throughput satellite system,” said Spengler. “Intelsat 37e augmented its capabilities with the launch of its first HTS, features enhanced power sharing technology and steerable ViaSat-1, in 2012. This capacity has been used to provide beams, which bring additional flexibility to meeting regional Ka-band services over North America and Hawaii, delivering and application requirements over the life of the satellite. Exceed Internet in the US, and Xplornet in Canada. Intelsat 37e reflects our multi-band, open architecture ViaSat has since augmented its HTS capacity with the philosophy. Our overarching goal is to offer satellite services launch of ViaSat-2 in June 2017, which will provide both high that unlock high-demand applications such as mobility and capacity bandwidth and wide coverage over Ka-band wireless infrastructure, supporting the growth of our frequencies, as well as the flexibility to move bandwidth to customers.” where it’s required. The satellite will provide double the Intelsat will complete its global footprint in 2018 with bandwidth economics advantage of ViaSat-1, double the Horizons 3e. throughput, and provide seven times the coverage. Areas of coverage include North America, Central America, the Eutelsat launches EUTELSAT 172B Caribbean and part of northern South America and the As a well-established satellite operator, it was only natural primary aeronautical and maritime routes across the Atlantic that Eutelsat was one of the first to adopt HTS technology. In Ocean. Indeed, ViaSat-2 is the company’s first step toward fact, the company launched Europe’s first HTS, KA-SAT, in spreading its high-capacity coverage worldwide for fixed 2012. The 90Gbps satellite uses 82 Ka-band spot beams to broadband and mobility services for aviation and maritime. deliver high speed Internet. Going forwards, ViaSat plans to develop its ViaSat-3 Eutelsat launched its most recent HTS, EUTELSAT 172B, platform, a system of three satellites that will deliver a global on 2 June 2017. The satellite is the first high-power all-electric broadband network with enough capacity to deliver an telecommunications satellite to be constructed in Europe, by affordable, high-speed, high-quality Internet and video Airbus Defence and Space. With C, Ku and high throughput streaming service. ViaSat announced the Preliminary Design Ka-band payloads, Eutelsat’s coverage will be enhanced over Review (PDR) for the first two of its ViaSat-3 satellites in China and the Pacific Islands once fully operational. November 2016. Each ViaSat-3 satellite is expected to deliver EUTELSAT 172B will also provide coverage over the North more than 1Tbps of capacity, and will have the flexibility to Pacific Rim to serve aircraft travelling between the USA and dynamically direct capacity to where customers are located. Asia; Panasonic Avionics has already signed a long-term The first two ViaSat-3 satellites will provide Ka-band coverage agreement for this capacity. over the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, while “We’re building HTS with multi beam coverage for different a third ViaSat-3 satellite is ultimately planned for the Asia- regions. This is bringing down the cost of capacity to a point Pacific region, completing ViaSat’s global service coverage. where we can provide services to end users at prices which The first ViaSat-3 satellite is expected to launch in 2019.

Inmarsat achieves delayed Global Xpress satellite launch Inmarsat’s Global Xpress (GX), which, according to the company, was the first service that provided full, global coverage with capacity from a single satellite operator, providing a consistent network service, entered full global commercial service in December 2015. The GX constellation consists of three Ka-band I-5 class HTS, which between them provide full global coverage. The I-5 satellites use a combination of fixed narrow spot beams that deliver high speeds through compact terminals, and six steerable beams so that additional capacity can be directed in real-time to where it’s needed. Inmarsat ordered a fourth I-5 satellite from Boeing for the GX constellation to augment existing capabilities. The I-5 F4 satellite was initially expected to launch at the end of December 2016, but the launch was delayed due to the Launch of Eutelsat 172B. Photo courtesy Arianespace backlog in SpaceX’s launch programme following the launch

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pad explosion in September 2016. As such, the I-5 F4 satellite the table. Following on from the success of Ka-band HTS was successfully launched by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 on 15 May Yahsat 1B, Yahsat is currently preparing for the launch of Al 2017; once fully operational, it will provide additional capacity Yah 3, an all Ka-band HTS with 60 spot beams based on for Global Xpress users on land, at sea, and in the air. Orbital ATK’s GEOStar-3 platform. Al Yah 3 will expand Yahsat’s coverage to Brazil and 19 new markets in Africa, Spacecom invests in AMOS-17 doubling its reach upon its launch, which has been pushed Israel’s Spacecom, operator of the AMOS fleet of satellites back to the third quarter of 2017. Around 10Gbps, or 18 spot and delivering services to Asia, Europe, the Middle East and beams, of Al Yah 3’s capacity will be used for Connect Africa, Africa, is one the latest companies to announce a new HTS Eutelsat’s strategy to deliver commercial broadband service project. The company famously lost its first HTS, the AMOS- to Sub-Saharan African nations by 2019. Up to 16 spot beams 6 satellite, in a SpaceX launchpad explosion which also on Yahsat 1B will also be used for the project. destroyed the Falcon 9 rocket it was due to launch on. In December 2016, SpaceX announced that it had entered Kacific Broadband Satellites orders first HTS into a US$161 million satellite procurement agreement with Kacific is one of the latest companies to join the HTS Boeing Satellite Systems International. AMOS-17 will deliver revolution. It plans to address the endemic lack of high-speed Ka, Ku and C-band services with a combination of broad and affordable broadband in the Pacific and Southeast Asia. regional beams and high throughput spot beams to maximise The company closed a US$147 million financing round in spectral efficiency. Operating from 17 degrees East, AMOS- late 2016 to cover the satellite, launch service, ground 17 will expand Spacecom’s coverage over Africa, the Middle systems and other project costs. East and Europe for an expected in-orbit lifetime of 15 years. Kacific ordered its first HTS, Kacific-1, from Boeing in The satellite is due for launch in 2019. February 2017. The condominium satellite will be shared with “AMOS-17 will be a multi-band high-throughput, state-of- JCSAT-18, ordered by SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation. Kacific- the-art satellite that will provide reliable solutions and offer a 1 will deliver broadband throughput via 57 Ka-band narrow significant competitive advantage for our customers,” said beams, each with up to 1.25Gbps of capacity. The beams David Pollack, President and CEO of Spacecom. “We are were designed to cover 20 Pacific and Southeast Asian pleased to partner with Boeing in making this important nations. So far, capacity has been sold on 51 of the 57 beams, addition to our fleet. The Boeing satellite will provide a great with sold capacity exceeding 70 percent on most beams fit for Spacecom’s expansion strategy, offering an innovative already. Based on the early sales success in the Asia-Pacific design with capabilities that provide flexible service offerings region, Kacific is now preparing plans for follow-on HTS. to meet the growing demands of our customers. AMOS-17 “With the launch of Kacific-1 in 2019, people in areas will enhance our capabilities as a growing and highly capable currently lacking affordable high-speed Internet will be able to satellite operator.” access online education, healthcare and public services, and grow their local economies. Delivering Internet speeds over Yahsat looks to Brazil with Al Yah 3 100Mbps on low cost, small form factor terminals, will help YahSat is one of the few medium-sized operators to have connect the dots of South East Asia and the Pacific to the taken advantage of the new capabilities that HTS bring to digital world,” said Christian Patouraux, Kacific’s CEO.

Inmarsat I-5 F1 and I-5-F2 in Boeing facility

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Photo courtesy of Shutterstock Smart cities must become cleverer about connectivity

Whilst the world’s population continues to grow and urbanisation increases, society will increasingly rely on communications technology to help overcome its many challenges; one of these will be making cities ‘smart.’ Hakan Ekmen, Chief Executive at P3 communications GmbH, outlines the steps that must be taken to enable smart cities to develop in a way that makes sense for planners, consumers and businesses alike.

According to the United Nations, by 2050 nine billion ability of people and things to connect with other things while people will live on Earth, of which 70 percent will be in cities. on the move is vital. This demographic change, together with globalisation, climate The smart city will use mobile connectivity to provide new change and the need for greater efficiency in the use of modes of healthcare, green initiatives about energy and energy, space, budgets and time, will force cities to come up resource savings, enhanced waste management, increased with more innovative and far-reaching solutions. safety, easier access to knowledge and better governmental The smart city presents a positive vision of this future, in processes. This connectivity will bring increased efficiency which the everyday lives of inhabitants are improved by in the surveillance of buildings, automation of their heating technology in many different ways. Primarily it will be a and cooling, as well as smart metering and the operation of question of connecting the infrastructure elements to each intelligent emissions control systems. Several West European other in order to exchange and use data to boost efficiency countries, for example, currently have large-scale energy in almost every facet of life. saving schemes in preparation, requiring new in-house wireless connections for both industry and private homes. Connecting to succeed Given this range of uses, the quality and reliability of Connected, integrated information and communication connectivity will become critical to the smart city, making the technology is the foundation on which the smart city will be reliable measurement and testing of telecommunication built, with mobile connectivity right at its core. In the age of networks and services indispensable. These networks must the connected car and smart transport management, the do what they say they will do. If the exchange of electronic

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(IoT) technologies. Here the driver will be customer demand created by global companies offering applications that can be adapted for local use. Cities that are supportive of IoT and have the connectivity to support it are likely to develop smart capabilities very quickly. Yet connections must be reliable. As cities become increasingly congested, local authorities will want to use IoT technologies to ease all their transport and traffic problems with an integrated solution, in the process reducing the threats to health from pollution. If there are gaps in the infrastructure, truly smart or driverless electric cars will not work because either their automatic driving processes will be interrupted, or their owners will find the batteries constantly run out before they can find a charging point. Intelligent traffic management systems also require the interaction between vehicles and Hakan Ekmen, Chief Executive at infrastructure to be seamless if journeys are not to become P3 communications GmbH too irksome or difficult.

Social change data is to be secure, there must be faith in the system by Social factors are also very important drivers. In most which that vital information is transmitted. countries, the attractiveness of cities for young people and younger families is increasing, yet they expect access to rapid The technology drivers transport systems along with fast and stable mobile The greatest facilitators of smart city development will be connectivity. The increase in remote working or home offices machine-to-machine (M2M) and related Internet of Things is also an influential trend, reliant on broadband connections

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which are secure and resilient. communications, will simply relocate, taking their taxable At the other end of the age-range, another very significant revenues with them. factor will be the growing numbers of elderly residents. As manpower and resources are squeezed by pressure on Measuring success services, remote systems to supervise individual health The success of smart cities will in large part be measured by requirements will certainly develop even further than they the extent to which they can offer fast, ubiquitous and utterly have today, built on the smart city’s capacity to provide stable, reliable connectivity. It will be essential to the attraction of always-on, short-delay connections to a local health centre new businesses and tech-savvy, younger age-groups on or hospital. which the smart city will depend. These educated and mobile The growing sophistication of e-commerce businesses citizens will not tolerate bad connectivity, time-consuming and and the everyday reliance on social networking will be another poorly organised public transport, or traffic congestion and set of strong drivers, along with the reorientation of younger pollution. Nor will they want to live in a city incapable of audiences towards digital entertainment such as video benefiting from advances in energy-reduction technology and gaming and streaming. All this makes fast and resilient remote medicine. Increasingly, they also want to interact with connectivity utterly essential. local government by smartphone no matter where they are. This will all require mobile communications services that The needs of business can be shown to deliver the fast speeds and reliability that Increased use of cloud services by consumers and the businesses and consumers demand. It makes regular testing exponential growth in the use of cloud-based big data and by respected benchmarking companies an integral part of analytics by enterprises will also be huge factors. City-based smart city development. Without it the telecommunications enterprises using these services will demand good, stable companies cannot identify gaps and inadequacies in their and fast Internet connections to boost productivity, along with services, nor can businesses and consumers be fully smart transport, excellent entertainment and a higher quality confident that what they are being offered is what they want of life for their employees. and what they actually receive. It is worth remembering that such tax-payers (corporate There may be many infrastructure hurdles to overcome and individual) are of substantial importance for all successful in the next few years, but it will be the ability to demonstrate cities. Enterprises that feel they are missing out on productivity reliable and fast connectivity that will give a community the and competitiveness because a city is stuck with poor mobile biggest advantage in the new era of smart cities.

Photo courtesy of jamesteohart/Shutterstock

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OmniAccess field engineer onboard A passion for training: Key solutions to combat satellite interference Satellite interference is a pressing concern for many in the industry, but today, there are many options available to reduce or eliminate interference altogether. Training is key for tackling interference, as Martin Jarrold, Chief of International Programme Development at GVF, elaborates on here.

Since concern about satellite interference came to occupy related terminal installation techniques – was a problem a primary position on the agenda of the satellite crying-out for a solution, with the entire range of the terminal communications solution provider and user communities, the installer’s necessary skill-set needing a body of online need for Earth station terminal equipment installation training simulation-based instructional material, testing procedures has been recognised as a core element among a range of and certification programmes – GVF response to the strategies – both proactive and reactive – to prevent and to industry’s call for action has evolved into a suite of training mitigate the growing interference problem, a problem which, resources of comprehensive breadth, yet which continues to in many – though not all – instances, has solutions that grow in scope. engage the human factor. Today’s GVF training environment covers not only course- Alerted to the scale of interference instances by our by-course online installer training and certification, but also membership, GVF immediately took the lead and partnered operator training and certification, together with opportunities with the expertise of the satellite systems engineers at SatProf for organisations with a commitment to excellence in satellite Inc, setting-out on a path which today, over a decade later, communications to apply for GVF Accredited Organisation has brought over 13,000 technicians into and through the for Training (GVF AO/T) status. Indeed, GVF training has now cutting-edge training environment it has developed. grown to encompass courses covering fixed VSAT, marine Having acted on the recognition that satellite interference satcoms, mobile/broadcast/SNG/auto-deploy, teleport/NOC – arising from inadequate antenna pointing practices and operations, engineering, and satellite business, technology,

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markets, sales support, and more, including enhanced we made the GVF training part of our standard onboarding training services, site licenses, and elevated access to the process for new employees, we have seen a marked portfolio of training resources through a Knowledge Centre improvement in the ability of our Tier 1 NOC technicians to subscription scheme that makes available an extensive body fix customer problems quickly. This has translated into happier of training resources for about the price of a cup of coffee a customers and greater efficiency.” day. The Certified Installer Database is another facet of the ITC Global: Utilising a common technical standard GVF training environment, one that enables the certification The Vice President for Global Operations at ITC Global, Mike credentials of installer technicians to be confirmed on a Neugebauer, says that “GVF is now the standard VSAT searchable basis. This database shows everyone with GVF training curriculum in our industry.” More than 80 ITC Global Advanced or higher Certification who wishes (and is team members are GVF trained, reflecting the company’s permitted) to be listed. push to equip the team with a solid base of technical skills Many of GVF’s member organisations have become that will enhance the value they deliver to the company’s regular users of the training portfolio, companies which span global customers in the energy, mining, and maritime markets. the delivery of satellite communications solutions in the “It’s important in our business that we have a common energy, maritime, government, retail, and numerous other technical framework and that we are speaking the same markets. This article is based on dialogues between Chris technical language,” says Neugebauer. “The GVF training has Lynn, Business Development Director with Satprof, Inc. and supplied us with a common technical standard to employ some of these member organisations, based in and operating across the organisation, and now recognising this valuable in some disparate parts of the globe and serving a range of resource, we have every new Field and Network Operations different user markets. But, these organisations share a Center Technician complete the GVF coursework.” passionate view that training is key to providing an Current training contract provisions gives the company a unparalleled customer experience and to commercial dedicated, branded web portal, which includes training competitive success, variously focusing on combinations of materials and offers flexibility in preparing new staff to the value of a common technical standard and standardised complete certifications – monitoring training course progress installation protocols, of inspiring customer confidence by students, and making training expenses clear and through providing the best possible service, and of investing predictable. For the future, Neugebauer wants to increase in employee skills and staff retention.

RigNet: Creating a better customer experience RigNet provides satellite and other communications services to the oil and gas industry, as well as to the maritime sector and others, with solutions ranging from fully-managed voice and data networks to applications that include video conferencing, crew welfare, asset and weather monitoring and real-time data services in remote areas. The company’s responses to the energy sector downturn have included both diversification – acquiring Inmarsat’s Enterprise Energy business unit in 2014, and TECNOR of Mexico in 2016 – and strategies to ensure delivery of the best possible customer experience to its more than 500 global clients. “Our move to implement a global organizational design…is creating a better customer experience; it’s creating more commonality in how we perform; and therefore more consistent level of service to our customers around the world… Our two big costs are related to bandwidth and people of course – and people make our business work,” said RigNet’s President & CEO, Steven Pickett. For the company’s [then] Director of Network Operations, Eric Schuele, and his colleagues, this meant making sure that more than 80 global field technicians, and 50 or so Network Operations Centre (NOC) staff received a consistent level of training in VSAT installation, maintenance and troubleshooting, providing all the tools needed to deliver the best possible service to customers. Site licence-based access to the entire library of GVF’s online subscription training courses has made available courses covering basic introduction to satellite communications (suitable for non-technical staff) to the installation and support of specific brands of fixed, auto- Photo courtesy of RigNet deploy, and marine terminals. According to Schuele, “Since

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the number of staff with GVF certifications, and the number will mean that day is not far off, especially when his customers of accredited trainers within the organisation. realise they can check the credentials of the installation technicians he supplies on the GVF Certified Installer Expedition Communications: Minimising time spent on Database. site After considerable experience in providing satellite Globecomm Europe: The problem is lack of knowledge communication in remote parts of the world and in installing Marlon Li-a-young manages the Technical Operations Centre and operating satcom systems for USA and other government (TOC) of Globecomm Europe near Amsterdam and has agencies, Dean Eldridge started Expedition Communications subscribed to GVF training courses since 2014. Having LLC to perform engineering, installation and repair of VSAT recently signed up for a site license, all his dozen-plus TOC terminals across the United States and overseas with over staff have access to all the 14-16 courses they typically need twenty full-time staff and a pool of over 200 contractors who to provide support to remote installers. The courses taken by support end-users around the world. Eldridge says his his staff include not only the core skills needed for VSAT customers pay a fixed rate for each installation, so it’s in the operations, but also how to install and use specific equipment company’s interest to minimise the time spent on site, with such as SeaTel and Intellian marine terminals, and iDirect installers doing a quality job the first time, thus limiting modems, so that they can advise installers who call in with maintenance visits – a factor of particular importance when problems. installing VSAT systems in some of the world’s most According to Li-a-young, only about five percent of challenging locations and in environments from artic latitudes installations need detailed and intensive technical support, to the tropics to the desert. but these cases can be very time-consuming. “Sometimes Expedition has, therefore, developed a rigorous and people have misconfigured equipment, but often – especially standardised installation protocol requiring technicians to when customers try to do their own installations – the problem follow the installation procedures described in courses which is lack of knowledge.” Li-a-young would like to see more together cover key fundamentals – suitable for entry-level contract installers going through the training and getting a staff – and the range of practical tips, techniques, and professional certification. For his TOC employees, he has knowledge that fixed-VSAT field technicians and installers made it part of the company’s standard procedure to ensure need to perform a high-quality, reliable installation job. everybody has the same basic level of knowledge, and has “We started putting our people through the GVF training seen quicker problem resolution as a result. three-or-four years ago,” says Eldridge. Today, he is not yet demanding GVF certification before he hires a contractor; Intellian: Growing training investments but he predicts customer pressure for ever-improving service Also in The Netherlands is the base of antenna supplier Intellian’s European operations. There, another enthusiastic GVF subscriber, Olaf Eikelenboom, has spoken about his company’s growing training investments. “Most of our customers, like Inmarsat and Marlink, do their own installations and train their own installers. But increasing numbers of customers want us to install their complete systems, which includes 19” racks and antennas, as well as the smaller dealers sometimes need extra hand-holding.” Eikelenboom, who heads Training & Development at the company, took the lead in pushing GVF training, and now has 42 Intellian employees, mainly technicians, enrolled worldwide under a site license. “A typical installation is ‘plug & play,’ but if anything goes wrong, that’s when our people need to have the overall system knowledge that the GVF training delivers so well,” he says. The company provides online system training for dealers and service partners, as well as internal and external classroom system training worldwide.

Talia: Training is mission-critical Talia is another big believer in training and was an early adopter of GVF’s simulation-based training courses and becoming a GVF-approved training partner in 2015 when the company set up the Talia Academy, with locations in London, Germany, Iraq and Dubai. The Academy uses the online GVF training as an introduction to its instructor-led VSAT courses, which cover topics ranging from the basics of satcom to the installation and support of iDirect and Comsat terminals. The Academy also works with partners to deliver Photo courtesy of Talia other communications training such as Cisco and Motorola.

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Talia provides communications across the Americas, technicians can provide effective remote support. Initially, with Europe, Africa and parts of Asia using a variety of satellite just a few of the company’s staff having taken GVF training operators and fibre communications suppliers. According to courses – covering the basics of satellite communications Vice President of Human Resources & Corporate Affairs and also the installation and operation of SeaTel, iDirect and Susan Berryman, “Training is a mission-critical part of our Intellian terminals – starting in 2015, the company then business. We quote it in our proposals, we make it part of our invested in a site license in 2016, giving all staff access to employee on-boarding process, and we encourage our the GVF Knowledge Centre. customers to use it. Talia is licensed to operate in Afghanistan, According to Mateu, “We are putting all our new hires Iraq and South Sudan – and those are countries where it’s through the GVF Introduction to Satellite Communications particularly important that our customers have enough course, and we encourage our technical staff to do the knowledge to be self-sufficient.” advanced training, and to take the HOST (Hands On Skills Susan Berryman wants to see the GVF certifications Test) exam and get certified.” The company has a qualified achieve the same level of recognition and ubiquity as Cisco HOST examiner in-house, and sees the certification process Certified Technician and Network Professional qualifications. as good for employee retention, as well as being a source of “We want our people to feel we are helping with their career competitive advantage. development, and we want our customers to have confidence To support customers far from home, OmniAcess in our people,” she adds. supplements its own staff with sub-contractors in different ports worldwide. These are currently selected using OmniAccess: Providing effective remote support references and previous experience, but Mateu is also looking OmniAccess S.L. is a leading marine network service provider for evidence of training courses taken, and certifications to European superyachts and cruise ships. Whilst the gained. “We’ve also started offering a three-day hands-on company began by offering WiFi networks and onboard IT VSAT training course in Palma,” says Mateu. services for large yachts, it subsequently branched into marine VSAT service provisioning and the company’s global Advanced opportunities network now expands over seven uplink sites to provide The GVF training community also offers active registered worldwide coverage with over 25 satellite networks. students and subscribers automatic access to the Experts Omniaccess’ main teleport has a team of 20 engineers to Forum, which offers a platform for discussion about GVF run its 24/7 NOC. Having a teleport with over 18 uplink training course content, as well as on engineering, technical, antennas (ranging from 2.4m to 7.6m), the NOC, a high-end and business topics relating to all forms of satellite datacenter and a whole array of stabilised antennas make communications. A News, Downloads, and Resources facility this an excellent venue for training. is available at https://gvf.org/training/resources.html and the It is Training Manager Andreu Mateu’s job to ensure that GVF Training Newsletter is published throughout the year, OmniAccess’s field technicians have the skills necessary to with latest and past issues available at https://gvf.org/training- solve customer problems onboard ship, and to ensure its NOC resources/gvf-training-news.html.

Photo courtesy of Expedition Communications

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interference.pmd 30 16/10/2017, 23:15 Untitled-2 1 17/10/2017, 00:10 Q&AQ&A Cobham Cobham SATCOM SATCOM Delivering value to the end-user Cobham SATCOM was created in 2012 under Cobham plc following the acquisition of Thrane & Thrane, and today provides dependable communications and Internet access anywhere in the world, with terminals operating on land, at sea, or in the air. Casper Jensen, Senior Vice Its AVIATOR, EXPLORER, SAILOR and Sea Tel brand products President, Head of Cobham are well-known throughout the industry for their reliance and SATCOM outstanding performance. Here, Amy Saunders speaks with Casper Jensen, Senior Vice President, Head of Cobham Cobham SATCOM provides SATCOM, to find out more about the company’s latest dependable communications and achievements, market presence, and expectations for the internet access anywhere under future. the most demanding conditions. Its satellite and radio commun- ication terminals perform in the Question: Can you provide an satcom antenna manufacturer in the most challenging and remote overview of Cobham SATCOM’s aviation sector and for users on land. Our environments on land, at sea and development, from its founding to first system for an aircraft was launched in the air. where it stands today? in 1992 - the Aero-C system consisting The company designs and Casper Jensen: Cobham plc has since of a 2 MCU SDU, combined HPA/LNA manufactures these high perfor- 2001 purchased four independent and the Sensor Systems LGA - and our mance products under the companies developing and manufact- AVIATOR product portfolio is now well AVIATOR, EXPLORER, SAILOR uring satellite communications established as a technology-leader for and Sea Tel brands providing equipment for various sectors. The most the Inmarsat SwiftBroadband service. customers with outstanding recent, Thrane & Thrane, was acquired On land, we manufacture antennas for performance, value and support in 2012, and subsequently all four Inmarsat BGAN and all VSAT services through our global sales and satcom units were merged into one under the EXPLORER brand. service network. business unit called Cobham SATCOM. We have developed our maritime Question: What can you tell us about portfolio significantly, to include an Cobham SATCOM’s market presence, extensive range of class-leading satcom in terms of end user applications and systems with focus on L-band MSS and geographic uptake? VSAT on all frequencies, in addition to Casper Jensen: Our reach is global GMDSS solutions and other across all our business units, land, sea communication systems for maritime and air. AVIATOR products are used on users in all sectors. We have along the business jets and commercial airliners, way become well established as a but we also have an offering for UAV segments. EXPLORER BGAN and VSAT terminals are used in a wide range of industries, with core markets being broadcasting, emergency responders, NGOs and aid agencies, and defence. In the maritime market, our SAILOR and Sea Tel antennas are used on ships of all types and size, from tankers and container vessels through to offshore support vessels, oil platforms and workboats. You will also find many luxury vessels, yachts and motorboats with SAILOR antennas on board.

United Airlines have installed Cobham’s AVIATOR 300D system for participation Question: Where do you see the most in the evaluation of SB-S opportunity for growth going forwards?

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Casper Jensen: While we have suspension. The result is that superior next generation solution, established ourselves as a key player broadcasters can transmit live, high designed to resist cyber threats for the in our core verticals, there are still some definition multimedia without next 20 years – the Cobham SATCOM very interesting growth areas going interruption from anywhere in the world AVIATOR S Series, an ARINC 781 forward. Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband- and in almost any weather conditions. compliant compact and lightweight Safety for aircraft is especially satcom system. It enables Inmarsat’s important, as it will allow our AVIATOR Question: Inflight connectivity is new SwiftBroadband-Safety (SB-S) IP SwiftBroadband technology to become becoming increasingly ubiquitous data service which includes the an integral part of cockpit connectivity throughout airlines the world over. encapsulation of ACARS messages in commercial aircraft. We are already What trends do you see regarding the (CPDLC and ADS-C) as well as safety working with major aircraft implementation of this technology, voice, secure and plain IP data. manufacturers such as Airbus to make and how can airlines ensure they The Cobham SATCOM system this happen. deliver a market-leading service? features the most advanced security In the maritime arena, we see strong Casper Jensen: We expect to see a architecture and domain segregation potential for medium sized VSAT and major drive for standardisation of the measures available in a two LRU new small VSAT antennas. Over the last equipment, because current cost levels solution with a two MCU sized Compact 18 months we have introduced several of associated equipment make Satellite Data Unit (CSDU - the radio) new 60 cm SAILOR VSAT antennas. switching between service providers and HELGA (an antenna, high power Initially, these were to leverage new Ka- exorbitantly expensive. Cobham is amplifier and diplexer, all in one band high throughput satellite (HTS) monitoring developments on this front enclosure), linked through a standard services. The spot beam configuration closely, along with technological low cost coaxial cable. Suitable for all of HTS has made smaller antennas developments of the various single-aisle and wide-bodied aircraft, more viable for global services, as it subsystems that makes up a Ku/Ka AVIATOR S is smaller and lighter and reduces the challenge of signal drop- band cabin connectivity solution, and has a lower cost of ownership than any off towards the edge of the footprint. is preparing for a market entry at that other Inmarsat system, including airtime Maritime customers benefit particularly stage. costs. The total system weight is less from applying smaller antennas as There is also a growing demand than 6kg (13.2lbs) in the AVIATOR 200S installation costs can be significantly from airlines for wireless connectivity in configuration. reduced, while more vessels can the cockpit for tasks such as air traffic The advantages of IP-based data choose VSAT when they may not have control, aircraft operation and cabin communications have been verified had the space for a one metre antenna. crew operations and to support a host through evaluations of the ACARS over The North American and European of applications from enabling on-line IP over SBB on a fleet of Hawaiian maritime satcom market is very mature, use of modern EFBs (Electronic Flight Airlines aircraft during the past 12 having led the way in adoption of VSAT. Bag) to accessing real-time weather months. As part of these evaluations, it We are now seeing APAC, South East reports, flight planning and chart has also recently been announced that Asia and South America starting to information. the Cobham and Inmarsat solution has catch-up though, as they see the We have addressed this require- enabled in-air connected EFBs for the financial and performance benefits of ment for continuous secure data first time. moving away from legacy L-band exchange between the airlines’ ground Major airframers have selected the solutions to fixed monthly price, global operations and their aircraft and met the new Cobham SATCOM systems, with Ku or Ka-band VSAT. trend for smaller, lighter, less expensive Cobham providing its AVIATOR 200S The land mobile market is very systems that are still feature rich. The and 700S for the Airbus A320 and A330 steady, and growth is mostly driven by answer was the development of a fleets, while it was also recently new services and technology. As an example, we are expecting a strong uptake on the new EXPLORER 8100, a brand new stabilised, auto-acquire, drive-away antenna system. For use on Ka-band networks such as Eutelsat KA- SAT and Inmarsat Global Xpress, the system is ideal for news gathering vehicles, where it can offer unparalleled comms-on-the-pause performance and unmatched pointing accuracy, ensuring high-quality connectivity that is available even when other antennas would have lost their connection to the satellite. This is achieved by unique Dynamic Pointing Correction technology, which can adjust in milliseconds to compensate for the vehicle it is installed on rocking on its Cobham SATCOM - EXPLORER 8120 vehicle mounted

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announced that the 200S will be value to the customers. Competition in opening up for new technologies and certified on the Airbus A350 XWB. In maritime satcom services is high, which services. Cobham is dedicated to being addition, Cobham is in discussion with can only benefit the end-user. part of this movement, and have our Boeing about establishing TSA’s for Regardless of how many service Sea Tel tracking antennas suited for this AVIATOR S on new airframes. Further providers there are in the market, we segment lowering the total cost of supporting Cobham’s development of remain committed to them as partners. ownership of an LEO or MEO network, technologies to meet the future needs Our goal is to continue developing new by significantly reducing power of the aviation community, United and innovative solutions based on our consumption, in addition to delivering Airlines have installed Cobham’s insight into the user-needs in all our tangible savings on deployment and AVIATOR 300D system for participation verticals. Our aim is to enable highly maintenance. Uniquely, our solution is in the evaluation of SB-S, while reliable communication services with delivered as a complete, integrated Hawaiian Airlines has selected class-leading antenna technology that system including radome, antenna AVIATOR 350D and SB-S for its new not only delivers performance, but leads controller, feeds and customer specific Airbus A321neo fleet. the field in lifetime costs. OPEX is key RF (BUC and LNB) in addition to a built- AVIATOR S will enter the for satcom service partners, and by in auto-tracking feature, improving link qualification phase later this year and producing equipment that is easy and performance and contributing to higher be certified for flight through an EASA low-cost to maintain, and that lasts throughput and availability of service for TSO by mid-2018. regardless of how tough the the end-user. environment is, we can help our We also see, that regardless of Question: We’ve seen a fair amount partners to be more profitable, and in vertical, industries and organisations of notable consolidation in the turn provide value to the end-user. are looking to optimise their processes maritime communications sector and workflows through digitisation. Our lately. What is your assessment of Question: We’re seeing a lot of commitment is to help them achieve this this trend, and its impact on Cobham change in the satcom industry right by providing antennas solutions that SATCOM? now, with new satellite and antenna increase the availability of connectivity Casper Jensen: Indeed, there has technology and standards all for remote working environments, such been some consolidation, and while evolving. Which are the biggest as ships, aircraft or vehicles working in that means fewer service providers in trends you’re observing right now, the field. Whether this is through general, we feel that it can have a and how will Cobham SATCOM SAILOR and Sea Tel antennas enabling positive effect on the market. Fewer but respond? engine monitoring for better fuel larger players committed to meeting the Casper Jensen: LEO and MEO efficiency on a ship or enabling the so- communication needs of maritime users constellations using cutting-edge called ‘Electronic Flight Bag’ used by could result in more investment in new CubeSat and SmallSat spacecraft are pilots, availability of service is key. This services, or tangible efforts to offer more really starting to take shape and makes it vital for satellite service providers to choose equipment that is proven to offer the radio performance and long-term durability required for delivering reliable connectivity and voice comms.

Question: In May 2017, Cobham SATCOM delivered its 50,000th SAILOR FleetBroadband terminal. How has the SAILOR FleetBroadband range grown since its inception in 2007, and what expectations do you have for it in the future? Casper Jensen: SAILOR Fleet Broadband has become the best-selling Inmarsat FleetBroadband by far in the ten years since its launch. The portfolio now consists of SAILOR 500, 250 and 150 FleetBroadband, to match the service levels offered by Inmarsat. We also have the SAILOR Fleet One terminal which is based on the same technology platform. Our Fleet Broadband terminals have evolved in line with Inmarsat’s developments and in general we have been first with Cobham SATCOM - EXPLORER 710, ultra-portable BGAN terminal bringing these to market, including

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Multi-Voice and 505 Emergency Calling. Certus services, SAILOR 4300 will be Dynamic Pointing Correction While the Ka-band Global Xpress is ready and shipping by the end of the technology. the new generation service from year. This will ensure that maritime Going into 2018, we will conclude Inmarsat, FleetBroadband continues to users will have access to a class- the development and qualification of the be relevant as an integral part of it. So, leading antenna solution for when the AVIATOR 200S for Inmarsat’s despite being over 10 years old now, service comes online early in 2018. Swiftboadband-Safety service and have we still see a significant market for EXPLORER 8100 is already our first Air Transport certification flight. SAILOR FleetBroadband, and hope to available for Eutelsat Ka-Sat and the GX While most aircraft won’t be getting be hitting 60,000 terminals shipped version will be ready for shipping before access to the service until 2019, next soon! the end of the year, giving broadcast year will be critical to ensure that our end-users the opportunity to advanced terminal, which has been in Question: What do you think Cobham significantly improve the quality of the making for over five years, is ready SATCOM’s biggest achievements connectivity on their news gathering to help revolutionise cockpit have been in the last year, and where vehicles using Inmarsat Global Xpress communication on commercial aircraft is there room for improvement going services, with the benefits of our unique in the years to come. forwards? Casper Jensen: Our technology development continues apace and I am proud of the new products we have realised across all of our market verticals this year. But our work is also about enabling our partners to offer value to the end-user and to this end, we are not only focused on technology. One key area we are focused on is ensuring that we can deliver on our customers terms and on their deadlines. Consider the aviation market; a new commercial aircraft takes years to design and manufacture. Satcom is just one component of thousands, so any delivery issues can have huge ramifications. Likewise, the mobile nature of ships means that they can be literally anywhere, so organising the logistics to install an antenna at a port of call can be challenging. We have to work very closely with our partners to ship the equipment to be exactly where it’s needed and when its needed. If a ship has to wait in port it could cost tens of thousands of dollars extra. If it moves without a new antenna because of a missed delivery it could be without the services it needs and indeed may not be meeting international regulations. So, our commitment continues to be to meet our customers timelines, and while we have always been focused on this area, going forwards our partners and their end-users will see us become an even stronger force within the logistics chain.

Question: What do you expect Cobham SATCOM to achieve in the rest of 2017 and 2018? Casper Jensen: There are a few things we’re looking forward to ‘completing.’ Our first antenna for operation on the Cobham SATCOM (aero) - cockpit - Cobham SATCOM are meeting the growing new Iridium NEXT network for Iridium demand from airlines for wireless connectivity in the cockpit

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Photo courtesy of Shutterstock LEO constellations and tracking challenges Krystal Dredge, Director of Marketing, Matthew von Arx, Senior Mechanical Controls Systems Engineer, and Ian Timmins, Principle RF Engineer at AvL Technologies explain the challenges of the new LEO constellations from a tracking point of view.

Satellite communications positively impacts nearly development and/or launch during the next five years with everything we do. As consumers, we unknowingly (and many, many more in the works. seamlessly) use it when we’re on wireless calls, using apps requiring data transfer, and watching broadcasts from disaster Why is LEO so popular? sites and sporting events. As business professionals, we’re Low Earth orbits, like medium Earth orbits (MEO), are maintaining contact with colleagues and customers in remote dramatically closer to Earth than GEO orbits. Because of this, locations and accessing data that’s been collected and smaller satellites can be used and they require considerably transferred via satellite. less power. Satellites in LEO orbit are ideal for Earth imaging Because of the growing demand for satellite applications, too, because of their proximity to Earth. But the communications, many new satellites, new constellations and most significant benefits of using LEO and MEO satellites new applications are now in the works. for communications applications are low latency and Many of the newer satellites will be quite small and increased throughput. constellations will be flying in low Earth orbit (LEO). And many Both LEO and MEO constellations experience little or no of these constellations will have large quantities of satellites latency as compared to GEO satellites. And having little or flying, adding significant complexity to the communications no latency enables mission critical communications and effort. applications that are more challenging with GEO. Most of the LEOs now being developed and/or produced Another reason for the popularity is cost. Smaller satellites are in highly inclined polar or near-polar orbits. Though their cost less to design and build, and many can be launched paths will vary, there’s still some concern with collision due together so launch costs are less, too. Cost alone has to the sheer volume of LEO satellites in development – more provided an ‘in’ for many universities and science-based than 1,100 LEO satellites have been fully funded for businesses to join the space race and develop, launch,

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to a stationary GEO application, creates a different set of performance criteria for LEO and MEO ground stations.

Types of LEO tracking antennas Several types of antennas can be used to track and communicate with LEO satellites, and all must operate with high duty cycles. The continual motion of tracking one LEO satellite after another equates to significant mechanical performance requirements for traditional Earth stations. LEO tracking antennas also must move rapidly – both when tracking a LEO satellite from horizon to horizon and when GEO & LEO Orbits by Alan Ellis returning (retracing) to a position to link to the next satellite as it rises. operate and maintain a LEO small satellite. X/Y antennas are the most widely used and most efficient Significant to military users is the low probability of mechanically steered antennas for tracking LEO satellites. intercept for LEO and MEO satellites. As these satellites are X/Y antennas range in size from a small fixed or transportable in constant motion, it is much, much more difficult for non- 1.2m aperture to a much larger fixed 12m aperture. An X/Y approved users to intercept, communicate with or jam them. design places the X or elevation positioner parallel to the The constellations also provide an innate redundancy, which ground. The Y positioner is placed in a vertical plane above we have become comfortable with in terrestrial based cable and perpendicular to the X positioner, and its rotation ranges networks, whereby data can be routed through various paths from horizontal to vertical depending on the rotation of the through the network should a single satellite become disabled. elevation positioner. This design, though simple, pushes keyholes (areas of data loss) out to the horizons and provides Why is LEO so challenging? full hemispheric coverage. To track LEO satellites, X/Y LEO satellites are in constant motion as they orbit Earth, so antennas need to move quickly at a typical speed of three an individual satellite can only cover (or capture) small areas degrees per second, and even quicker to track a new satellite of the planet with each pass. So, many LEO constellations once the current satellite passes beyond the ground station’s will be comprised of dozens, hundreds or thousands of small field of view. satellites. Some of the better known and now in-development Elevation over azimuth (El/Az) antennas with parabolic constellations include SpaceX (4,000 satellites), Boeing reflectors also work well, but will have a keyhole area when (1,300+ satellites), OneWeb (600+ satellites), and LeoSat the antenna is positioned at zenith. These antennas are (100+ satellites). designed with the azimuth positioner perpendicular to the Herein lies the complexity. Some constellations, such as ground with the elevation positioner above. Both positioners LeoSat, will have optical laser inter-satellite communications. can move independently or in a coordinated manner, and for But most constellations will rely on intermittent LEO tracking a third positioner is required to dynamically communications between each satellite and a ground station, change the base tilt of the antenna. El/Az antennas need to and the data collected by the ground station will need to be move at a typical speed of five to ten degrees per second to analyzed and correlated with data collected by partner track LEO satellites. satellites on a continual basis. However, the challenge that One emerging technology is the use of phased array (flat results from a moving constellation is that each singular panel) antennas. These low-profile form factors can be either satellite only has line of sight to an Earth station for a short electronically steered arrays or fixed beam antennas that period of time. Once the satellite moves beyond the field of utilize a mechanical positioner. Electronically steered array view, the Earth station must seek link to a different satellite (ESA) flat panel antennas can be steered very quickly – that has come into the field of view. perhaps instantaneously – which eliminates keyhole issues Tracking and communicating with LEO satellites is and minimizes losses, but they also offer less gain than other challenging for three reasons. First, LEOs move very quickly and most are only visible for 20 to 30 minutes during each pass. This requires an antenna that can acquire the signal, track the satellite’s path, and upload or download as much data as possible in this short amount of time. Second, with so many satellites flying within each constellation, antennas must be able to communicate through handoffs from one satellite to the next to the next. Conventional antennas may require tens of seconds to locate and track a follow-on LEO satellite. This type of communications outage, though brief and predictable, is undesirable for data communications, and in many circumstances, such as voice or video communications, unacceptable. Third, the high duty cycle (constant movement and continual use) requires antennas that are rugged and high performing. The excessive wear El-Az and X-Y Positioner Diagrams by Matthew von Arx and tear that comes from continual movement, as compared

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leo.pmd 37 16/10/2017, 23:25 LEO Constellations

types of antennas. Furthermore, ESA antennas typically have LEO satellite tracking a +/- 60-degree field of view, and though this may provide Because of the volume of LEO satellites that soon will be adequate steering for a constellation of large numbers, a flying, the speed at which they’re travelling, and variations in mechanical positioner may be required for infrequent macro frequencies, tracking LEO satellites is challenging. Any level movements in combination with the electronic steering terminal or gateway communicating with a LEO satellite will that would occur continually. Mechanically steered flat panel need to receive satellite positions on a regular basis, and antennas perform similarly to mechanically-steered parabolic this information is pushed to terminals continually. Many types antennas and will experience losses with a keyhole at zenith of tracking are employed, including TLE tracking and Parabolic position. Step Tracking. Though these tracking methods are complex, an antenna control system such as AvL’s AAQ controller has Gateways these capabilities and makes LEO tracking simple and All new LEO constellations will require gateways for tracking manageable. the antennas, downloading data, and sending information back to each satellite. Depending on the frequency, gateway TLE tracking antennas vary in size and complexity. The higher the TLE, an acronym for two-line element or two-line ephemeris, frequency, the harder it is to position the antenna to track tracking is an ideal tracking method when memory is and communicate with each satellite. Gateway antennas must constrained. TLE uses two lines of ASCII text formatted into have absolute pointing accuracy and no backlash. And the 80 columns, and must be paired with an appropriate algorithm larger the constellation, the more terminals or gateways will containing Standard General Perturbation models, such as be needed to maintain frequent communications with each SGP, SGP4 or SGP8. These perturbation models serve as a satellite. propagator, or math engine, which translates the orbit of a Many gateways are comprised of three antennas: An satellite in terms of pointing angles. The beauty of TLE active antenna, a passive (ready) antenna, and a spare. Some tracking is in its simplicity: An antenna control system for an gateways with quick retrace antennas may have one active Earth station reads the TLE through the SGP propagator to antenna and a spare. Rarely is a gateway an individual determine a satellite’s location and pointing angles at any antenna. Because of this, gateways can be a significant point in time – but it does not require additional memory to investment. ‘remember’ the satellite’s location. New LEO constellations will be heavily populated with satellites (i.e. have high orbit density), and most will require Parabolic Step Tracking significantly more gateways than GEO constellations. As Parabolic Step Tracking is a further refined peaking method, such, most new LEO constellations are working with Earth ideal for tracking satellites that have been in orbit for some station antenna designers to provide smaller and moveable time and have sub-optimal orbits due to gravitational pull and (or relocatable) gateway antennas. Instead of a large 10m other external forces. This method starts with TLE tracking antenna, a LEO constellation can easily communicate with a angles and adds offsets, which are intentional shifts along 2m class to 4m class antenna, such as the multi-band the satellite’s expected path. A satellite initially may be transportable antennas made by AvL Technologies, and thus acquired by raster scanning over the propagated TLE angles drive down costs. These antennas can be permanently ‘fixed’ to locate the peak of receive energy. A finer acquisition is to a site, or temporarily anchored at a site as needed, then then performed by spiral scanning at the satellite’s discovered packed into cases, relocated and temporarily anchored to a location, and final peaking is performed whereby tracking new site. AvL’s experience with making military ruggedized offsets are determined with periodic re-peaking along the antennas – and work in all frequencies – has made these parabola of the primary lobe of the antenna’s signal. Re- transportable antennas a solid solution for LEO peaking determines the positional offset angle against TLE communications. AvL antennas also operate with precision propagated angles then follows the corrected path, which is and zero backlash, regardless of the operational environment. often parallel to the TLE trajectory. Constellations with inter-satellite links will require fewer This system is complex due to the combining of Parabolic gateways. These constellations will be able to maintain private Step Tracking with TLE and SGP propagation, along with satellite-to-satellite links and minimize the need for continual layers of course and fine scanning data, and failures are still communication from each satellite to a gateway. possible. A typical failure occurs when an antenna is not able to locate a satellite’s location during a periodic re-peaking cycle. To avoid this type of failure, Earth station antennas are often programmed with instruction for frequent re-peaking; they follow open loop TLE data to find the satellite and re- peak on the signal, and the signal loss is often unnoticed.

Summary Many new LEO constellations will be soaring above us soon, and they will enhance our daily communications, provide us with unending sources of new information, and enable many new applications. Operating and tracking these new antennas, however, is complex and requires high-duty, rugged, and Photo courtesy of Shutterstock smart Earth terminals and gateways.

38 www.satellite-evolution.com | September/October 2017

leo.pmd 38 16/10/2017, 23:25 Untitled-3 1 17/08/2017, 17:05 Smarter Shipping

Transas ECDIS bridge Enabling a machine-learning revolution

Shipping is vital in today’s global economy, and it’s one of those things that many of us take for granted ‘just works.’ Of course, it’s not nearly so simple, and in an era of squeezing the last drop of efficiency out of anything and everything, smarter shipping has become vital. Here, Frank Coles, CEO at Transas, outlines how digital technology from Transas is combining data with machine intelligence to remove the obstacles standing in the way of smarter shipping.

As shipping sails into the digital age, vessel owners, springboard that will accelerate the transition to smart operators and managers are gradually unlearning a shipping. nervousness of technology, replacing it with an eagerness to apply technological solutions that improve the performance Allowing a freer exchange of information of ships, entire fleets and - ultimately - the bottom line. However, as things stand, the technologies in question will Numerous innovative solutions have emerged to satisfy fall short of their full potential, according to Frank Coles, CEO this growing appetite, taking advantage of advances in of Transas, the innovative, digital solutions company. “We are satellite communications, cheaper and more ubiquitous unlikely to reach full speed ahead because most computing power, and new techniques in software contemporary work is in isolation. Developers often focus on engineering resulting in greater machine intelligence. efficiency gains for one job; they might do it well but they fail To get an idea of how far we have come, imagine how a to comprehend the full picture. To date, the industry hasn’t demonstration of a driverless car would have grabbed front had the right support platforms to integrate its digital solutions page headlines in the mainstream press 10 years ago; today and fully embrace a smarter way of operating ships and such tests are hardly reported outside tech news outlets. In managing fleets. Overcoming this barrier will depend on the long-run, these technologies may lead to autonomously- breaking down these artificially imposed constraints and operated vessels. For the time being though, they provide a joining the dots.”

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transas.pmd 40 16/10/2017, 23:35 Smarter Shipping

navigation and voyage optimisation solutions on board to connect seamlessly with shore-based fleet operations centres. Crucially, Transas is not limiting its thinking to ship-to- shore data exchange. THESIS is about connecting ship, operations office, training facilities and ship traffic control to create a cohesive community capable of joined-up decision- making. It will unite and empower stakeholders to achieve higher operational standards and greater environmental performance, while improving efficiency and safety. THESIS is not simply a repackaging of existing products into a combined solution. Instead, Transas is working on entirely new software solutions to exploit emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, to bolster situational awareness and enhance decision-support on board and on shore. Frank Coles, CEO at Transas Specifically, the company plans to launch advanced software tools that reduce the risk of a human error on the bridge culminating in a serious incident. In a first for the For Coles, this realisation has become a focus for R&D at industry, these will employ machine learning techniques to Transas, resulting in the birth of THESIS: the Transas detect anomalies in vessel and operator behaviour and raise Harmonised Eco System of Integrated Solutions. Announced the alarm before the consequences of an action or momentary in early 2016, THESIS is intended as a flexible shipping lapse in attention become irreversible. In addition to vessel industry-specific platform that will allow a freer exchange of track prediction, the solutions will detect a variety of excessive information between stakeholders in the maritime supply or unusual manoeuvring patterns, keeping an eye on chain. Sharing the data generated on board ships, across parameters such as speed and rate of turn, as well as fleets, and at shore-based facilities more widely will create a unexpected deviations in fuel consumption. multiplier effect in the value derived from that data. In addition to the safety benefits, the insight derived from “Imagine if the shipping industry had access to its own pulling together a wider selection of datasets can be powerful operating system – like Apple’s iOS or Google’s harnessed to boost operational efficiency at individual ship Android for smartphones,” enthuses Coles. “Consider how and fleet level in ways so far only imagined. Integrating powerful it is to have all your devices connected and controlled metocean data, information from traffic separation schemes by a single user profile which lets your data flow seamlessly and regional regulations on acceptable fuel types will make between them thanks to cross-platform integration. As we it possible to optimise vessel routing to reduce fuel have all personally experienced, this silently facilitates faster consumption based on new inputs that enrich the efficiency and more efficient ways of connected working and socialising. algorithms. Using machine intelligence to augment the It is also scalable as evidenced by the spread of these human in the loop can help in other ways. For decades, networks into our homes and cars. shipping companies have conducted much of their business “Now, transplant that approach to the maritime industry using spreadsheets, emails, and phone calls. Consequently, with the introduction of a platform for ship owners and both operational decisions and transactions with regulators, operators, where instead of the captain’s range of personal customs, and other players in the supply chain involve devices being linked and synced with each other, it’s the disconnected conversations, unnecessary paperwork and bridge operations and the control of information and administrative overheads. Coles believes there is scope to processes that is shared from ship to shore and across fleets.” automate some of those workflows, create greater transparency and uncover opportunities for optimisation. Reducing human error with machine learning techniques The elements required to build this platform – THESIS – are Enabling a revolution mostly already in existence; they just haven’t been joined To substantiate this view, he points to Maersk, which last together. To expedite matters, Transas entered two strategic year announced that ‘everything that can be digitalized will partnerships earlier this year. Its new relationship with Japan be digitized.’ “It is not doing this for novelty value but sees Radio Company (JRC) will see the two companies working real commercial value in adopting digital solutions to remove together on R&D, product distribution and project delays and inefficiencies,” he says. collaboration. One of the aims is to unite JRC’s reputation in Putting in place a unified platform like THESIS is a critical hardware with Transas’ expertise in software to produce next- step in enabling this revolution to come about. It ensures the generation e-navigation solutions for both SOLAS and non- necessary raw data is gathered, stored and easily accessible SOLAS markets. Initial projects include collaboration on the to the relevant stakeholders, as well as any new digital tools joint design and development of new electronic chart systems and solutions that emerge to extract meaning from data. and radar products. “Technology shouldn’t be an end in itself – but a tool to achieve Transas is also partnering Satcom Global to incorporate an end. We want to help the industry improve by helping it integrated connectivity into THESIS, bringing the benefits of make better decisions and boost competitive advantage,” Satcom Global’s Aura VSAT network to vessels using Transas’ concludes Coles.

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transas.pmd 41 16/10/2017, 23:35 Q&AQ&A NSLComm NSLComm Innovation leads the way NSLComm was established to develop large aperture expandable antennas that can provide more than ten times the bandwidth of traditional rigid antennas. The design, which enables the lightweight antennas to be folded into very small NSLComm Chief Engineer Daniel volumes during the launch, features a flexible sub-reflector that Rockberger can correct any unfolding imperfections in orbit, while also allowing the coverage pattern to be altered on demand. Amy Working in the field of satellite communications, NSLComm has Saunders met with co-founder and Chief Engineer Daniel developed antenna technologies to Rockberger to find out more about the company’s progress and transform the efficiency of its plans. communications services, bringing supercharged bandwidth at a lower price per bit. NSLComm is Question: Can you outline effective. With no mechanisms or revolutionizing satellite communi- NSLComm’s innovative communi- motors, materials and manufacturing cations with a fabric-like, cations system, and how close it’s costs are going to be very low. expandable antenna that may getting to being space-qualified? An expandable antenna is never boost performance by up to 100x Daniel Rockberger: As we discussed going to be as accurate as a rigid to 500x. By launching small and last year, our communications sub- antenna, there will always be creases unfolding once in space, NSL’s system has three main parts; the after it has opened. That’s where the antenna opens a wide array of new antenna, sub-reflector, and transceiver. sub-reflector comes in. It’s an applications in the $300B/yr space The antenna is constructed with a innovative, smart, flexible device which market. lightweight shape memory polymer will allow us to change the shape of the (SMP), which means it can be folded antenna in space. We’ll be able to repair up like a parachute for launch, and then any creases, or change the shape of be deployed in orbit with no the beam entirely to deliver different mechanisms. Our antennas can be built coverage. There’s a lot of innovation in small, at 50cm for CubeSats, all the way our sub-reflector design. up to 5m for traditional larger satellites; Today, we’ve finished our critical the technology is entirely scalable. design review, which means that all the We’ve done a lot of research and design work is finished, and development, but in the end, the manufacturing has started. We plan to antenna is quite simple and cost launch our demonstrator satellite at the start of 2018. Once we’ve successfully demonstrated our system in space, we can start to sell it to customers. The most important thing for us right now is to get a demonstrator in space, to test the main elements.

Question: What frequencies are you working with right now, and how are you responding to market demands? Daniel Rockberger: Some of our team come from the small satellite arena so it’s natural and easy for us to start with a CubeSat. It’s a first product, but it’s not only for demonstration; it will deliver a good service. The 6U CubeSat that we’re The antenna is constructed with a lightweight shape memory polymer (SMP), which means it can be folded up like a parachute for launch developing now is a Ka-band satellite, and, in order to cover multiple areas, we’re designing it with three or four

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NSLComm.pmd 42 16/10/2017, 23:28 Untitled-2 1 17/10/2017, 00:00 Q&A NSLComm

beams. We’re sticking with Ka-band also the partnerships that are involved. getting our demonstrator satellite ready because we also plan to look at 5m You need to build a consortium: You for launch. We haven’t selected a launch antennas for GEO satellites, and need a content provider, a satellite company just yet. Once we know exactly because we want the bandwidth. All the provider, and a ground network group when we’ll be ready, we’ll be making a satellite constellations that are planned of companies that will come together to contract for launch. or going up are Ku or Ka-band; if you build the constellation. We already have our first customer, want that bandwidth, you need to be on an Israeli customer, and we’re going to those frequencies, and we want to be a Question: What markets will you be do a sub-reflector project with them, part of that. Our 6U CubeSat will be able targeting with your sub-system although I can’t go into too much detail. to download 1Gbps - that’s 500-1,000 technology, and where do you expect They’re very interested in the ability to times more than a traditional satellite to see the greatest uptake? change shapes. of this size. We’re turning small Daniel Rockberger: We’ve been We’re also going to be doing a lot CubeSats into ‘communication speaking with a lot of potential more sub-reflector tests. We’re still monsters.’ customers in the field, and there’s a big learning precisely how the sub-reflector As well as Ka-band, we’re also mixture in terms of applications. Of acts, what we can do with it, and what looking at higher frequency bands. V- course, there’s the GEO market, which the algorithm has to be to change shape band is very interesting to us because have a big interest in our large and to achieve what we want to achieve. it’s higher bandwidth, although it does antennas; 5m is the sweet spot that There’s a lot of tests to come. come with a downside. The higher you they’re looking for. There are maybe two We don’t have the internal funds to go with the frequency, the narrower the manufacturers today, they’re American do a whole GEO project, but we are beam gets, reducing it to something like and very expensive, and we know that doing all the simulations that are 20-30km. That’s why we need Europe is looking for an alternative with needed. To add multibeam capabilities multibeams, to deliver more coverage. a lower cost and mass. to a sub-reflector is a challenge; when In addition, the higher the frequency, the Today’s satellite market is changing. a large array of beams has to look at a more accurate the antenna needs to be. Going forwards, the communications traditional 5m antenna, that’s one thing, Ka-band already requires less than payloads are going to be more flexible; but when those beams need to look at 1mm accuracy of the antenna, and V- everyone wants to be able to use a sub-reflector about 10 percent of the band is even worse. However, with our different frequencies, beam-hopping, size, that’s a bit more challenging. We’re technology, we don’t need to make the and pattern shaping. With traditional doing simulations to see how many perfect antenna; folding up something antennas, if a satellite is launched with beams we can get in, because for the soft and then deploying it in space, there an antenna shaped for a specific high throughput satellites in GEO, more are always going to be imperfections. market, and then that market doesn’t beams are required. We just made sure that we could fix it develop as well as hoped, you can find in-situ. yourself stuck. You can’t just point that We’re looking at all the bands our antenna somewhere else, it won’t work potential customers are going to be properly. interested in. Customers all across the Everyone is looking for flexibility world are looking at V-band, so we’re when it comes to satellites, and there looking at V-band. are two ways to answer that. One is to make GEO satellites designed to last Question: In 2016, NSLComm for maybe seven years, instead of the announced plans to deploy traditional 15, before they need nanosatellites with 55cm diameter replacing. That’s expensive though. The antennae that can be folded for other option is to have flexibility on- launch and deployed in space. Can board, with a sub-reflector that can you provide more detail on this change the shape of the antenna, project? across the lifetime of the satellite. That’s Daniel Rockberger: We always said an option that many companies have that we were starting out modestly. expressed an interest in. We’re producing a sub-system for The newer players are looking for satellites that we’re happy to sell, for something that is small, that they can both constellations and stand-alone fold up into a Cubesat or other small satellite customers. Our longer-term satellite. That’s another market that is plan is to be part of a constellation, but going to prove important for our we’re going about it by building up good company. revenues through our sub-system sales first, which will help us gain investors. Question: What’s on the horizon for Because of our in-house NSLComm for the rest of 2017 and experience, we know what it takes to beyond? put up a constellation, not only with Daniel Rockberger: For the rest of the NSLComm develops expandable regards to the amount of money, but year, we’ll be building, testing, and antennas

44 www.satellite-evolution.com | September/October 2017

NSLComm.pmd 44 16/10/2017, 23:28 Untitled-2 1 25/09/2017, 12:11 Gilat Case Study

Gilat self-install VSAT Gilat Satellite Networks facilitate Tricolor TV broadband service Tricolor TV’s game-changing ‘Satellite Internet’ service allows previously unconnected Russian consumers to access the Internet at an affordable price. This forward-looking satellite TV provider is using Gilat’s Broadband Access solution and Eutelsat’s high throughput satellite (HTS) network to deliver broadband access to homes and businesses in Western Russia’s isolated regions. Doreet Oren, Director of Product Marketing at Gilat Satellite Networks, outlines the development of the ‘Satellite Internet’ project, and how it has changed the lives of many.

About half of the world’s population still isn’t connected to the Internet, and most of those 3.5 billion people live in remote areas in both developed and developing countries. Bringing Internet access to these unconnected communities is vital for the economic development, education and physical health of their residents. However, to make this vision a reality, service providers must overcome a number of serious obstacles inherent to remote areas, such as lack of infrastructure, topological barriers and exorbitant deployment costs. Two years ago, this would have been a very accurate description of the consumer broadband market in Western Russia’s remote towns and villages. Simple tasks that most of us take for granted, such as surfing the Internet or sending an email, was a dream for the residents of these unconnected markets. Terrestrial infrastructure did not support high-speed broadband services, and satellite-based services were Russia Coverage of Eutelsat 36c HTS Satellite

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gilat.pmd 46 16/10/2017, 23:12 Gilat Case Study

network is managed by Gilat’s SkyEdge II-c hub platform at the Dubna satellite center. Thanks to Gilat’s multi-VNO model, which allows Eutelsat to use the same hardware platform for multiple service providers, Tricolor TV was able to launch its ‘Satellite Internet’ service with minimal infrastructure investment. “In working with Gilat, we are putting in place a key component of a high-performance broadband infrastructure that will deliver high-quality connectivity,” said Kirill Yanchenko, General Director of the Eutelsat Networks company that markets satellite services in Russia. Comprehensive management capabilities are provided through Gilat’s scalable and distributed SkyEdge II-c hub platform, which is optimized for high throughput satellites. The centralized global management system provides Gilat consumer broadband installation advanced and flexible ISP management capabilities including usage-based service plans, data quota management, prohibitively expensive due to the high cost of Ku-band automatic service activation, provisioning and integration with satellite capacity. existing billing systems.

Tricolor TV rises to the challenge Bottom line: Affordable, easy-to-deploy Internet access Tricolor TV, Russia’s largest direct to home (DTH) satellite for consumers TV provider, decided it was time to challenge this status quo. Now fully operational, Tricolor TV’s ‘Satellite Internet’ service Tricolor TV recognized the business potential of bringing offers consumer and professional subscribers high-speed Internet access to unconnected remote markets lacking data, voice and Internet access with speeds of up to 40Mbps sufficiently developed terrestrial network infrastructure. But downstream and 12Mbps upstream. This attractively-priced it also knew that for its two-way ‘Satellite Internet’ service to service is ideal for mass consumption, starting at a minimum succeed where others had failed, it had to reduce the end of 275 rubles (~$1.25)/month for up to 1GB of traffic and user price without compromising service quality. increasing incrementally based on the level of usage. To execute this strategy, Tricolor TV needed to find To meet the needs of non-technical consumers and to innovative technology partners that would allow it to effectively reduce equipment costs, Gilat’s Gemini VSAT is designed leverage less expensive, high throughput Ka-band satellites. for simple setup and installation. The VSAT can be self- The savings in OPEX could then be passed on to its Satellite installed and set up in less than 90 minutes with automatic Internet subscribers. service activation. Tricolor TV is also planning to offer Gilat’s On the consumer end, Tricolor TV sought an easy-to- Scorpio VSAT, an innovative all-outdoor VSAT-in-a-Box, which install VSAT device that could support broadband Internet further simplifies the installation process and allows for easy services over Ka-band with performance equal to that of a maintenance and roof mounting. terrestrial solution. To offer an attractively priced consumer “‘Satellite Internet’ is a modern, technological product that service, back-end support for flexible, usage-based tariff provides subscribers with access to high speed Internet even plans was another important business requirement. in regions where the use of alternative access methods to the network is difficult,” said Alexey Karpov, Director of Sales The project: Deployment of Gilat’s SkyEdge II-c VSAT for and Subscriber Service at Tricolor TV. “By working together consumer broadband with Eutelsat Networks, and with Gilat’s broadband consumer To meet these challenging requirements, Tricolor TV chose VSATs, we can offer consumers high-quality and affordable Gilat’s consumer broadband VSAT solution, comprising a broadband access to the Internet.” multi-service hub platform and high-performance VSAT terminals. Subscribers connect to Tricolor TV’s broadband service using Gilat’s easy-to-install Gemini VSAT terminal. Designed to enhance the user experience, the Gemini VSAT enables fast web browsing, video streaming, IPTV, VoIP, and other broadband services. The VSAT contains a full set of protocol optimization and application acceleration features, including TCP and HTTP protocol acceleration and payload compression. Gemini’s advanced adaptive transmission technologies maximize performance and improve service availability for HTS and wide-beam satellites. Satellite capacity is provided by Eutelsat’s Express AMU1/ EUTELSAT 36C HTS, whose payload comprises 18 Ka-band beams delivering continuous coverage of Western Russia Gilat complete VSAT-in-a-Box from the Arctic coastline to the Caspian Sea. The Eutelsat

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gilat.pmd 47 16/10/2017, 23:12 Advertisers’ index September/October 2017

Advertisers Page Advantech Wireless 17&IBC AfricaCom 39 Cobham SATCOM 23 Comtech EF Data 15 CPI SatCom 27 Eshailsat 7 Marlink 25 MEASAT 11 ND SatCom OBC Newtec 31 PTC 45 Santander Teleport 19 Satellite 2018 43 Spacecom IFC Spacepath 3

Ad Index.pmd 1 18/10/2017, 13:45 Untitled-1 1 22/01/2017, 16:33 Untitled-2 1 16/10/2017, 23:55