OffComm News Summer 2014

For buyers and suppliers of telecommunications destined for remote & harsh environments

Summer 2014

Examining broadband

mobile VSAT

penetration in key markets

Get the Lowdown

European Union connectivity strategy updates » Will the enterprise sector say YES to HTS? » O3b hot on the heels of satellite » flash contracts » Microwave updates » India’s largest O&G company goes wireless » Unlocking hidden performance » North Sea oil & gas innovation challenge » Maritime VSAT takes video conferencing to new depths » and much more inside!

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Summer 2014 Member Media Partner

@OffCommNews Your resource for telecoms destined for remote and harsh environments

Welcome In this issue we look at how high throughput satellite* buzz is forcing the major players to address the competition ~ many of which are devoted to locking in a maximum number of vessels. However, research firm, Euroconsult, expects the *HTS market to diversify in terms of end-user requirements. Its success, for the satcom players, will largely depend on understanding the customer’s needs and cost effectiveness of their offers, rather than just the technologies or frequencies.

Understanding customer requirements is also high on the agenda over at ITC Global. You can read more about this in our

Inside this issue Regulars The Quarterly Pages 4 & 5 Comms News Pages 6 & 7 Diary Dates Pages 28 & 29

Unlocking hidden performance ~ and the North Sea oil & gas innovation challenge: Page 9

Market movement Page 10

Rural Insight Report

A roundup of developments from the rural connectivity marketplace. Page 11 Martin Jarrold examines broadband mobile VSAT penetration in key markets Page 19

interview with for Joe Spytek, CEO at the company in these pages. And in this edition’s Insight Report you will find a collection of connectivity developments spreading across rural landscapes globally, from companies that are enabling these locations. As always, we enjoy hearing your views. If you’d like to get in touch you can reach us with the email below.

Georgina Elrington Editor@OffCommNews.com

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Can satcoms strike oil in

Mexico?

Vaughan O’Grady takes a walk through the legislative changes in Mexico; and considers what it means for communications companies eyeing the region. Page 20

Preview Feature:

When VSAT Latin America comes to town Find out what’s in store before you go and plan your tactics with our preview of the event. Page 22

Will enterprise say “Yes” to HTS? The state of the HTS market: great for the consumer sector. But enterprise might not be so keen... Page 24

CEO Interview Exclusive

ITC Global emerges from stealth mode, with its sights set on making distance and connectivity issues disappear for maritime, mining and exploration companies. Page 26

Two Thousand Fathoms Under the Sea

Marlink maritime VSAT takes video conferencing to new depths: 3600 meters in temperatures of 400C. And why not? Find out on page 34

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The Quarterly Marketplace Roundup ...New builds... refurbishments... executive appointments... Stay up to date with the market on these pages in every issue...

Proserv secures two major contract wins in GoM

Viking invests US$5.4m in second offshore rig

High-speed comms under 6100ft of water

Viking Offshore & Marine Limited will participate in the ownership of a second cantilever drilling jack-up rig, strengthening its partnership with Singapore rig veteran, Mr Chan Kwan Bian, as it accelerates entry into mainstream offshore rig chartering.

Two deepwater wells are to be controlled at Noble Energy’s Gunflint field in the Mississippi Canyon area ~ around 70 miles from the Louisiana coast. Deals worth a combined US$17million (£10.5m), with Noble Energy and Talos Energy, will see Proserv carry out work at the operators’ respective Gunflint and Phoenix field expansion developments.

Developed by Proserv’s R&D technology hub in Trondheim, Norway, fibre optic communication systems using the company’s open communications hub technology will allow high speed network communication from 6100ft (1859m) below the surface.

Eight new builds at Petrobras Petrobras' executive board has approved contracts for eight support vessels as part of its third fleet renewal plan. In this round, four vessels were contracted from the company Bram, with building taking place at the Navship shipyard in Santa Catarina state; three from Starnav, with construction planned for the Detroit shipyard; and one from Norskan, at STX shipyard in Rio de Janeiro.

The special purpose vehicle, controlled by Chan, is designed for use in depths up to 375 feet with accommodations for 120. Completion is expected within the fourth quarter of 2015. This is the same delivery schedule for another rig contract finalised just four months ago by the company.

Maersk orders second offshore carrier A charter agreement, between subsea contractor DeepOcean (pictured) and Maersk Supply Service, has triggered a second order for a Damen Offshore Carrier DOC 8500.

Who’s Who News in Brief The World Teleport Association has elected four members to its Board of Directors. Three individuals were elected to their first three-year terms: Robert Kubbernus, CEO, Signalhorn Trusted Networks GMBH; Kian Soon Lim, head, satellite, business group, group enterprise, Singapore Telecommunications; and Jorge Villarreal Schutz, CEO at Elara Comunicaciones. Koby Zontag, senior director, sales & business development for RRsat Global Communications, was invited to serve a second three-year term.

Imtech Marine has appointed Terry van Velzen as director of Van Berge Henegouwen installaties B.V. Diamond Offshore Drilling welcomed Marc Edwards as President and chief executive officer. He succeeds Lawrence Dickerson who retired after almost 30 years with the company.

ManTech International Corporation has promoted Bonnie J. Cook to executive vice president of business operations for its Mission Solutions & Services Group (MSS).

Three jackup orders from new market entrant

Cobham SATCOM has appointed Paul H. Jona as senior vice president.

Keppel FELS has secured contracts to build three high-specification KFELS B Class jackup rigs worth about US$650 million from new customer Fecon International Corp. Delivery will be in 2016.

Crown Castle International Corp, which owns, operates and leases towers and other infrastructure for wireless communications, appointed P. Robert Bartolo as a director earlier this year.

Backed by experienced industrial entrepreneur, A.P. Dobrov, Fecon is a new player to the offshore oil and gas industry, and is targeting the growing offshore drilling markets of Africa, Middle East, and Southeast Asia. The company is also considering the Russian market for its growth opportunities.

Finance kicks off new build construction Volstad Shipping has confirmed financing for a new build construction vessel with Turkish shipyard, Tersan. While the construction will take place abroad approximately 50% of the NOK800m contract value is related to Norwegian equipment and services. The vessel has been designed for Arctic operations with quarters for 120 people.

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The specially designed carrier will extend DeepOcean’s capabilities in the larger cable laying end of the market, in addition to oil & gas sector and renewables work.

Owned and operated by Maersk Supply Service, the vessel will be the latest addition to the 60plus strong Maersk offshore support vessel fleet.

It will have the capacity to accommodate 90 personnel, mostly in single occupancy cabins.

Ulstein Verft contracted to build two PSV vessels

by Blue Ship Invest

RigNet, a provider of managed communications solutions to the oil and gas industry, has appointed: Morten Hagland Hansen to senior vice president and chief technology officer; Jesus Jimenez to vice president of global engineering; George Head to vice president of global operations; Michael Hall to vice president for global business development; and Brooks Albery to director of products and marketing.

Simon Thompson, non-executive director of AMEC plc, has taken a seat with the Board of Directors of Rio Tinto plc, an international mining group headquartered in the UK. Thompson has also been appointed to the Board of Rio Tinto Limited.

PSV: Platform Supply Vessel

The Society of Satellite Professionals International has a new President, announcing the appointment of Chris Stott, Chairman and chief executive officer to the role.

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The Quarterly Marketplace Roundup ... Company announcements can be emailed to the news desk for consideration. Send your story to: editor@OffCommNews.com ...

ABB wins $60m in telecom contracts for Statoil platforms

Military grade comms antenna hits shipping market

ABB has won three orders worth US$60million for internal and external telecommunication systems for three Statoil projects on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

KNS Inc, a design, manufacture and integration of marine communications systems company, has launched its satellite antenna X10MK3 SuperTrack X-Series to provide military standard communication, for ships requiring high speed broadband offshore.

With more than 30 years of experience in telecommunication deliveries to the global oil and gas industry, ABB will be a system integrator of telecommunications on the offshore installations built for the Aasta Hansteen and Gina Krog fields in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, and for the Mariner field in the British sector.

Delivery is expected by 2015.

“Reliable telecommunications are crucial for safe and efficient operations of oil and gas facilities,” said Veli-Matti Reinikkala, head of ABB’s process automation division. “We have a balanced portfolio of telecommunications solutions for onshore and offshore installations, with current projects in Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East, which emphasise the competitiveness of our technology. With these contracts ABB is strengthening its position as the leading supplier of telecommunication systems to the global oil and gas industry.”

Major deal for SES & Telefonica in Northern Brazil SES has signed a major capacity agreement with Telefonica Global Solutions to enhance and extend the reach of Telefonica’s VIVO mobile voice & data services across Northern and the Northeast of Brazil.

This is the latest deal in a close TelefonicaSES relationship aimed at enabling the delivery of a broad range of communications services throughout the Latin American region, where connectivity and content delivery is in high demand. Telefonica will utilise 290 MHz of C-band capacity aboard SES’ NSS-7 satellite to meet fast-growing demand for VIVO mobile services in both underserved cities and tough-to-reach rural towns.

New HTS maritime satcom services, Auroraglobal

A new all-in-one, maritime VSAT offering doubles high-speed data and allowances, with unlimited L-band back up, without needing to replace antennas.

Unveiled at Satellite 2014 in Washington DC, Airbus Defense and Space’s new VSAT service provides cost-effective, highspeed broadband to meet the increasing requirements of business and crew communications.

©OffComm News ~ Summer 2014

Director, Noah Chung said: “Our R&D team has built an antenna with sturdiness and reliability in mind, for the harshest of environments. The antenna has been ruggedly engineered to support the toughest, highest usage the military require 24/7. No other satellite antenna in the market currently has this level of functionality and high level of durability.”

NSN aids operators steer WiFi traffic in varying network conditions

Two Nokia solutions and networks developments will make it easier for mobile operators to take advantage of WiFi in their cellular networks, overcoming the inflexibility of standardised WiFi traffic steering.

Automated rules eliminate manual work and achieve better load balancing for the highest network utilization, while enhanced ANDSF capabilities enable real-time traffic steering based on network loading.

ITU approves general access procedures The Satellite Interference Reduction Group’s newly formed advisory committee, End Users Initiative (EUI), worked with the ITU to advise the technical requirements of updated access procedures to ensure reduced risk of issues, such as satellite interference.

The recommendation provides access procedures for fixed-satellite service (FSS) occasional use (OU), transmissions to geostationary-satellite orbit space stations, in the 4/6 GHz and 11‑12/13/14 GHz FSS bands. Dick Tauber, co-Chair, EUI, said: “We believe that these recommendations will have a significant impact on reducing satellite interference, by ensuring a certain number of requirements at the point of access.”

The full recommendation can be viewed via the ITU website www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-

of rugged and reliable VSAT satellite communications systems, just told us of a new, customised satellite antenna controller.

It is for use with the IPA Isis Network, which offers multiple satellite options and independent earth stations on both US coasts.

This latest offering, from Winegard, allows access to the Isis network ~ guaranteeing communications when there is a line-of-sight obstruction and/or regional disruption.

According to a company statement, no other solution offers more comprehensive network redundancy. This could be beneficial for the oil and gas industry where most satellites are deployed in rugged and remote territories.

Thuraya & Talia satcoms for ME&A oil and gas customers

Mobile satellite services operator, Thuraya Telecommunications Company, and Talia, a provider of data communications and voice services, have collaborated to provide Talia’s customers with access to a portfolio of mobile satellite offerings.

“Talia’s experience with providing end-toend satellite solutions for oil and gas customers is complementary to ours and will enable us to better serve our customers in this important sector across Thuraya’s satellite footprint.

“We are well-positioned to offer VSAT backup solutions with our Thuraya IP+ or broadband terminals with flexible rate plans for high or low volume usage,” said Bilal El Hamoui, vice president of distribution at Thuraya.

RHL Hamburger Lloyd Tanker welcomes KVH aboard To meet growing bandwidth usage and internet demand onboard, international shipping company, RHL Hamburger Lloyd Tanker GmbH & Co. KG, of Hamburg, Germany has chosen KVH Industries Inc for its mini-VSAT broadband satellite communications.

Twelve oil and chemical tankers will be fitted with KVH’s TracPhone V7-IP satellite antenna systems in the next month, with a potential for 16 additional container vessels.

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Mobile antenna controller for oil & gas satcoms Together, IP Access International (IPA), a global commercial satellite service provider of voice, video and data network solutions, and Winegard Co, a US based manufacturer

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Comms news 5G for Europe Huawei taking decisive action to make the 5th generation of wireless systems a reality Huawei is putting a tremendous R&D effort into 5G research and innovation. It recently announced plans to invest an additional US$600m by 2018, and aims to turn this investment into technological progress for Europe thanks to an open and collaborative approach involving industry partners, consortiums, universities, and innovation platforms globally.

The company predicts that the first 5G networks will be ready for commercial deployment in 2020, delivering 1,000 times the capacity of current mobile networks and reaching peak data rates of over 10Gbps.

“5G will have a fundamental impact on the ICT industry and on our quality of life.

Huawei is one of the driving forces in making 5G a reality.”

Dr Wen Tong, head of wireless research and head of communications technologies laboratories at Huawei 2012 LAB.

Lowest power satellite network chipset for global M2M Size and price point make Globalstar’s STX3 ideal for devices that require a backup communication option when out of range of the GPRS/GSM network.

Boasting the lowest power consumption in the M2M industry, the STX3 global simplex transmitter can operate for months or years without requiring human intervention. The module can be used in a wide range of assets including liquid petroleum gas (LPG) tanks, water tanks, pipelines, remote meter applications, boats, and sea or land containers.

“We see a huge opportunity for VARs and OEMs to incorporate the STX3 chipset into compact and efficient communications devices targeted at a wide and fast-growing range of vertical markets,” said Jay Monroe, Chairman and CEO of Globalstar. “With its unrivalled low power consumption and small size, this chipset has the potential to accelerate the adoption of satellite-based M2M ~ both satellite-only solutions and hybrid cellular/satellite offerings.”

The STX3 module sends one-way data messages via the Globalstar Simplex Network when integrated into a tracking or monitoring device.

Advantech Wireless releases synthesized frequency converter series Advantech Wireless Inc, a privately held Canadian corporation and manufacturer of satellite, RF equipment, and microwave systems - has released a synthesized frequency converter series.

Fully compliant with WAAS and EGNOS requirements, the WE range of converters are used in systems that require accurate location indication, by correcting the GPS signal provided, making them an ideal choice for large earth stations specialised in WAAS or EGNOS applications.

With comprehensive monitoring and control features the WE series converters will fit into any network management system architecture. A user-friendly panel or the RS485 remote interface will provide full setup and fault monitoring facilities.

Mobile antenna controller for oil & gas sat comms A new, customised antenna controller offers multiple satellite options and independent earth stations on both US coasts. It comes from IP Access International (IPA), a commercial satellite service provider of voice, video and data network solutions, and Winegard Co, a US based manufacturer of rugged and reliable VSAT satellite communications systems.

The antenna controller works with the IPA Isis network, guaranteeing communications when there is a line-of-sight obstruction or regional disruption. According to a company statement, no other solution offers more comprehensive network redundancy, which will be beneficial for the oil & gas industry operating in rugged and remote places.

Hermes boosts satellite capabilities in Iraq Hermes Datacomms, a global provider of managed networks for the upstream oil, gas, and mining sectors, has bought services from Avanti Communications to boost its satellite capability in Iraq.

As part of continuous expansion and work within the oil & gas industry in Iraq, Hermes needed a Ka-band service provider that could serve its remote fields, its office in the region, and for out-of-band management at larger sites.

Hermes will initially deploy the capacity within its remote fields. This will be followed by an intensive programme to up-weight connectivity for enterprise customers in the Middle East. Avanti will provide secure Kaband services to Hermes via its HYLAS 2 satellite.

SES doubles capacity for Libyan O&G industry SES has signed a capacity deal with Alruya, a system integrator and VSAT operator based

The low-cost, easily integrated STX3 chipset ©OffComm News ~ Summer 2014 enables VARs & OEMs to develop smaller,

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in Libya; a region renowned for its harsh terrain and limited infrastructure.

With double the capacity of the previous solution, Alruya will now be able to deliver connectivity to oil and gas fields in the country on SES’s NSS-7 satellite at 20 degrees west, and provide high speed internet access and voice over IP services over its VSAT network to its corporate customer’s offsite oil and gas locations.

Nokia to connect aquanauts in ocean exploration Fabien Cousteau ~ grandson to legendary explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau will lead a team of aquanauts on a record breaking attempt to live and work underwater for Nokia bags exclusive partnership with Mission 31 31 days at 20 meters below sea level.

Nokia Lumia mobile devices will allow them to work seamlessly in extreme environments, staying connected to life on the surface.

Mission 31 launches in May 2014, nine miles off the coast of Key Largo, Florida.

O3bTrunk hot on the heels of satellite O3b Networks has unveiled O3bTrunk+, an IP trunking solution that boosts existing link capacities to rival the affordability and latency of fibre.

Powered by Comtech EF Data technology, it enables efficient networking over the highest throughput satellites in the world. The new product line delivers lower latencies than long haul fibre, with a round-trip of less than 150 milliseconds. The result, says the company, is the highest quality voice and video in the satellite industry.

ORBCOMM launches new satellite modems for M2M ORBCOMM Inc, a global provider of M2M communications, has launched a set of next generation OG2 satellite modems. They are ideal for OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) integration into satellite M2M applications targeted for the transportation & distribution, heavy equipment, oil & gas, and government markets.

With 100% backwards compatibility ~ for ORBCOMM’s current OG1 satellite network ~ these are the first devices available to support OG2 services upon launch of the company’s next generation satellite constellation commencing in spring 2014.

88 %

Intra-regional bandwidth in Africa outpaced global growth averaging 88% p/a during the period 2009 to 2013 see page 15

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Comms news Cobham tasked to deliver world class connectivity to small vessels

Cruise ships nearing port can switch from satellite to terrestrial broadband for enhanced connectivity & speed.

Hybrid network delivers connectivity in-port and at sea MTN Communications is supporting Norwegian Cruise Line’s launch of the newly christened ‘Norwegian Getaway’ with a hybrid communications network. It enables satellite and terrestrial broadband connectivity for higher performance connections on large vessels both at-sea and in-port.

With approximately 4,000 guests and 1,600 crew, Norwegian Getaway, the world’s newest cruise ship, is the first to showcase one of the most visionary communications solutions at sea today.

Cruise ships have traditionally relied solely on satellite bandwidth. The new MTN terrestrial broadband network delivers faster, more efficient connections, enables access to applications and content, and optimises corporate IT data. This allows people to bring their daily online habits with them to sea including social media, infotainment, content and more.

Chris Leber, executive vice president, commercial business development, MTN, said: “The challenge has been staying ahead of demand, while dealing with the cost of adding more satellite bandwidth for guests and crew applications.“ Between 2008 and 2013, MTN managed a six-fold increase in satellite bandwidth requirements as a result of internet, content and voice usage. Internet logins on the company’s network more than doubled to almost 33 million per year, while voice communications increased approximately 50%.

“Norwegian Getaway is one of the most technologically advanced ships all around, including how guests and crew can communicate and access content,” said Vincent Cirel, senior vice president and CIO, Norwegian Cruise Line.

“We know our crew and guests will have the communications experience they expect, increasing guest satisfaction and crew morale.”

Cobham SATCOM has signed a contract with Inmarsat to manufacture a light, lowcost, and easy to install terminal for the Fleet One satcoms service.

Available from April 2014, the SAILOR Fleet One terminal is aimed at yachts, motorboats, and small fishing vessels. It will enable data connectivity up to 100kbps and provide a single voice line over the Inmarsat-4 satellite constellation, the same network used by the world’s leading ship operators.

SkyVision wins 5-year comms contract with SAPETRO, Nigeria

SkyVision Global Networks Ltd, has implemented a project with SAPETRO (South Atlantic Petroleum), one of Nigeria's major oil and gas upstream companies which recently commenced operations in Benin.

The project is geared towards providing a robust hi gh-tech turnkey comms infrastructure to support operations in the Sèmè field.

The five-year contract consists of an end-toend voice and data managed solution, based on multiple technologies. The project includes mesh VSAT and wireless point-tomultipoint connections for Sapetro's offices and operational sites, mobile terrestrial units and vessels, coupled with the integration of SkyVision services, including voice and telephony over IP, two-way radios, mobile satellite phones, managed firewall, and WiFi.

Thuraya & Talia to offer mobile satcom to O&G companies in ME and Africa Mobile satellite services operator, Thuraya Telecommunications, has partnered with Talia, a provider of data communications and voice services. The collaboration means Talia’s oil and gas customers now have access to Thuraya’s portfolio of mobile satellite offerings in regions covering the Middle East and Africa.

“Talia’s experience with providing end-toend satellite solutions for oil and gas customers is complementary to ours and will enable us to better serve our customers in this important sector across Thuraya’s satellite footprint. We are well positioned to offer VSAT backup solutions with our Thuraya IP+ or broadband terminals with flexible rate plans for high or low volume usage,” said Bilal El Hamoui, vice president of distribution.

Virtual ER brings medical aid to seafarers Globecomm Maritime has partnered with Future Care Inc to create Future Care Live, a video-enabled telemedicine service.

©OffComm News ~ Summer 2014

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Originally designed for military use, it combines Future Care’s, Caring for the Crew® program with Globecomm’s Access Chat Plus live video streaming software, to provide medical care to commercial shipping and marine personnel during emergency illness or injury at sea.

The virtual ER allows simultaneous, yet remote, participation of general and specialist physicians, hospital treatment staff, shipowner representatives and family members while the patient is still onboard.

Maritime satcoms market to double over next decade Euroconsult, has forecasted that satellite capacity revenue in the global maritime market will nearly double over the next decade. The firm's recent report: ‘Maritime Telecom Solutions by Satellite’, growth is expected to be driven by increasing data consumption across all major maritime segments as well as the adoption of new generation broadband satellite services.

“Over the next year, a number of HTS systems will become available in the maritime market, aimed at delivering three times more capacity by the end of 2014 and six times more by the end of 2016. This additional capacity will drastically change the relationship between supply and demand in the market, and enable a range of new applications for the maritime community,” said Wei Li, senior consultant at Euroconsult.

The number of global maritime satellite terminals grew around 4% in 2013 and satellite operator revenues increased by more than 10%. The total size of the market reached c348,000 active terminals in 2013 generating more than US$760m in revenues.

Established MSS services, and fast developing VSAT business, contributed to the overall growth of the maritime satellite communications market.

Boatloads of bandwidth for Oasis & Allure A major technology investment by Royal Caribbean International, using O3b technology, gives guests some pretty impressive connectivity when they board one of its two newest ships, Oasis of the Seas, and, Allure of the Seas.

By pairing a new generation of mediumEarth-orbit satellites with sophisticated antenna arrays ~ the ships are delivering the kind of technology that its guests expect in a land based connected world.

In tests, the company reported record speeds and more WiFi capacity than every other cruise ship combined.

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The Aberdeen market is key for maritime, shipping and offshore oil and gas activities in the North Sea. Discussions surrounding improving innovation and accelerating the application response ~ of new and existing technology in the UK oil and gas industry ~ are already a critical agenda point of a join government and industry initiative through the oil and gas industry leadership group and PILOT. But this year, a new academic and industrial partnership will use deep Scottish expertise to try and solve the global challenges of the North Sea energy industry over the coming decades. ÂŁ10.6m in funding has been assigned to create a new Oil & Gas Innovation Centre (OGIC) based in Aberdeen UK. Linking more than 2,300 oil and gas operators and service companies to 12 Scottish universities, holding some 450 academic staff and researchers, the centre will work primarily on advancing oil and gas specific technologies.

Academic and private sector partners will also collaborate to create and fast-track innovation for the sector, beyond day to day issues, addressing the longer term technical challenges faced by the industry.

Two global communications companies have also extended local presence in Aberdeen. ITC Global, a provider of satellite communications to remote and harsh environments, opened its new office doors in the town, initially to help sales and engineering resources, with near term additions of technical support and a service depot for systems operating in the North Sea region. And global satellite and terrestrial communications services provider, Emerging Markets Communications, announced a new Scottish connection in support of its maritime and oil and gas operations in the North Sea as well as throughout Europe.

Internet for all edges closer overleaf

ŠOffComm News ~ Summer 2014

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Market movement

SkyFile Mail is part of a family of satellite optimised data applications. ŠOffComm News ~ Summer 2014

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Rural Insight

Progress & innovation in rural connectivity ŠOffComm News ~ Summer 2014

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Rural enablement: Insight

Remarkable spectral efficiency

BTS: Base Transceiver Station

ŠOffComm News ~ Summer 2014

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©OffComm News ~ Summer 2014

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Rural enablement: Insight

ŠOffComm News ~ Summer 2014

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Rural enablement: Insight

88% ŠOffComm News ~ Summer 2014

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Intra-regional bandwidth in Africa outpaced global growth averaging 88% p/a during the period 2009 to 2013 15

©OffComm News ~ Summer 2014

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Rural enablement: Insight

In My Opinion

The next edition of OffComm News will explore the importance and impact of bandwidth compression to maximise operations and minimise production costs for mining exploration.

Find more information on the website: future features. ŠOffComm News ~ Summer 2014

www.OffCommNews.com

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Microwave

Ira Palti, Ceragon

Aviat Networks

Microwave has formed the rock of comms networks since the 1950s, right the way through the tech boom in the 1990s.

At least 50% of the three million base stations worldwide are connected by microwave ~ and this2014 figure is increasing. ŠOffComm News ~ Summer www.OffCommNews.com

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Mobile broadband VSAT

ŠOffComm News ~ Summer 2014

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Feature

©OffComm News ~ Summer 2014

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©OffComm News ~ Summer 2014

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Event forecast

ŠOffComm News ~ Summer 2014

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©OffComm News ~ Summer 2014

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LatAm & HTS

Will enterprise say: The state of the HTS market: great for the consumer market. But enterprise might not be so keen...

High throughput (HTS) satellite: more throughput, lower cost per bit, and spot beam technology which enables frequency re-use across multiple narrowly focused spot beams. Vast efficiency, vast payback, and a threat to conventional satellites, right?

Not in mission-critical enterprise markets ~ or at least not yet ~ reports Vaughan O’Grady, independent telecoms writer.

ViaSat 1 and Jupiter 1 are examples of the main HTS trend: legacy high throughput satellite systems that are geared more towards consumer broadband applications. However, Inmarsat’s Global Xpress, Intelsat Epic and others will soon be online targeting enterprise mobile applications such as commercial airlines, oil and gas drilling rigs, or maritime vessels like cruise ships.

Nevertheless, the market may not be working to its full potential. The Ka band attenuation question will rumble on because Ka will dominate HTS as Ku and C band frequency assignments become even harder to get.

Also a lot of Ka HTS systems today are closed architecture: the satellite owner owns the gateways and the ground segment.

Service providers thereby become resellers and flexibility is limited. This could deter mission-critical businesses like oil and gas or mining, which might want CIR, defined SLAs and so forth. But do HTS companies want those businesses? Consumer markets are more obviously profitable at the moment. Global Xpress is possibly the only closed system so far specifically targeting mission-critical markets. >>>

©OffComm News ~ Summer 2014

“Yes” to HTS? Intelsat’s Epic is taking a similar approach but arguably may be more attractive to enterprise for a number of reasons: It’s in conventional (Ku and C) bands, the service providers can use the hubs that they've already got, and it’s not a closed architecture. O3B does use Ka but it’s MEO not GEO and will use its low latency and fibre quality connectivity to target maritime and energy markets. In any case its dual motorized terminals cost as much as US$30,000 at the low end, so consumers won’t be interested.

Another HTS problem may be the spot beams themselves.

Simon Bull, senior consultant with specialised telecommunications consultancy Comsys, says, “If you have no customers in a given spot beam [he cites the South Atlantic or low-population areas of the US] you’re not going to sell any capacity there.” This would offset the low cost per bit advantage.

However, says Bull, “Increasingly people will build more flexibility into their systems.” ViaSat 2, arriving in 2016, aims to use spot beams to cover the aeronautical routes of the north Atlantic. Demand will have to move with the planes; ViaSat aims to build in ways of moving the allocated bandwidth in those beams to follow that chain of demand.

But traditional services will dominate enterprise markets ~ for now. As NSR says: “FSS capacity offers advantages of larger coverage areas, typically better service quality, the ability to fully manage the network from end-to-end, and the flexibility to place hubs and gateways in any convenient geographical location.” But when more HTS providers work out a way to serve the demanding enterprise markets efficiently and profitably things could get interesting.

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Connectivity has a direct impact on just about every corporate bottom line. Some business operations are conducted in highly challenging locations where a whole new spectrum of issues ~ and innovations ~ arise. OffComm News is the global magazine dedicated to exploring developments in communications destined for some of the remotest places on earth.

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Diary Dates

Where Technology & Energy Connect

29-30 April 2014

20 - 21 May 2014

VSAT LatAm AmCham Business Center, Sao Paulo, Brazil http://latinamerica.vsatevent.com This year, for the first time, VSAT opens in Latin America!

VSAT Latin America 2014 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, provides a targeted opportunity for satellite manufacturers, launchers, operators, hardware vendors, telecoms operators, hub operators, resellers and end users to come together to discuss all the important issues surrounding VSAT in the Latin America region. Don’t forget that End Users can attend for FREE and special concessions are available for VSAT operators – limited time only!

East Africa Com Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya www.comworldseries.com/eafrica The region’s premier telecoms, media & ICT event is back for the 10th Annual edition. Join over 600+ telecoms professionals at the conference & co-located exhibition featuring world class vendors showcasing the technology of tomorrow. Hear from 40+ visionary speakers delivering the latest business knowledge: 88mph, Brudan, Canar, Communications Commission of Kenya, Dotsavvy, Google, ICT Africa, IFC, iWayAfrica, Liquid Telecom Kenya, Mpesa, Orange, PayPal, Roke Telekom, Safaricom, Spinlet, Sudatel, Tele-10, Wananchi Group, Zilojo and many more. Quote VIP code: EAS14/MP when registering.

13 - 14 May 2014

3 June 2014

Oil & Gas Communications Europe 2014

Oil and Gas Cyber Security Quality Hotel 33, Østre Aker vei 33 Oslo, Norway www.smi-online.co.uk

Marriott, Dyce, Aberdeen Scotland UK www.uk-emp.co.uk/current-events The agenda of the 7th Annual GVF Oil & Gas Comms Europe 2014: Big Oil, Big Data: North Sea, Atlantic Margin, Arctic Ocean, dedicated to the European oil & gas patch, will examine the role of satellite, and satellite-wireless, technologies and services in continuing to bring mission critical operational success to the maturing oil & gas fields of the North Sea. It will also push deeper exploration of the communications imperatives and the delivery of networking solutions for the extreme northerly and westerly boundaries of Europe’s new hydrocarbon E&P opportunity. The North Sea is far from exhausted of its potential.

Therefore, cutting-edge information and communications technology (ICT) solutions remain of the highest importance in supporting the latest extraction technologies.

COLOCATED SatCom Africa Sandton Convention Centre, EVENT 20 May 2014

Johannesburg, South Africa www.terrapinn.com/2014/satcomafrica

SatCom Africa 2014 is where the satellite & telecoms community meets to explore opportunities, and where they make decisions to invest in new solutions. With an exhibition packed with innovations, a series of inspiring keynotes and round tables, telcos, ISPs and broadcasters will come away from the event with the ideas and relationships they need to develop their business.

SMi’s 4th Oil and Gas Cyber Security conference will provide an ideal platform for key industry leaders and experts to discuss security threats and landscapes, new technologies and techniques to counter advanced attacks, information management frameworks, human behaviour and more. The two day conference programme will address developments to improve protection of highly valuable intellectual property and commercially sensitive information on production, exploration plans and assets with case studies from an array of global oil and gas companies including Total, Tullow Oil, Salalah Methanol Company, Cairn India and Saudi Aramco.

20 May 2014 World Rural Telecoms Congress Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/rural-telecoms-africa In co-location with SatCom Africa, World Rural Telecoms Congress Africa is the only exhibition and ideas exchange for African telecommunications companies that are hungry for innovative solutions to develop their rural telecom network infrastructure.

Events for quality global networking & real live innovation ©OffComm News ~ Summer 2014

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Diary Dates

Where Technology & Energy Connect

10 - 11 June 2014

16 - 18 June 2014

Connecting West Africa Radisson Blu Hotel, Dakar, Senegal http://westafrica.comworldseries.com Join 500+ Digital professionals at Connecting West Africa 2014!

Connecting West Africa provides detailed insight into the telecoms sector of the region with a particular focus on infrastructure and strategy. Speakers from the major regional telecoms operators, hardware and software vendors, regulators, influential public and private entities and innovative content providers, offer a unique view all, stakeholders in the market need to engage.

Cyber Security Oil & Gas Houston Texas www.oilandgascybersecurity.com IQPC’s 2nd Annual Cyber Security for Oil and Gas Summit will address the major cyber security issues facing the oil and gas industry as a whole and will provide a platform for IT and cyber security professionals to share their wisdom, experience, and thoughts on the future of this complex and often unknown threat to their enterprises. Mention promo -code CYBER_OFFCOMM for a 20% discount.

Pick up a free copy of OffComm News at any of our partner events!

To maximise your presence at events carefully selected, by us, for you email: marketing@OffCommNews.com

ŠOffComm News ~ Summer 2014

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EU connectivity updates

Orange Business Services in development of 1st cloud-based ERP ship management platform Orange Business Services is to play a key role in a European Union sponsored initiative, EIS*, for the development of new business intelligence and IT standards, looking to improve the management tools used by the shipping industry.

Helping shipping companies to make complex decisions on the basis of valid, up -to-date information, should make it easier for them to: manage vessels, integrate them into a company’s corporate infrastructure, facilitate real-time business decisions, enable The company is to become the sole cost savings, and at the same time provider for ship-to-shore, vessel- improve safety and crew welfare. based and land-based communications infrastructure. A The initiative includes the support of cloud-based satellite solution ~ for the European Regional Development several vessels run by COLUMBIA Fund (ERDF) and the City of Ship Management, one of the four Hamburg, Germany, one of the most largest ship managers worldwide, influential maritime centres of the comprises vessel communication world and home to the second hardware, the onshore data centre, largest container port in Europe. The as well as the design and project will also strengthen the city development of traffic optimization of Hamburg’s competency in tools. The integration of satellite specialized maritime IT systems. communications with business VPN, a fully managed IP-based VPN Alongside Orange, five sub-projects service with private access to cloud will be implemented by DNV/GL services, will enable the company to Group, evidanza AG, Humance benefit from a high-performance, M a r i t i m e S e r v i c e s G m b H , secure solution without relying on MarDynamics and Portal Systems.

The consortium of partners plans to the internet. establish joint sales activities and Orange Business Services has a agreements in order to conduct strong track record in the shipping joint research and development and maritime industries, providing activities from Hamburg. communications services to eight of the top 10 container shipping *Exzellenzinitiative Schiffsmanagements companies in the world.

“With the new cloud-based platform in this project, we can demonstrate how improved communication between vessels and their management will streamline business tools and decisions,” said Michel Verbist, head of international business development, satellite, at Orange Business Services “With this initiative, we want to build a remotely managed, integrated communication and application infrastructure onboard that intelligently connects the vessel to the office at the lowest possible cost. We are very proud to be a key driver of this project,” said Timothy Scheller, project manager at COLUMBIA Ship Management.

2014 springs new initiatives into the European satellite industry The European Professional Satellite Association officially launched in March revealing a new website

EUsatcom Innovation

Awards 2014

~ Reservations now open

The primary focus for EUsatcom lies with The EUsatcom Association was founded initiating, stimulating and supporting satcom events in Europe. It is a platform for to help European satellite professionals knowledge transfer and specialist industry and companies stay up to date with the networking. latest developments in the fast changing One such event is already scheduled during global satellite industry, and to offer a IBC in September, where the EUsatcom local platform for professional and Innovation Awards 2014 will showcase the business networking. latest developments. Reserve your seat for the evening at www.EUsatcom.net.

The association is registered as a non-profit Eusatcom.org is now officially open for individual satellite professionals and organisation in the Netherlands and has in students, and for satellite companies. excess of 300 European members so far.

Corporate members enjoy exposure in a The launch was supported by Newtec, the monthly newsletter as well as at events Belgian satellite equipment manufacturer, throughout the year. They also benefit from and satellite industry recruitment company, a special discount on entries into the ICP, in Brighton, UK. OffComm News annual satellite directory.

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Cloud

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Security

Cyber Control, Policing & Protecting

Friend or Foe

MTN Government launches managed service for social media threat intelligence MTN Government (MTNGOV), a subsidiary of MTN Communications and provider of satellite communications, cyber security and integrated intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance serving U.S. DoD and civilian agencies worldwide, has unveiled the industry’s first ‘Social Media Threat Intelligence’ managed service.

It is a predictive cyber solution that enables U.S. government agencies using social networking, mobile devices and distributed workforces to protect against the onslaught of cyber threats.

Specifically, it identifies and analyses malicious actors, threats and targeted attacks against U.S. government leaders and agencies, and provides proactive, actionable threat analytics and intelligence in advance of any network compromise.

The service uses a patented enterprise-security platform powered by ZeroFOX, a social risk and cyber threat intelligence solutions company.

“MTNGOV is partnering with ZeroFOX and other cyber security experts to deliver innovative new predictive analytics to our U.S. government customers,” said Peg Grayson, president of MTNGOV. “Our customers are realising traditional cyber security approaches are no longer working and new approaches are needed to detect cyber intrusions threatening our national security, critical infrastructure, state and local governments, and our U.S. government leaders.” ©OffComm News ~ Summer 2014

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Comms contracts flash update

Keep track of the most effectual market deals with our brand new contract briefs section.

Provider

Client

ABB

Statoil

ASC Signal

Destination

Details

Cellular

Norway

Contract worth $60 million for internal & external telecommunication systems

Newtec

Satellite

Europe

Contract to provide satellite antennas for pan European network

Cobham Defence Electronics

US Navy & Australian Military

Various

USA & Australia

Contract for tactical jamming transmitters, antennas and components

Cobham SATCOM

Inmarsat

Lyngby, Denmark

Contract to manufacture a new low cost terminal or the fleet one satcoms service

Globecomm

ETL Systems

Satellite

Worldwide

Contract to provide RF signal distribution systems

Globecomm Maritime

Future Care Inc

Cellular, Satellite

Worldwide

Partnership to create video-enabled telemedicine

Iridium Communications

ZTR Control Systems

Cellular, Satellite

Worldwide

Deal to provide satellite connectivity to the ZTR inReach remote monitoring system

KVH Industries

Global Technical Systems

Cellular, Satellite

North America

10 year Contract to support ULAD platforms that will be used in US customs & border protection

Nawras

SES

Cellular, Satellite

Oman

Capacity contract on the NSS-6 satellite

Nokia

Fabien Cousteau (Mission 31)

Cellular

9 miles off the coast of Florida

Partnership to provide mobile devices to support underwater exploration

SES

ELER & RDP*

Satellite

Mecklenburg-Vorpommem, Germany

Contract to supply 15 rural villages with connectivity

SES

Telefonica Global Solutions

Cellular, Satellite

North & North Eastern region of Brazil, Macapa & Boa Vista in the Amazon

Deal to connect cell phones across Northern Brazil

SES

Alruya

Cellular, Satellite

Libya

Capacity contract for O&G fields connectivity, Libya

Skyvision

South Atlantic Petroleum

Nigeria, the Republic of Benin, and offshore East Africa

5 year contract for full connectivity suite

Smart Communications

Thuraya

Cellular, Satellite

Philippines

Partnership for emergency preparedness in Philippines

Thuraya

Talia

Cellular, Satellite

Middle East & Africa

Partnership providing mobile satellite products and solutions

Telecommunications

Nature

Cellular, Satellite

Various/Hybrid

*Public Funds inc. European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (ELER) & Rural Development Programs (RDP

ŠOffComm News ~ Summer 2014

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Subsea connectivity

News flash...

From Ships to Smartphones MTN launches ‘OceanCast’ hi-def live streaming Vessel operators can now deliver high-definition broadcasts from their fleet, such as educational explorations, with minimal impact to the overall bandwidth or leverage on their existing communications service.

MTN Communications (MTN) now enables live broadcasting to any smartphone, tablet, TV or other device, anywhere in the world from a maritime vessel. The new service, MTN OceanCast, is delivered through the company’s TV and broadcast Group.

“MTN OceanCast is the ultimate social media avenue and event broadcasting tool in maritime,” said Chris Leber, executive vice president, commercial business development, MTN. “It eliminates the complexity of live broadcasting from the middle of the ocean. This turnkey web solution can be set up to stream in as little as 15 minutes with a simple touch-screen device on the ship connected through a modem to the MTN network.” ©OffComm News ~ Summer 2014

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