SPECIAL ADVERTISING REPORT 4 SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL ADVERTISING REPORT ❘ THE AUSTRALIAN, OCTOBER 29, 2012 6 ONLINE TRADING ❘ THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN , DATE, 2012

xVariety xCareers Opportunity knocks for workers in a The ’s the limit growth industry Satellite professionals TONY COLUCCI and NICK LEAKE give a rundown on the wide array of By ORYANA ANGEL service,responsibleforproviding modern services provided by space technology theinstallationforNBNfirst- releasesatelliteservices,has ASAustralia’ssatelliteindustry doubleditsworkforceinthelast DIDyouwatchAliciaCouttsswimherwayto expands,withtheroll-outofthe ninemonths.Thecompanynow fiveOlympicmedalsinthe2012Londongames, newNationalBroadbandNetwork employs100peopleandworkswith orseetheSydneySwansthrillingwinoverthe andthelaunchoftheOptus10 morethan400contractorsaround HawthornHawksintheAussieRulesGrand satellitemid-nextyear,sotoodoes thecountry. Finallastmonth? jobcreationinthesector. ‘‘Wearetheendpointtomake HaveyouusedyourATMcardwhenfillingup Thenumberofpeopledirectly surepeopleconnecttothesatellite,’’ ataservicestation?Didyoucheckoutaweather involvedinsatellite saysSkybridgeCEO,Michael reportbeforemakingplansforaroadtrip?Ifso, communicationsservicesatOptus, Abela.Jobswiththecompany satelliteshaveplayedapartinyourlife. oneoftheindustry’smajorplayers, includesatellitedish,cablingand Weuseandrelyonsatelliteseveryday isnowabout130–anumberthatis modemorset-top-boxinstallation. withoutrealisingit,andyettoday’ssatellitesoffer steadilyincreasing,accordingtothe Skybridgehasinstalledmorethan opportunitieswemayneverhavedreamedof vice-presidentofOptusSatellite, 100,000Australianhomes,mostly before.Imaginegettinghigh-speedbroadband PaulSheridan. inregionalandremoteareas,with internetorhigh-definitiontelevisioninthemost ‘‘Inthe1980s,weonlyhadthree satellitetechnology. remotelocations.Considerseeingadoctor satellites,’’Sheridansays.Today,the ‘‘Wehavetechniciansalloverthe withouthavingtodrivetoaclinic.Thinkabout companyhasthelargestfleetof countryandweareconstantly havingcommunicationsanddataavailableto domesticsatellitesinAustraliaand lookingforthem,’’Abelasays.He youwhereveryougo. NewZealand,deliveringthe addsthatpeoplewithgeneraltrade Differenttypesofsatellitesprovideuswith majorityofthenation’ssatellite experienceshouldalsoconsider differenttypesofservices,suchashigh-speed services,includingsubscription- joiningtheindustry. internet,mobilephoneservice,television TV,-to-airTV,radio,internet, ‘‘Wecanprovidethemwith (bothpay-TVandfree-to-air), voiceanddataservices. appropriatetrainingand, emergencyanddisasterresponse,digitalradio Italsoownsandoperatesfive dependingontheirskills,theycan broadcasting,globalpositioningdata,distance satellites–OptusB3,C1,D1,D2 beinthefieldinamatterofweeks,’’ education,weathermonitoringandmore. andD3. hesays. Satellitesareanintegralpartofarobust ThemajorityoftheOptus Mirroringwhatishappeningin telecommunicationsnetworkdeliveringabroad satelliteworkforcehasan mining,Abelasaystherearesome rangeofservicestouserswhenandwherethey engineeringfocus,particularlyin placeswhereitismoredifficultto wantthem.Manyoftheseservicescomefrom theelectrical,mechanical,space attractstaffbecauseofthestrength geostationarysatellitesinorbit36,000kmabove andaeronauticalfields. oftheeconomy. Earth.Inthisorbit,thesatellitesrevolvearound ‘‘Theyareresponsiblefor Thegrowthisnotonlyinsatellite Earthonceadayandthusappearmotionlessin controllingandoperatingourfleet ;it’salsoin thesky,whichmeansthedishonyourroofis ofsatellites;alsodesigning, administrationandsupport alwayspointedatthesatellite.Fromthisvantage implementingandoperatingour functions.Inotherwords,it’snot point,asatellitecanprovideservicestoanyone extensivenetworkofground onlypeoplewithengineering anywhereinalargearea,suchastheentire infrastructurethatcommunicates degreeswhoareneeded. continentofAustralia. withthesatellitesandthenetwork ‘‘Ourfutureisforcontinued thatconnectsourcustomerswith stronggrowthandwearealwayson BroadbandDigitalCommunications thesatellite,’’Sheridansays. thelookoutforgoodtechnicians Whatitprovides: Whileengineersandsimilarly andadminstaff,’’Abelasays. • High-speed,always-oninternet skilledprofessionalsareahot Meanwhile,NBN’splansto • Interactivetelevision resourceacrossmanyindustries, launchtwosatellitesin2015will • Digitalmultimediacontent,includingvideo Sheridansaysbeingtheonly boostjobsinthesector. andaudio satelliteoperatorinAustraliaputs Theprojectdirectorforsatellites Howitworks:Broadbandsatellitestransmit Optusaheadinthewarfortalent. atNBNCo,MattDawson,saysthe signalstousers.Thesatellitesendsdatatoand ‘‘Toworkinthisenvironmentisa companywillemployaround60 fromadishattheuser’shomeoroffice.Theuser’s uniqueopportunity,sowetendto full-timesatelliteengineersand computerorTVreceivesthisdatathroughaset- attractandkeepthoseskillsherein technicianstomanageNBNCo’s topbox.Satellitebroadbandserviceishighspeed ,’’hesays. Long-TermSatelliteService. andalwayson;nophonelineisrequired. Just imagine: Satellite service is high speed and always on; no phone line is required and it can reach the most remote locations Optusalsocarriesoutin-house ‘‘Additionally,anestimated20to Whatitmeanstoyou:Satelliteistheidealwayto trainingandaccreditationasthe 30contractedconstructionworkers providebroadbandserviceforthosewhoare skillsetisunique. willberequiredtobuildeachofthe difficulttoreachotherwise,offeringdownload BroadcastSatelliteService beendamaged.MSScommunicationswere ‘‘Wehavesomeengineering 10satellitegroundstationfacilities speedsof6and12Mbpsandmore,andupload Whatitprovides: criticaltoreliefeffortsinJapanafterthe2011 graduateswhorecentlyjoinedthe andtherewillbemanyinvolvedin speedsof1Mbpsandmore.Overthepast10years Direct-to-hometelevisionbroadcasting, tsunamiandinHaitiafterthe2010earthquake. companythathavegonefrom thesupplylogistics,’’headds. nearly100,000Australianshavehadtheir includingHighDefinition(HD)TV MSSincludesradiobroadcastingsuchasSirius universitytobeinginvolvedinthe TheFederalGovernmenthas broadbandservicedeliveredViaOptusand Howitworks:BroadcastSatelliteService(BSS) XMSatelliteRadioinNorthAmerica.SiriusXM designandmanufactureofabrand alreadyannouncedeightofthe10 Ipstarsatellitesundervariousgovernment transmitssatellitesignalsfordirectreceptionby deliversmorethan140digitalaudioandvideo newsatellite–that’sprettyexciting satellitegroundstationsites:Roma subsidyschemes.Currently,NBNCoisrolling users,muchlikebroadbandsatellites.Asatellite Weuseandrely channelstomorethan20millionsubscribers. forthoseguysandgirls,’’Sheridan inQueensland;Wolumlaand outtheirFirstReleaseSatelliteServicesviaa serviceprovider,suchasFoxtel,compiles ‘‘ Programming,whichcanbereceivedin says.Themajorityofjobsinthe BourkeinNewSouthWales; managedserviceagreementwithOptus, programmingfromvarioussourcesandsends onsatellitesevery automobilesorathomesandbusinesses, industry,however,areonatrade CedunainSouthAustralia; providing6MBx1MBservicesuntiltheirnew thatprogrammingtoageostationarysatellite. daywithout includesabroadrangeofcommercial-free level. GeevestoninTasmania;and satellitesarelaunchedin2015.TheNational Thesatellitere-transmitsittotheservicearea music,premiersportsevents,comedy,newsand Skybridge,Australia’slargest Carnarvon,Geraldtonand BroadbandNetworkwillprovideenhanced whereitisreceivedbyadishontheuser’sroof. realisingit,andyet talkandentertainment. satellitebroadbanddeployment KalgoorlieinWesternAustralia. servicefor200,000Australiansinremote Whatitmeanstoyou:BroadcastSatellite today’ssatellites locations,withitstwonext-generationsatellites. Serviceallowspeopletogetspecialised Meteorology/RemoteSensing programmingandtelevisionserviceevenifthey offeropportunities Whatitprovides: FixedSatelliteService areoutsidetheareascoveredbycableor wemayneverhave • Weatherforecasting Whatitprovides: terrestrialbroadcasting. dreamedof • Environmentalanalysis • Mediacommunicationincludingvideo • ImageryoftheEarth transport MobileSatelliteService before ’’ Howitworks:Remote-sensingtoolscollect • Point-of-salesupport,suchascreditcard Whatitprovides: atmosphericandenvironmentaldataabout transactions,commerceandinventorycontrol • Radiobroadcasting Earth,includingelectromagneticradiation • Corporateapplications,suchasprivate • Mobilephoneservice measurements,aswellasvisible,infraredand networksandvideoconferencing • Mobiledataapplications water-vaporimages.Theinformationis • Pagingnetworks • GlobalPositioningSystems(GPS) transmittedfromthesatellitetogroundstations, • Distanceeducationandtelemedicine • Emergencyanddisasterservices whereitisprocessedanddeliveredto Howitworks:SatellitesprovidingFixedSatellite • Maritimecommunications organisationsthatanalyseandevaluatethedata. Service(FSS)transmitcommunicationstoand Howitworks:Typically,itusesaconstellationof Whatitmeanstoyou:Meteorologicalsatellites fromgroundstationsatfixedlocations.The twoormoresatellitesthatprovideservicesto helpidentify,predictandtrackweathersystems groundstationsthenre-transmitthedatawhere portablewirelessdevices,suchasmobilephones, andatmosphericconditionsacrosstheworld, necessary.Mosttelevisioncontentproviders GPSdevicesandmaritimeequipment.The allowingearlywarningofmajorstormsystems transmitprogrammingtothenetworksusing satelliteconstellationmaybeinterconnected orotherpotentiallycatastrophicconditions. FSS(videotransport).Newsgatheringvehicles withland-basedcellularnetworksorground arealsousedinFSStobroadcastfromevents. componentsthatallowforinteractivemobile-to- MilitaryUseofSatellites Whatitmeanstoyou:Fixedsatelliteservice mobileandmobile-to-fixedvoice,dataand Governmentsusesatellitestoprovidemilitary allowsyoutouseyourATMcardattheservice multimediacommunications.Withrepeaters communications,surveillanceand stationorgrocerystore.Itprovidestelevision locatedinorbit,theinterferenceoftraditional reconnaissance.Asatellitecanbebuiltand coverage;evenifyoudon’thavesatellite fixed-groundterminalscanbeeliminated. launchedwiththesolepurposeofservingthe television,yourfree-to-airchannelsorcable Whatitmeanstoyou:MSSprovidespeoplewith military,orgovernmentscanleaseorbuya televisionlikelyincludesprogrammingthatwas servicesonthego,makingcommunication portionofthesatellitescommunications sentthroughanFSSsatellitetoorfromthe availableinremotelocationsorwhere payloadfortheiruse. studioandthenre-broadcast.FSSalsoprovides traditionalgroundsystemsfailduetodisaster. distanceeducationandtelemedicine.Video MSScanplayavitalroleindisasterreliefefforts, TonyColucciisvicepresidentofbusiness conferencingletsspecialistsconnectwith establishingearlycommunicationsonthe developmentforSpaceSystemsLoral;NickLeake patientsandothermedicalprofessionalsto groundtoprovidevisibilityanddirectoperations isdirectorofsatellitemarketingforSingtelOptus collaborateondiagnosesandtreatment. whengroundcommunicationsystemshave