ISSUE 2 | NOVEMBER 2011
PLUS CATCHING UP WITH FUTURE TV THE KA-BAND JUGGERNAUT
FSS & MSS OPERATORS ENABLE THE SMART FIELD A SUPPLEMENT OF BROADCASTPRO ME November 2011 | SatellitePro PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ | 1
EDITORIAL
Welcome The digital oilfield faces opposition of the kind that US president Barack Obama would have paid good money to confront – the kind that would have said: “Obamacare is a good idea but how do we implement it?” Even the harshest comments from oil and gas professionals are over the confusion felt with the deluge of new technology and the dearth of innovators that can show the way with some real-time demonstrations. “Until then, it is too much of an abstraction,” commented one geoscientist. Fortunately, there are digital oilfield initiatives in place, such as Shell’s Smart Fields, BP’s Field of the Future and similar initiatives by companies such as Saudi Aramco and Kuwait Oil Company, among others. From hardy, field-tested solutions in the mobile satellite services (MSS) sector to VSAT-based technologies, the oilfield in Angola need not be less connected than the one in the UAE. However, one crucial challenge remains. While computers can detect and notify management of a well performance on a 24/7 basis, are the companies staffed with the new breed of engineers and technicians who can analyse and take action based on that information with minimum time lag? That is a staffing deadline that should have been met yesterday. With labour scarcity in the oil and gas sector slated to touch a whopping 1.7 million by 2030, transforming labour-intensive oil-rigs to technology-driven sites that require fewer skilled personnnel, cannot be done quickly enough. In the high-cost, geographically fragmented world of oil exploration and drilling, change is coming, one rig at a time, as communications solutions’ providers, that I spoke to, demonstrate daily. With the right solutions, a remote oil-rig is as connected as the head office in Houston, London or in Dubai. Tell us what you think as we continue to explore the possibilities of realising and expanding the digital oilfield.
Supriya Srinivas Deputy Editor SatellitePro Middle East
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November 2011 | SatellitePro | 1
connecting people across horizons
HorizonSat, with its strong presence in the satellite communications industry in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, provides satellite services to large corporations, telecom operators, broadcasters and ISPs. Leveraging the latest innovations in satellite technology, HorizonSat delivers quality end-to-end customized solutions to its clients. Operating out of its headquarters and state-of-theart network operations center in the UAE, with teleport facilities in Germany, HorizonSat ensures uninterrupted transmission through unparalleled redundancy and a superior level of technical support on a 24/7 basis.
www.horizon-satellite.com
+ Backbone Connectivity & IP Trunking
+ Private Networks + GSM Backhaul + Content Distribution & Contribution
CONTENTS
Issue 2 | November 2011
News
32
Expanding horizons
High throughput satellites will influence the value chain
4
Satellite launches, inflight innovations, teleport acquisitions…
Cover story
12
The digital oilfield Mission critical operations in remote locations
Features
18
The commercial potential
The impact of Ka-Band
34 Solutions for capacity management Crucial for satellite operators with multi-site operations
36 Global satellite industry events GVF’s oil and gas conference in Asia, Global MilsatCom 2011, Milcom and more
38
In conversation with EIAST’s Salem Humaid Al Marri
28 The challenge of future TV Interview with World Teleport Association’s chairman, Brett Belinsky
Vote for the 2011 MENA Satellite Player
40 Guest Mohamed Al Shahi, senior director, broadcasting, du, on building relationships with satellite operators
ON THE COVER: Kevin Thorley, CEO, Hermes Datacomms Photograph by Cris Mejorada
November 2011 | SatellitePro | 3
SatNews
Du CEO feted for contribution to telecom Osman Sultan, CEO, du, was chosen as the recipient of the fourth CEO Middle East Awards 2011, in a glittering ceremony held in Dubai. The CEO awards recognise and reward outstanding success, innovation and ethics across the Middle East business sector. Expressing his gratitude while receiving the prestigious award, Osman Sultan, CEO, du, said: “I am deeply touched with this honour.” During his tenure, du claims to have become the fastest growing telecom company in the UAE with a market share of over 44% in mobile services in just five years of operations.
Osman Sultan, CEO of du, is the recipient of the fourth CEO Middle East Awards 2011
Under his leadership, net profit before royalty increased 51% year-on-year and is growing across multiple product and service categories.
China to launch 25 satellites by end of 2011 China has set a target of launching 20 rockets and 25 satellites into space by the end of this year, making it the second country after Russia to accomplish that many launches in a year. “This year, we are supposed to launch 20 rockets and 25 satellites, a number that would put China in second place after Russia,” Yuan Jiajun, deputy general manager of China Aerospace and Technology Corp, said asserting that the country’s space projects have entered a stage of high-intensity development and launching. At the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwest Gobi desert, a total of eight satellites will be launched within the year along with the country’s first space lab module, Tiangong-1.
Arabsat to broadcast the Saudi League matches in Europe and the USA Arabsat has signed agreements to distribute the Saudi League matches on the European satellite, Hot Bird, and a dedicated TV channel has been assigned for this purpose to enable the Saudi community in Europe. Arabsat has also made the necessary arrangements to distribute the Saudi League matches in the United States via the paid network, Dish Network, through satellites, and also via the IPTV system across the same network. Arabsat’s President and CEO, Eng. Khalid bin Ahmed Balkheyour 4 | SatellitePro | November 2011
Eng. Khalid Ahmed Balkheyour
said that all necessary technical and logistical requirements for the global
distribution of the Saudi League matches in Europe and the United States have been finalised. Arabsat has made all these arrangements based on the agreement with the Saudi Ministry of Culture and Information to distribute the Saudi League globally, and further to the previous contract to launch both the HD and standard Saudi sports bouquet on Arabsat satellites Badr, which includes six HD channels and six standard channels covering the Arab world and large parts of Europe.
2.3
Revenue growth by 2030 in aero comms market
Thales to build Gulf Air launches in-flight global live television service Turkmenistan’s first satellite
Samer Majali, CEO, Gulf Air
Gulf Air, Bahrain’s national carrier, took delivery of its first A330-200 aircraft retrofitted with Panasonic Avionics Corporation’s (Panasonic) Global Communications Suite. The comprehensive communications and entertainment solution, Sky Hub, offers passengers onboard full broadband connectivity to
access internet, mobile phone services and, for the first time in the world, a global, live television service onboard. Unveiling the Sky Hub onboard the aircraft, Gulf Air chief executive officer, Samer Majali, said, “We are bringing, for the first time in the world, fully integrated broadband connectivity offering high speed internet with high speed Wi-Fi and data services, voice over the internet (VOIP), streaming videos and the world’s first in-flight live TV satellite stream across continents.” Passengers will be able to browse the web at broadband speeds, and access social media services such as Facebook and Twitter. In addition, business travellers can access their virtual private network (VPN) to send and receive emails while watching live news and stock market updates at 35,000 feet.
French firm Thales International will build Turkmenistan’s first-ever satellite, with the firm’s president unveiling a model of the satellite to the Turkmen leader. The agreement comes as the reclusive former Soviet state marks 20 years of independence. The agreement is a harbinger of “prospects for long-term and mutually beneficial contracts related to the massive transformations in Turkmenistan aimed at diversification of the national economy,” the report on state television said. Turkmenistan now depends on a satellite from Russian firm Gazprom Space Services for its digital television needs. The Turkmen leader first decreed the drafting of proposals for a national satellite in 2009.
Newtec’s global partners join the bePart programme In Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America, global brands within the satellite communications industry have joined Newtec’s business partner programme called bePART. It is designed to ensure customers have local access and support to Newtec’s comprehensive and unique range of products anywhere in the world.
Since the global launch at IBC 2011, more than fifteen companies on five continents have joined the initiative that will change the way end-users and partners interact with Newtec. African Union Communications (Pty) Ltd CEO Villiers Joubert, said: “It will help us to provide even better services and support to our customers. We also feel it will
boost our operations enabling us to take advantage of the strength of both brands.” Claus Peeters, Global Channel Director for Newtec added: “Launching our partner programme is a key element of our new indirect go-to-market model. The quick uptake confirms that our partners support the direction we are going.” November 2011 | SatellitePro | 5
SatNews
Horizon Satellite Services increases capacity over the MENA region HorizonSat will be increasing its satellite capacity for the MENA region with two agreements – one with Eutelsat on their 3C satellite located at 3-Deg East and another one with APT Satellite Company in their upcoming APSTAR-7 satellite located at 76.5 Deg East. The new contracts have increased the existing inventory of HorizonSat by another 216 MHz of capacity. “The overwhelming response of the new DVB-S2 ACM IP-service in the MENA region has prompted HorizonSat to increase their platforms on iDirect, Comtech and Newtec. We are able to respond to the tremendous demand for satellite capacity in our principal target locations since we are one of the few to have services running on all the three platforms,” says Joel Lundahl, business development manager.
regional satellite industry. Horizon Satellite Services (HorizonSat) is a satellite service provider in the Middle East, Africa
A new teleport to serve the MENA region HorizonSat is also setting up a teleport – a new facility built outside Munich in Germany that will be fully operational by mid 2012. From the teleport location, the visibility of satellites spans from 79° East to 40° West. This gives HorizonSat the opportunity to widen its area of business in the Middle East, Africa and Europe. With this investment and using the latest technologies available, HorizonSat takes a strategic step forward to grow their presence in new business segments in the
HorizonSat has signed an agreement with APT Satellite Company on its upcoming APSTAR-7 satellite located at 76.5 Deg East
6 | SatellitePro | November 2011
“We are able to respond to the tremendous demand for satellite capacity in our principal target locations since we are one of the few to have services running on all the three platforms [iDirect, Comtech and Newtec]”
Joel Lundahl, business development manager, HorizonSat
and Asia, offering a broad range of services that include wide area network solutions for data transfer, internet backbone connectivity, satellite-based ISDN solutions, VoIP handling services and GSM Backhauling. HorizonSat continues to increase its presence in the region, through the implementation of new technologies and diversification of offerings that also include shared service Broadband solutions for VNOs. From dedicated internet links, shared internet links, intranet solutions, GSM backhauling, broadcasting services, VoIP traffic and hosting services, HorizonSat covers almost all possible satellite connectivity scenarios. PRO
12 Key appointments by Hermes Datacomms Hermes Datacomms Middle East, a key specialist providing Wide Area Network communications to the upstream oil and gas industry has appointed Saif Al-Azzawi as country manager of their Iraq operations, and Nigel Green as head of security and operations for the Middle East. Al-Azzawi has worked in the telecommunications industry for the past eight years. In this new role, Al-Azzawi will be responsible for establishing and managing the Hermes Datacomms Middle East offices in Iraq. His day-to-day duties will include managing the sales and technical teams; and handling all aspect s of logistics, VSAT licensing and so on. Additionally, Al-Azzawi
Nigel Green
Thuraya appoints Patrick Chenel as CFO
Saif Al-Azzawi
will focus on expanding the company to best suit Iraq’s market requirements. As head of security and operations, Nigel Green will be responsible for the security of all Hermes personnel within the Middle East. He will implement audits on security companies, organise accommodation and methods of transport; and liaise with client security companies, while Hermes Datacomms are supporting their projects.
New chairman of Eutelsat proposed The Board of Directors of Eutelsat Communications unanimously proposed to nominate Jean-Martin Folz as a Board member. If elected, Jean-Martin Folz will be appointed by the Board as Chairman to succeed Giuliano Berretta. Michel de Rosen, Eutelsat CEO, said: “The Board is delighted to propose Jean-Martin Folz and believes he has all the qualities to assume the role of chairman, succeeding Giuliano Berretta whose mandate expires in November.” Jean-Martin Folz is a graduate
CAGR for MSS and FSS operators from 2010 to 2020
of France’s Ecole Polytechnique. He joined PSA Peugeot Citroën in 1995 and was the Group’s CEO from 1997 until February 2007. He was Chairman of AFEP (The French Association of private companies) from 2007 to 2010. His current board memberships include Alstom, Axa, Saint-Gobain, Société Générale and Solvay.
The international mobile satellite services (MSS) operator, Thuraya Telecommunications Company, has appointed Patrick Chenel as chief financial officer. In addition to leading Thuraya’s financial management, planning and reporting functions, he will also be responsible for maintaining and developing the company’s relationships with the relevant financial institutions and strategic suppliers across the globe. Prior to joining Thuraya, Patrick was the CFO of the real estate arm of the Qatar Investment Authority, Qatari Diar. He began his career with Alcatel in 1989, holding a number of various senior positions in the finance area. Thuraya’s CEO, Samer Halawi, says,”Patrick combines an excellent and reputable background as a CFO, with international experience, and a broad background in the telecom industry. This remarkable combination makes him a valuable addition to our team.” November 2011 | SatellitePro | 7
SatNews
Istanbul FM TV broadcasts MBC to launch HDTV on Atlantic on SES 31.5° degrees East Bird 7 SES has concluded a capacity agreement with the Turkish media company Istanbul FM TV. The new customer will use SES satellite capacity at the orbital position 31.5 degrees East for the free-to-air transmission of two TV and two radio channels. With the SES satellites, the programmes can be received in Turkey with standard Direct-toHome (DTH) satellite dishes. “The agreement is a significant step into the fast growing Turkish market,” said Ferdinand Kayser, chief commercial officer of SES.
“This market has become increasingly important for us. At the same time, our new partnership confirms the attractiveness of 31.5 degrees East for customers in growth markets. We will continue to extend our presence in Turkey and create an attractive neighborhood for our broadcasting customers.” “We have chosen to partner with SES for the distribution of our TV and radio channels because of their excellent track record and technical expertise,” said Sabri Demirdogen, President of Istanbul FM TV.
Eutelsat Communications and MBC Group announced a multi-year contract for capacity on Eutelsat’s new Atlantic Bird 7 satellite at 7 degrees West. The lease of a full transponder will enable MBC to expand its platform of channels addressing viewers in the Middle East and North Africa, particularly new HD content which the group is preparing to launch in January 2012. Atlantic Bird 7 brings resources to 7 degrees West, an established video neighbourhood delivering Arab and international channels into almost 30 million satellite homes.
BusinessCom launches Evolution VSAT services on Eutelsat W7 BusinessCom, a satellite internet service provider, has launched iDirect Evolution enabled satellite Internet access services on the Eutelsat W7 geostationary satellite. The new Evolution services are available on KuBand beams covering the Middle East. The coverage includes “hot” destinations such as Iraq and Afghanistan and many other countries. The new Evolutionbased satellite internet service allows customers to enjoy always-on 24/7 broadband satellite internet access, with only a small 1.2m VSAT antenna and 3W block up-converters. The primary markets for the 8 | SatellitePro | November 2011
newly launched satellite internet services, which complement BusinessCom’s flagmanship PEPiDirect solution, include demanding DTH and SOHO users, internet cafes, SCADA and telemetry applications, and small to mediumsized wireless hot spots. The iDirect Evolution platform selected by BusinessCom is an ideal choice for multi-service broadband satellite internet access. The Evolution X3 modem is based on the DVB-S2 standard that delivers very high spectrum efficiency, and is backed up by ACM (Adaptive Coding and Modulation) technology. The ACM automatically changes the outbound modulation and FEC
Ian Boreham, marketing & business development manager, BusinessCom
overhead per each remote VSAT terminal on the fly, depending on the actual rain fade margins observed. The return channel is based on a patented iDirect Deterministic TDMA technology that enables true QoS (Quality of Service) support.
15 AsiaSat 7 satellite at Baikonur launch-site ahead of schedule AsiaSat 7, a new communications satellite designed and built for Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat) by Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) arrived at the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan, where it will be launched aboard an ILS Proton Breeze M vehicle provided by International Launch Services (ILS). The launch is currently scheduled for 26 November, Baikonur time. “We appreciate SS/L’s efforts to complete the construction of AsiaSat 7 and have it ready to ship one month ahead of schedule,” said William Wade, president and chief executive officer of AsiaSat. AsiaSat 7 will carry 28 C-band and 17 Ku-band transponders, and a Ka payload. Its region-wide
William Wade, president and CEO, AsiaSat
C-band beam covers Asia, the Middle East, Australasia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, with Ku-band beams serving East Asia, South Asia and a steerable Ku beam to satisfy market demand. FashionTV in 3D via AsiaSat 5 FashionTV will extend the broadcast time of its 3D programming for FashionTV H3D on AsiaSat 5 from 1 December 2011, following 10 months of successful test of 3D broadcast. The H3D programming block on FTV HD channel will be increased from the current four times a day for 10 minutes each, to a regular 30-minute 3D window four times a day, available to viewers in 53 countries across AsiaSat 5’s Asia-Pacific-wide footprint. Viewers with 3D TV sets can switch to the 3D mode to view the spectacular programming offered on this FTV HD channel.
Annual growth rate of global broadband satellite revenues
Ka-band on Asia Broadcast Satellite ABS-7 added to coverage
ViaSat Inc. and Asia Broadcast Satellite have entered into a multiyear agreement to provide Ka-band satellite service in key areas of the Middle East using the ABS-7 satellite. The bandwidth will be used for fixed and mobile satellite services as a part of ViaSat’s continuing expansion of its Yonder mobile satellite network from global Ku-band coverage to growing Ka-band coverage in key international markets. ABS-7 (formerly Koreasat-3) provides 600 MHz of Ka-band capacity suitable for mobile broadband services, cellular backhaul, VSAT services, and US/NATO government requirements in the Middle East. The Yonder mobile broadband service is one of ViaSat’s fastest growing segments, serving business jets, maritime vessels, and government and defense customers around the world. “This additional Ka-band capacity on ABS-7 will support and strengthen the Yonder mobile satellite network as it expands into markets in need of global connections in the Middle East and Asia,” said Tom Choi, CEO of ABS. “We are very excited about this strategic collaboration with ViaSat.” November 2011 | SatellitePro | 9
Welcome to
Arabsat
Home of 90% of Free-To-Air HD-TV channels in the MENA region 30+ HDTV channels in the MENA region are now exclusively broadcast on Arabsat Badr satellites at the 26ยบ East hotspot. Indeed, with the new generation of Arabsat satellites, the largest Arab community in the sky brings you more and more power to experience the future. Join us! www.arabsat.com
The
Portal of the Middle East
Cover story
Moving towards the digital oilfield As he explores the technology-centric solutions that will help the oil and gas industry leverage limited resources to optimise facility performance, Kevin Thorley, CEO, Hermes Datacomms, gives Supriya Srinivas an overview of the challenges he faces 12 | SatellitePro | November 2011
1.7 It has been only a few days since Sirte and the rest of Libya was declared free and Hermes Datacomms had this piece of breaking news on its website: “Hermes Datacomms is fully operational in Libya”. It brings into sharp focus the inherent risks in operating in a region that is in political turmoil. However, Libya, in the past couple of months, is just an extreme version of another day in the office for a company that has operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, among other places. Considering the mission critical nature of providing ICT solutions for upstream oil and gas operations, the task of companies such as Hermes Datacomms Middle East is as demanding in war-torn Libya as it is in the oil-rigs across Russia, Turkmenistan or in the UAE. For the man heading the company’s operations in the MENA region, Kevin Thorley, CEO, it is tendering for a job that is one of the most demanding of operations – a sure sign of an industry in flux. He acknowledges that his company’s role in providing communication solutions for the oil and gas industry is getting more complex. “The oil and gas companies are not just looking for a VSAT provider, they are looking for a company that offers an integrated solution. We are now working with partners to make sure we deliver turnkey projects that would involve fibre and last mile access, in addition to VSAT services, fixed, mobile and microwave services. Our approach is to manage and control all aspects of the network, end-to-end, including licensing and logistics at both ends of the satellite link.” Towards integrated solutions The digital oilfield is to the oil and gas industry what ‘cloud’ is
Kevin Thorley, CEO, Hermes Datacomms
Deficit of oil and gas staff by 2030
for the next five to ten years.” Iraq is probably not the most dangerous place on earth today, but a drive to the rig-site involves donning a bullet-proof jacket and being escorted by a convoy of three cars with armed guards that would cost $4,000 a day to hire. As companies such as Hermes Datacomms move into more remote areas, the challenge to service a rig-site that costs upwards of $500,000 a day to rent, and ensuring zero failure in critical communication links, grows in significance. Thorley says,“Highly reliable and accessible
“With more remote monitoring of the rig sites, and the need to connect anywhere, anytime, we are seeing an increase in the need for solutions such as video conferencing that can consume a lot of bandwidth capacity” to the IT world. The digital oilfield demands variables that include reliability, integration, security, scalability, openness and control. From forging strategic partnerships to incorporating sophisticated monitoring technology, companies such as Hermes Datacomms are alive to the challenge. Thorley says, “We expanded our Middle East office with a dedicated team of engineers and a 24/7 help desk. From an office of just two persons in 2008, we have now grown to 22. We see tremendous growth in Iraq and across the region
communication networks are critical for our clients to realise the value of their investment. Our customers are looking for real-time data transfer based on which they schedule their operations. First of all, our network is tested to operate in extreme weather conditions. Our engineers then use proprietory monitoring tools that allow them to identify any degraded performance and to maintain the integrity of the network without our clients even realising any change in the system.” Intrinsic to Thorley’s mission to
About Hermes Datacomms Established in 1991, Hermes provides managed communications solutions to the oil and gas industry. With more than 400 VSAT installations and Earthstations in the UK, Denmark, Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, UAE, Singapore, Australia and USA, the company offers coverage in 88% of the world’s oil reserves and 92% of the world’s gas reserves. Customers within the oil and gas industry, include Maersk, Parker Drilling, PSN, KBR, BP, Eni, Fluor and Petronas, among others.
November 2011 | SatellitePro | 13
Cover story offer complete solutions to the oil and gas industry are the partnerships the company is forging with local Iraqi companies and with others such as the recognised leader in RF products, Comtech EF Data, the company that launched Vipersat at the recently held IBC 2011. Also present at the launch of Comtech’s CDM-800, a Hermes Datacomms’ spokesman said, “Comtech EF Data’s Advanced VSAT Solutions portfolio provides high-performance satellite-based communication solutions for a diverse range of applications, including mobile backhaul with RAN optimisation, IP trunking and backhaul, maritime and offshore networks, corporate and enterprise networks and emergency and disaster recovery”. The value-added services will only expand as companies such as Hermes Datacomms transition to becoming an integrated service provider to the oil and gas sector. Challenges of bandwidth Apart from the obvious challenges of extreme weather conditions, remoteness of sites and the odd chance of your life being in danger,
Kevin Thorley on his way to an oil rig
the big challenge Thorley faces is the availability of bandwidth. He says, “Bandwidth is scarce. At the moment we could do with a lot more. It is important to educate our customers that we need to procure space from different providers. In the UK, we have our teleport with eight dishes in Shrewsbury, UK, looking at a number of different satellites , ensuring a steady coverage. We mainly work out of our teleport in the UK. In this region we work with Telcos such as
du, Etisalat and satellite providers such as Gazprom, among others, for bandwidth capacity. Companies such as du and Etisalat help us with licences in their area of coverage.” Similarly, Hermes Datacomms has formed a partnership with KB Impuls Hellas in July 2011, a satellite communications company based in Athens, Greece, that will be servicing a client’s remote office in Turkmenistan, among its first projects. “To provide reliable and cost effective
Client: BP Place of Performance: Rumailah Iraq Date and Duration: 2010 - ongoing BACKGROUND BP was starting operations and required WAN connectivity at short notice to meet their operational requirements. BP came to Hermes to design and manage a fully meshed, dedicated bandwidth network over 21 sites in Iraq. PROJECT The project consisted of 21 sites across Rumailah including; life support camps,
14 | SatellitePro | November 2011
de-gassing stations and rigs. The network required internet, data and voice capabilities over a fully meshed VSAT network. SOLUTIONS / SERVICES • Developed a solution to provide BP with a VSAT network to meet their internet and data requirements. • Agreed strict SLA’s to ensure maximum uptime of the VSAT link. • 24/7 network monitoring and point of contact for any network queries or requests.
• Inclusion of Out-of-Band management to allow for remote diagnosis and remote repair (if feasible) of the network. • Assigned an account manager to provide advice and support as and when required. • Monthly reports showing link usage and recommendations whilst providing information on priority fault tickets. • Arranged logistics for equipment and personnel. • Trained and mentored local BP staff on the use of VSAT equipment including installation and repairs to reduce additional costs.
1
Digital oilfield investments by industry till 2013
While real-time data must be transmitted quickly and efficiently around the world from increasingly remote locations, the personnel challenges oil and gas companies face compound the task for service providers
communication solutions we are working through partners where necessary to enable us to offer licensing and engineering resources,” Thorley explained. While companies such as Hermes Datacomms typically have agreements with a number of service providers, the problem is not so much coverage as the huge increase in the volume of data commercial satellites are handling. The technology is there, but there is only so much VSAT capacity available. The headline grabbing HDTV and 3D TV channels, and any mode of data transmission, need more bandwidth than the oil and gas industry. Thorley explains, “There is only a fixed number of satellites at any one time and the cost of capacity is going up. It is tricky environment, but as a long-time service provider to the industry where we have forged close, time-tested partnerships with our clients, we are well-positioned to cater to the bandwidth needs of the oil and gas industry. Having bandwidth in reserve has helped
when in April 2011, BP required WAN connectivity at short notice for 21 sites across Rumailah, Iraq (see box titled Client: BP). We designed and installed a solution that provided internet, data and voice capabilities over a fully meshed VSAT network across the 21 sites within 15 days.” The digital oilfield has also invariably crossed into the realm of the ‘Cloud’ with companies in the oil and gas sector moving increasingly to a centralised computing topology, a ‘Cloud’ model, accessing data centres from all around the globe. Seamless connections between head office and site In addition to the cloud-based managed network services, Thorley says, “Among the typical requirements are basic VSAT – that allows for communication between the field and headquarters. The head office could be in the UK or in the US or even in Dubai. We offer seamless solutions such as four-digit dialing, so that a field office would be an extension of your Houston office.” While real-time data must be
transmitted quickly and efficiently around the world from increasingly remote locations, the personnel challenges oil and gas companies face compound the task for service providers. That includes an ageing workforce that is less likely to be onsite and the safety, security and morale concerns of the crew onsite. When you consider the day rent for an oil rig, the communications infrastructure costs are a small fraction of the overall outlay. But service providers will tell you, communications’ solutions offer the opportunity to deliver disproportionately high returns against cost. Thorley says, “With more remote monitoring of the rig sites, and the need to connect anywhere anytime, we are seeing an increase in the need for solutions such as video conferencing that can consume a lot of bandwidth. Moreover, there is an increase in HSE requirements, so there is more CCTV on rigs and in addition, crew on vessels wants to browse the internet, use Skype and conduct online banking operations. So you need bandwidth for activities November 2011 | SatellitePro | 15
Cover story not specific to the industry. Given the multiple demands, we find it crucial to keep the client informed about the use of their communication facilities. From a business point of view, they are in a position to ensure the efficient use of their communication channels.” Thorley’s team typically works with three different layers of companies involved in an oil rig site ranging from the oil companies and drilling companies to the support companies that would involve transport, food and so on. The company works with multiple satellite operators ranging from Gazprom and Eutelsat to Intelsat and RSCC. Thorley says, “The satellite operators we work with understand the critical nature of our operations and our need to offer complete redundancy to our customers.” In addition, there are the physical challenges of placing a VSAT dish on
A sample set of technologies that define the digital oilfield: • Remote real-time facility monitoring and control The off-site control of facility process systems through the networking of SCADA (systems control and data analysis) and its transfer to onshore control rooms, enabling field data capture, set point control, and valve/pump manipulation. • Real-time drilling The collection and integration of real-time drilling data such as RPM, circulation solids, downhole pressures captured through MWD, and remotely steerable down-hole tools. • Real-time production surveillance The utilisation of advanced alarm systems to trigger analysis of important production integrity trends to help optimise and
16 | SatellitePro | November 2011
an oil rig given the space constraints and the potential for obstruction from other equipment. On the issues of operational challenges, Thorley says, “We have the regular rig moves. In a month, we would have 20 such moves and our team is always on hand to ensure that our equipment is realigned to ensure continuity of service.” The impact of the oil and gas sector in the MENA region on the operations of a company such as Hermes Datacomms is clearly evident. Ranked in the top 100 among Britain’s fastest growing technology-related companies with a 45.25% growth, Thorley believes the MENA region has played a significant role. He says, “As people demand more remote control of operations from the head office, the need for bandwidth is increasing. Also the company’s use of “meshing technology”, where multiple sites can share the same satellite frequency,
maintain installed capacity levels. • Intelligent wells Surface-controlled, down-hole equipment, enabled by fiber-optic sensors, allows for continuous monitoring of conditions and response. • 4-d visualisation and modeling Successive 3-D seismic surveys track fluid movements, allowing for additional insight into production enhancement and redirecting enhanced recovery mechanisms. • Remote communications technology Off-site facilities with real-time visual, voice, and data communication with the field allow more rapid, analytical responses by a mix of off-site and on-site staff. • Integrated asset models Applications that model complete
has helped sales to grow 45% a year. Oil fields need a lot of data and reliable connections, so by targeting more difficult places in the world and offering a service comparable to that in the easier-to-reach places - that’s how we grow our business. They can have the same service in Libya or Iraq that they can in London. It’s about offering services in tricky places“. PRO
production system performance from the producing horizon, through the well-bore, through the production facility, and onto the export/sales point across disparate data sources and multisite work teams. • Workflow and knowledge management systems Robust historical data and documentmanagement solutions that allow assets and functions to quickly execute workflows and routines by calling up complete historical analyses quickly and accurately. • Production volume management systems Standardised production data and production allocations, allowing more efficient real-time production decisions that result in reduced deferment and improved operational integrity. Information courtesy: www.Booz.com
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SatOperators
Exploring the commercial potential of earth observation satellites Apart from the mandate of building Emirati scientific expertise, Dubai’s earth observation satellites will explore commercial opportunities, says Salem Humaid Al Marri, director of the EIAST space programme
A 3D image of Al Ain taken by DubaiSat-1, the first remote sensing satellite owned by the UAE – image shows Al Ain City with Jebel Al Hafeet
It is difficult to talk profits and balance sheets when the information that is coming in is monitoring a nuclear plant in crises or a country-wide flood situation that has uprooted millions. And when the information also helps us understand what tomorrow will bring in terms of changing coastlines and forests, you cannot 18 | SatellitePro | November 2011
put a price tag on the services. “Helping during disasters such as the Japanese tsunami or the floods in Pakistan for the UN, or supporting research on coastlines and the like, will always take priority over any commercial considerations for us,” asserts Salem Humaid Al Marri, director of the space programme department
of Dubai-based, The Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST). The issue of commercial applications came up almost immediately because Ahmed al Mansoori, the director general of EIAST has been quoted in the local press saying: “While the first satellite was for knowledge
20
Number of earth observation satellites from Russia by 2015
“Helping during disasters such as the Japanese tsunami or the floods in Pakistan for the UN or supporting research on coastlines, will always take priority over any commercial considerations for us”
Salem Humaid Al Marri, director of the space programme department, EIAST
transfer, this second satellite will be looked at as more of a commercial [venture].” To be launched in the fourth quarter of 2012, DubaiSat-2 will be capable of an increase in the speed
of the data download from 30 Mbit / second, as is the case in DubaiSat-1, up to 160 Mbit / second, in addition to increasing the amount of data acquired by the satellite per day from 12,000 square metres to 17,000 square metres. With these technical improvements, the weight of the satellite is now 300 kgs and its size is two metres in height and 1.5 metres wide. The orbital height of the satellite has been modified to 600 kms above the earth’s surface compared to 690 kms, which is
the current orbit of DubaiSat-1. The orbit has also been changed from an ascending orbit (South to North) to a descending orbit (North to South), which will allow both satellites to work well in constellation as well as give better coverage over the UAE area. Customised imaging Of the commercial potential, Al Marri says, “The satellite will have a panchromatic resolution of 1m and a multispectral resolution in of 4m in four spectral bands (red, green, blue and near infrared). This November 2011 | SatellitePro | 19
SatOperators would enhance the quality of the images for various applications including environmental projects, urban planning, infrastructure, telecommunications, electricity and the oil and gas sectors, among others. We don’t just provide images. We work on the different frequency bands in the image and produce products based on client needs. With an adjustment in how we use the different frequency bands, for instance, you can detect if there is a higher level of chloroform in the plants. Once we know what the clients are looking for, we can make the necessary adjustments and provide the right sort of image.” Globally, al Marri sees demand from South America and the Far East. “Countries such as Brazil take images from many earth observation satellites because of the constant cloud cover over the country that makes the task of image capturing from space, challenging. The same with countries in the Far East. Regionally, we have forged an understanding with the Central Informatics Organisation in Bahrain. They would earlier take images from other satellite agencies just as our government organisations did. We are now informing them about the advantages of using us, given the quick turnaround time in terms of response to their image needs.” Developed at the cost of under $50 million, Al Marri says it will be one of the best performing satellites in space in the 300kg category, Al Marri explains, “Other than resolution and number of images we can download, there are technology demonstrators on board. We have a propulsion 20 | SatellitePro | November 2011
subsystem which allows us to move the satellite in orbit – we can go higher or lower or we can maintain orbit if the satellite stays up there for longer. This was jointly developed by the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA), the Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology (KAIST) and our team.” Improved ground facilities With two satellites in orbit next year, Al Marri’ s team is working on expanding the ground facilities with an antenna in Norway making 14 contacts every day. This is in addition to the two contacts the ground station in Dubai makes and an antenna in South Korea is expected to be commissioned soon, doubling the capability of download. Commenting on the plans under way, Al Marri says, “As we expand our distribution base globally we are looking at more partners and more efficient ways of downloading images wherein
partners would download directly, a certain number of images, to save on time and cost.” The economics of an earth observation satellite is difficult to quantify and is open to debate but a national space programme such as the one launched by EIAST in 2006 has non-monetary compulsions and here they have made tangible strides. DubaiSat-2 represents not just the doubling of Emirati engineers from eight to 16 and counting, but a collaborative effort by the Emiratis with S.Korean engineers that has risen from 30% for DubaiSat-1 to 50% for DubaiSat-2. “We want to become a satellite manufacturer,” says al Marri. And this is not mere rhetoric. The specifications for DubaiSat-3 are already being put together by EIAST and there is every possibility that the fourth satellite will be developed in the EIAST premises on the outskirts of Dubai. PRO
The Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST) The Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST) is a Dubai Government Department established in 2006 to promote scientific innovation and advanced technology in the UAE. DubaiSat-1 DubaiSat-1 is the UAE’s first earth observation satellite. DubaiSat-2 The DubaiSat-2 project is a joint development programme between EIAST and SatrecI of South Korea, in which 16 UAE engineers have been working on the design, development, testing and manufacturing of
the satellite. DubaiSat-2 will be launched on board a Dnepr Rocket through the Moscow-based International Space Company Kosmotras (ISCK) from Yasny Cosmodrome in Russia by the fourth quarter of 2012. DubaiSat-2 is an electro-optical earth observation satellite system with a Ground Sampling Distance (GSD) of 1m at 600km sun-synchronous orbit.
SatNations
Emerging space nations in Africa An overview of the development paths undertaken by Nigeria and South Africa Space Science and Technology for Sustainable Development (ALC) ALC is a regional forum for African decision-makers and space professionals to exchange information in a non-technical, highlevel manner that emphasises the benefits of space technology for Africa’s sustainable development.
Nigeria Nigeria justifies its space programme by using space technologies and their applications to address socioeconomic challenges and further national development. International cooperation To acquire its satellites, Nigeria used partnerships with Chinese and British companies that include training programmes for Nigerians in satellite manufacture and operations. Nigeria is a prominent player in intra-African space collaboration. Development path While strategic partnerships have been key to the success of its space programme, Nigeria does not have the domestic capability to build or launch satellites and will most likely continue using partnerships to further develop its programme in the near term.
South Africa South Africa focuses on using satellite applications for national development (e.g., improving water management, diversifying exports). South Africa is the only African country to have built a satellite indigenously. International cooperation South Africa is a prominent player in intra-African space collaboration, as well as a notably active participant in the international space community.
Development path South Africa’s homegrown satellite manufacturing capabilities set it apart from other African nations; government support has been key to the industry’s success. Regional coordination mechanisms African space projects have typically involved non-African partners or have been run by a single African country. Recently, two purely intra-African initiatives have emerged. • African Resources and Environmental Management Satellite Constellation (ARMC) Nigeria, South Africa, Algeria and Kenya form ARMC; they aim to develop African-made satellites to address regional needs and build up regional capabilities. Although no hardware exists yet, ARMC has brought together key African space nations with top-down support from the highest levels of government, critical for programme sustainability. • African Leadership Conference on
Shared challenges A key driver of regional space initiatives in Africa has been the application of satellites to address common challenges facing developing countries, such as managing scarce resource and large populations that are dispersed over vast and underdeveloped territories. Finding political and public support for investing limited resources in space projects challenges African space bodies that are just beginning to find their footing. PRO
Extract from a Secure World Foundation (SWF) event report: Analysing the development paths of emerging space nations: Opportunities or Challenge for Space Sustainability? Participants: Megan Ansdell, Booz Allen & Hamilton, Laura Delgado Lopez, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Daniel Hendrickson, Aerospace Industries Association
November 2011 | SatellitePro | 21
SatMobile
Empower the oilfield: The MSS alternative Renowned for their voice solutions, mobile satellite service (MSS) providers are staking their claim as a primary provider in the burgeoning data sector in oil and gas. Amine El Ammari, regional manager, Thuraya, outlines the strategy and challenges ahead 22 | SatellitePro | November 2011
11 Why do you believe MSS solutions are not generally the primary service providers in the oil and gas sector? As providers of voice solutions, we are already entrenched in the oil and gas sector. We are now telling the industry that our solutions can be a primary provider of communications’ solutions in remote rig-sites given the compact size of our equipment, our satellite coverage and the sheer simplicity of operations. From video conferencing to HSE requirements, MSS solutions are as good as VSAT solutions. In areas of oil exploration, midstream monitoring of assets or in risky areas of operation, MSS solutions have an edge because of the mobility it gives operators and compact, low visibility nature of the equipment. At present, MSS solutions are being used as backup support for existing VSAT installations. There are a number of reasons why the oil and gas industry opts for VSAT solutions. Firstly because they have been in use for a long time, so there is the element of familiarity which also brings in a degree of being conservative with choice of communications’ solutions. Usually within the oil and gas companies, it is the IT department that makes decisions on what solutions to deploy and most of the IT personnel have some VSAT grounding because of their academic background and the long history of VSAT. In oil and gas operations, what inherent advantages do MSS solutions have? The difference between VSAT and our solutions is that the former entails a lot more equipment to be installed. With MSS solutions, you are talking about simple solutions that can be installed in no time. The VSAT solutions are more prevalent because of the so-called
Amine El Ammari, regional manager, Thuraya
cost advantage the client thinks he is getting. However, there are a number of hidden costs in terms of periodic maintenance of equipment and so on. What we are telling the market is that our solutions are similar but with the added benefit of being mobile in nature. We offer all the data requirements – even HSE requirements and video conferencing to real-time monitoring of operations – all within an A5-sized device. No installation is required. In just a matter of few minutes, you are ready to operate. In an offshore rig situation with a moving platform combined with wind and weather conditions, you would need an antenna. On land, this is not required and you would be connected even as you are moving to the site in your car. Moreover, our service partners are connected to our gateway and they can monitor the network for any degradation in service. Going forward, what are your plans to persuade the oil and gas industry to think in terms of MSS as their primary communications’ solutions? Firstly, we have specific segments within the company that address various vertical markets including oil and gas. Secondly, what is encouraging for us is the growth rate
Annual growth rate for the MSS sector
for MSS that is around 11% annually for the total market with the data segment around 25%. So there is great potential for growth . What is more, in the oil and gas sites, most of the time you don’t need more than 128kbps, while our system offers 420kbps. Through roadshows and partnering with our service providers at major industry-specific events, we are highlighting our solutions that cover the data segment as well. We are underlying the creative pricing offer that caters to the needs of every vertical market so that they don’t overpay for a solution. Also we are educating the industry about the congestion-free characteristics of the device and the network. Our system allows us to dynamically allocate extra bandwidth if needed. For instance if there are multiple IPs in one area, the system recognises that there is more need for bandwidth , so it automatically allocates bandwidth to this hotspot . In addition, our provision of asymmetric streaming is helpful. For instance in an oil rig that does not require video conferencing facilities and only needs to send files, we offer the appropriate asymmetric bandwidth solution. All in all, we believe we are well-placed to service the growing data needs of the digital oilfield. PRO
About Thuraya Thuraya Telecommunications Company is a mobile satellite service provider of voice, data, maritime, rural telephony, fleet management and other telecommunication solutions in remote areas. It provides mobile satellite communications to over 140 countries around the world. Thuraya’s EnergyComms support the monitoring of remote crews, sites and equipment.
November 2011 | SatellitePro | 23
SatBroadcast
BroadcasterS TACKLE Satellite Interference Despite recent breakthroughs, challenges remain in identifying, preventing, mitigating and stopping satellite interference writes Dick Tauber, VP CNN News Group and cochair RFI-EUI There is no denying that satellite interference is a problem for all satellite broadcasters. Live feeds in particular are a problem, as there is no going back once a viewer has missed an important moment, such as a winning goal. Whether live or not, viewers simply won’t put up with the effects of interference on their viewing experience, and will either watch the programming on another channel, if available, or simply watch something else. In fact the exact scenario we are trying to avoid, I’m told, happened during the last soccer World Cup. We have to try and avoid this kind of thing happening again. Of course, we are always at risk of those determined to deliberately undermine transmissions at such events, usually for political ends only, a trend not easily averted, but it is not the biggest cause of interference. What has been done? Up until now, very little, and certainly not enough has been done throughout the industry, but we are finally starting to gain traction. One of the biggest problems we had is a misunderstanding of the cause of interference. We simply didn’t believe it possible that we, as an industry, were the cause of our 24 | SatellitePro | November 2011
Dick Tauber, VP transmission systems & new technology, CNN News Group WBUISOG Chairman / co-chair RFI-EUI
own problems. WBU-ISOG started out setting up the Rogue Carrier Working Group (RCWG) to combat deliberate attacks on satellites. In 2007 and 2008, in a bid to get to the crux of the problem, the former Satellite Users Interference Reduction Group (SUIRG, now sIRG), collected data from satellite operators to get a clearer picture of exactly what was happening and the results were astounding. It became apparent that in fact only 0.03% of interference was deliberate. Of the rest, half was caused by VSATs not working properly, and the other half by equipment failure and human error. Once we dug deeper into this and discovered these statistics,
there naturally was a shift of focus. In February 2011, there was a meeting of more than thirty broadcasters to discuss what broadcasters could be doing to help mitigate interference. The immediate result of that was the founding of a new group, Radio Frequency Interference – End Users Initiative (RFI-EUI). Our aim is to essentially give voice to customers, clients, and all end users of satellite capacity regarding radio frequency interference. We are working to involve broadcasters worldwide in the fight against interference, yet we are also composed of equipment manufacturers, industry groups, satellite system operators, and media companies across the globe. To me this is key; satellite interference cannot be solved by one group or one set of companies alone, we need to work together, both with other organisations, such as the Satellite Interference Reduction Group (sIRG) and the Global VSAT Forum (GVF), as well as other companies involved right through the chain. And we are beginning to see the effect of this close collaboration and effort on the part of all involved. Setting up the groups Once set up, the first task for
90
Of the total – only 0.03% of interference was deliberate. Of the rest, half was caused by VSATs not working properly, and the other half by equipment failure and human error RFI-EUI was to establish working groups to focus on different areas of interference. Other organisations working to combat interference have their own working groups already, and it is very clear to all of us, that whilst we all have our specialist areas and focus, we need to work together to reach our goal, rather than doubling up on effort. We don’t just have broadcasters in our groups, we have a wide cross-section of the industry and we have representatives from all of the other groups. We certainly would
welcome others, who want to try to get resolution on this problem. RFI-EUI decided on three groups: Carrier Identification (ID), Best Practices, Documentation and Technology, and Training and Certification. Carrier ID One of the major issues in the fight against satellite interference is the lack of carrier identification. If carriers are not identified, when interference occurs, it is very difficult to determine where the problem has come from. Therefore,
of satellite interference incidents are accidental
by introducing Carrier Identification, in the form of an embedded code containing critical information etc, across all transmissions, interference can be mitigated much more quickly, This will significantly reduce the time taken to track and correct those day-to-day interference issues that do crop up. As with everything relating to satellite interference, for carrier ID to be successful, it relies on the support of the entire industry. As broadcasters, our role is twofold. Firstly, we need to be lobbying the satellite operators to not only have the ability to handle carrier ID, but also get to the point where it is eventually a requirement. Eutelsat and SES have both announced that carrier ID will be integrated into transmission parameters for all SNG transmissions and new DVB November 2011 | SatellitePro | 25
SatBroadcast broadcasts in time for the London Olympics. Now we, as the end users, should be lobbying SNG and truck operators to persuade them to follow suit, as well as other satellite companies. The other role for the broadcasters in the roll-out of carrier ID is to ensure that we are transmitting an ID with our company’s signals. This means ensuring our equipment is setup to handle this and that when we buy new equipment, we need to be asking the question of whether it has carrier ID technology integrated. An important milestone was reached at IBC 2011, with six modem manufacturers working together to have a new carrier ID technology adopted as a specification by the DVB Forum. It has been accepted as a working topic and will now move to the next stage of the process. The system put forward has been developed by Comtech EF data, but the technology group will probably examine other alternatives before issuing a standard. The technology being included in the proposed specification contains the Carrier ID information within a separate spread spectrum carrier. It is visible to operators, without the need to interrupt the original feed, saving valuable airtime for broadcasters, when interference occurs, by enabling operators to identify and stop the interference quickly and effectively, since they can see the carrier ID of both signals. Best practices, documentation and technology We also need to be working as an industry to establish best practices and to ensure everyone throughout the industry sees the benefit of 26 | SatellitePro | November 2011
doing things in a consistent and universally acceptable way. As an example, one thing we still have problems with and have had for a few years, is auto-deploy systems. A few manufacturers, including ND SatCom, On-Call Communications and Sematron have taken great care and pride in ensuring that their systems would not function if the parameters are not followed correctly. This is very key in an auto-deploy system so that it only deploys when everything is exactly as it should be. Accuracy is the key word here, not time!
truck operators. Right now, they can simply turn up and use the satellite with no credentials, other than the driving licence they need to drive the truck. We urgently need a training and certification system to ensure their professional credentials. The Global VSAT Forum (GVF) already runs a whole host of great training courses for satellite equipment installers and operators and has had nearly 4,000 people from across the globe already undertake various courses and modules.
Eutelsat and SES have both announced that carrier ID will be integrated into transmission parameters for all SNG transmissions and new DVB broadcasts in time for the London Olympics By documenting best practices, it means that everyone can share and learn from those experiences that others put forward and we can move ahead as an industry together. There is new and innovative technology coming along, which can help drastically reduce interference, and the task now is to share that knowledge effectively. Training and certification Training and certification is another key area where we can drastically change the landscape of the satellite industry. Naturally, if equipment installers and operators don’t have the appropriate training, mistakes can occur all too easily and that’s when you get interference. We really need to get to a point whereby training is required and broadcasters and satellite operators only use certified installers and operators. This is also the case for SNG
Moving forward We as an industry have made a number of important breakthroughs recently. The announcements from Eutelsat and SES should have the knockon effect of encouraging other satellite operators to make similar steps. The DVB spec for the new carrier ID technology will enable manufacturers to ensure a standard approach and one that allows operators to mitigate interference, without interrupting the feed of those on the correct satellite space. What is very clear is that to achieve our long-term goals, we need to work together as an industry. The RFI-EUI represents the broadcasters, but we established the group to work in concert and in conjunction with the satellite operators to identify, mitigate, and prevent – ultimately to stop – satellite interference. PRO
SUMMIT
Discuss. Debate. Disseminate BroadcastPro Middle East’s inaugural Summit will be hosted on November 23, 2011, in association with the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU), an IBC award winner, and the most innovative and dynamic pan-Arab organisation involved in establishing and maintaining best practices in the field of broadcasting. The Summit has been designed by professionals for professionals. www.broadcastprome.com/summitandawards2011
AWARDS
Recognise. Reward. Reinvigorate Innovation and excellence must be acknowledged and rewarded to encourage further innovation and excellence. The ASBU BroadcastPro Middle East Awards have been designed to reward excellence among individuals and end-user companies who have deployed winning or innovative technologies or made significant contributions to the local broadcast industry. We will have several award categories that include contributions in fields across the broadcast workflow, from production and post production to traditional broadcast and new media platforms. Last date for nominations: November 10, 2011. FOR SPONSORSHIP AND TABLE BOOKINGS, PLEASE CONTACT: Raz Islam Commercial Director Tel: +971 4 440 9129 E-mail: raz@cpidubai.com
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SatTeleport
Catching up with future TV: The challenges for the teleport M. Brett Belinsky, chairman of the World Teleport Association examines how technology changes in the TV business will affect content delivery providers, in particular, teleport operators, in an interview with SatellitePro As per your report titled ‘Future TV and the Teleport’, media and entertainment contributed 49% of the revenues for teleport operators in 2009. Would you say that future TV is crucial to future earnings of teleport operators? I think it will be the key source of income in the foreseeable future. But it will largely depend on the individual make-up of services at a teleport level. Linear TV isn’t going to vanish nor are traditional FTA viewers suddenly going to start paying for VOD or other new services. Strangely enough, as the 28 | SatellitePro | November 2011
world embraces IP, I could envisage a number of teleport operators that have built their traditional business on satellite data communications, suddenly moving into TV to embrace the convergence. Experts believe that satellite operators can be more creative with their offer and capture markets across the Middle East that are not served by fibre – do you believe that there is potential here? Yes, without a doubt. I personally believe the satellite operators need
to be creative with their solutions. I can’t speak for them, but know they are very engaged when it comes to this subject and I regularly talk to them on their thinking. But creative thinking revolves around playing in the ‘Direct to Home’ market of broadcast and IP content to the home as well as the backhaul segment, the ‘middle mile’. Splitting the last mile between the mobile network operators in rural areas and terrestrial Telco services for urban areas, is key. Consumption of streaming can be addressed by satellite operators
49 by augmenting broadcast offerings to include streaming services in addition to the traditional DTH services. On the two-way front, satellite operators are moving to multi-beam Ka-band satellite configurations to be able to provide cost effective solutions to end users. Such multi-beam Ka-band solutions will either be dedicated satellites or Ka payloads piggybacking on traditional FSS satellites. In terms of consumption of streaming, two-way services may be rising rapidly, but in fact in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) internet penetration would appear to still be relatively low and it seems that DTH penetration will remain relatively high and influential for some years because of this. Other, more affluent parts of Middle East certainly have high internet/fibre penetration and in these markets satellite remains a logical complement, but it will not compete with fibre for two-way streamed services. That said, new, innovative services using Ka Band and different orbits are being launched which aim to compete with fibre and satellite has successfully fought off most of these threats so far and will continue to evolve as the dominant and most cost-effective medium for delivering broadcast video. Devices like PVR, Push VOD, and whatever comes next is part of this effort as well as being devices which please consumers. I would add that it is not just the world going two-way and streaming but the world becoming IP centric. Increasingly, video will be delivered to the user over IP. High throughput and low latency are going to become more and more important and satellite operators / teleport
Revenues for teleport operators from media and entertainment in 2009
dramatically on the low end (You Tube, Mobile TV) with delivery to handheld devices through mobile networks. Efficient caching and high performance networking capabilities will be important as well as the right satellite solution, based on the specific demand.
M.Brett Belinsky, chairman of the World Teleport Association and strategy director, Arqiva Broadcast & Media
You have mentioned that the course of change will be gradual in coming. As against large, visible changes, will we be seeing changes in increments? Yes. But it’s not so much the speed of change, but for me
“Increasingly, video will be delivered to the user over IP. High throughput and low latency are going to become more and more important and satellite operators / teleport service providers will need to have a mix of solutions that allow them to efficiently carry IP delivered video” service providers will need to have a mix of solutions that allow them to efficiently carry IP delivered video. In the emerging markets, there is a clear trend towards mobile devices (phones, tablets, PCs) and this is what I refer to as mobile video. This will likely not be delivered over satellite directly to the mobile device but rather to the tower as mobile infrastructure develops towards 3G and LTE (Etisalat just announced LTE deployment throughout the Middle East). The most likely place for satellite and ground service operators to play in this space is in the backhaul networks which are becoming buried by data (which is mainly video). Bandwidth demand is increasing across the board and viewing habits are also changing both on the high end (HD, Ultra-HD, 3D) and probably more
the nature of how services will evolve. The relationships between teleports, Telcos, broadcasters and content owners will change, along with how services are procured and delivered. This for me is where the course of change will be most notable. When we talk of the potential of addressing the TV demands of 750,000 Filipino sailors at sea, you are referring to niche markets and that requires both insight and nimbleness. How nimble in your view are teleport operators? In the new normal, only the nimble will survive. It’s really clear to me that it’s tough out there, and that all the smaller niche players have had no option but to adapt in these tough times. There are fantastic examples of how traditional teleports in places November 2011 | SatellitePro | 29
SatInterview like Singapore have evolved to embrace new services like crew morale and communication, and in general the marine, oil and gas market has seen phenomenal take up of new services. But I remember (not so long ago) hearing how VSAT operators didn’t ever see or perceive a blend of video and internet in what they called core services to remote regions.
for those platforms that already have an audience base. In developed markets, there’s an ever increasing push for broadband penetration and I would see this being the complimentary enhancement to traditional DTH. The emerging markets are seeing proliferated growth in DTH operators, but the extent to which Ka and Ku will co-exist isn’t clear or defined.
Interactivity is a key element of future TV, wherein satellite TV providers have to work towards a return path. How challenging is this and what does this entail? Right now, interactivity is about search, discovery, request and confirmation, and a typical PSTN line to a broadband connection normally suffices but this will change over time. Ka band is seen as a natural evolution due to the high throughput nature and capabilities but I am not clear whether the business model has proven itself. I could envisage a scenario where a DTH operator will offer a service on a satellite using both payloads for a hybrid service, invisible to the overall viewer experience. But this would mean box and dish swops on a massive scale
You see an opportunity in Occasional-Use satellite services, such as the sports events, disasters and even the Arab spring. Is it viable to invest for contingencies? This is a tough one and it’s expensive. You would be surprised to learn how many major networks and broadcasters have procured and retained services in South Africa, in anticipation of the health retardation of Nelson Mandela. There’s also a host of innovative new services coming to market, that will allow rapid deployment of OU services, but the cost effectiveness will be driven by scale and adoption so it may be awhile. Also, it’s interesting to see the number of reports back from the field being delivered over a mobile handset – when there is action on
the ground the quality of the feed isn’t necessarily as important as getting the images to the news desk for broadcast. The Arab Spring is a case in point. The report is optimistic for teleport operators who you believe will savour the challenge of catering to future TV. There is a need to invest in a new generation of services including connected TV. What are these new services? Teleport operators’ core business is taking content from content owners and delivering it elsewhere. In a way this role in the value chain isn’t going to change, it’s more a case of there being more options in terms of where the content may need to be delivered. As well as delivering onto a linear distribution platform, be it DTT, DTH or cable head end, that content will need to get to catch-up players, smart phones and tablets so these will be some of the new services that content owners require. The cost will depend where the investment is required depending on the strategy. It could mean a move into CDN type delivery as well as satellite, or it could be expanding existing media management services. PRO
What is future TV? The traditional business of linear television – “appointment TV” as it is sometimes dismissed by the young – is morphing. Viewers are catching up on missed shows through the Internet, typically from the broadcaster’s own Web site. They are hooking up computers to their big-screen TVs and using them to watch video streaming and download
30 | SatellitePro | November 2011
content from services like Netflix, Lovefilm and Apple TV. IPTV providers are increasingly erasing the distinction between TV and Internet, and the new generation of connected TVs (also known as over-the-top or OTT) allows Internet content to co-exist with linear or downloaded programming. The smartphone and the tablet are becoming video
portals, with ever-faster mobile connections replacing the cable or satellite link. The WTA’s new report forecasts how teleport operators and other service providers may gain or lose from the interactive TV revolution. Future TV and the Teleport is available at https://worldteleport.site-ym.com
SatTrends
Ka-band leads the way – part II In the second part of our series, Serge Van Herck, CEO of Newtec, explains how Kaband high throughput satellites will influence the value chain and its specific impact on IP and voice trunking The roll-out of large Ka-band consumer access networks will take years as there will be an inevitable ramp up period necessary to acquire the hundreds of thousands of new consumers. It could take as long as five years for the filling rate of the transponders to reach the point of a positive return on investment for the satellite operators, yet the capacity will be available from day one, and since many operators will be launching Ka satellites at approximately the same time, the excess capacity will have an impact for several years. Many professional satellite services have reached the point where it becomes impossible to stay profitable and competitive against fibre or other terrestrial technologies. Because Kaband capacity will be both much cheaper and much more abundant, it will be seen as a lifesaver opportunity by many satellite services providers. There is therefore a common interest for satellite operators and services’ providers to rapidly develop new services using the new Ka satellite capacity. But this evolution will not be as straight forward as changing the RF part of the transmission chain. The operation of services utilising 32 | SatellitePro | November 2011
Ka-band requires a very specific ground infrastructure and also has an impact on the value chain for operating this infrastructure. How will Ka-band affect the value chain? A Ka-band communication system is an integrated, closed network configuration, very different from the transparent pipe provided
by Ku- or C-band satellites. Most Ka-band satellites use spot beams, which means that each antenna on the satellite transmits to a relatively small geographical area on the ground (typically a few hundred kilometres in radius). This allows transmissions with higher power levels than with wide beams, because the power is concentrated on a smaller area.
866 However, this therefore means that to be able to communicate beyond the scope of the spot beam as is required with many applications including broadband access services, it is necessary for the other end of the satellite link to be situated outside of this beam. For obvious practical reasons, access to several spot beams is concentrated into a single transmission/reception location called a gateway and communication with a station in the spot beam is only possible through the gateway. In other words, satellite communication using a spot beam satellite utilises a star configuration, and communication between two remote stations in two different spot beams needs to transit through the gateway. Because the operation of the gateway includes the careful management of power levels and frequencies among the feeds, spot beams and against fading, it is very likely that most satellite operators will want to operate the gateways themselves. An alternative scenario is for the satellite operator to outsource the operation of its entire gateways to larger independent teleport operators. Hence the impact on the value chain of the satellite business: Ka capacity will no longer be sold by satellite operators as naked capacity, but rather as managed services. For broadband access networks, the operation of the service by the satellite operator can go very deep in the value chain: the market will see some service operators becoming their own satellite operators, while some satellite operators
Serge Van Herck, CEO, Newtec
Total revenue for L-, Ku- and Ka-band equipment in 2020
multipoint trunking networks, provided there is a backbone access at the gateway, and/or if gateways are inter-connected via fibre (if the trunking network spans across multiple gateways). Here also, the trunking network could be implemented by hosting high speed equipment in the gateway or by providing access to a shared platform operated by the satellite or network operator. Unless one of the end-points is at the gateway, Ka-band networks are less suitable for point-to-point trunking links,
“Ka capacity will no longer be sold by satellite operators as naked capacity, but rather as managed services� will venture into the service provider business. Fortunately for independent service operators, the integration does not need to be as pronounced for all applications. The role of teleports will however be very different during the era of spot beam Kaband services. What will the impacts be on IP and voice trunking? Satellite trunking is certainly one of the main challenges in the satellite communications industry. There is a constant battle between the increasing demand for bandwidth, limited capacity availability and high pressure on prices. The availability of Ka capacity could solve all of these problems at once, if the specific nature of its ground segment infrastructure can adapt to the application. The star configuration of the Ka network fits nicely with the requirements of point-to-
since the connection can only be established by a double satellite hop via the gateway, or via two separate gateways connected by fibre. The main challenge in implementing high speed communication links on a Ka system will be to cope with fading while maintaining sufficient availability and throughput for this kind of services. Some of the techniques used to counter fading can result in making the throughput vary over time. Since most IP trunking customers are used to buy fixed-rate capacity, the shift to Ka-band could require some changes in the business model of trunking services, such as the introduction of committed and best effort capacity in the service contracts. PRO In our January 2012 issue, Serge Van Herck will explore the impact of Ka-band on video contribution and distribution. November 2011 | SatellitePro | 33
SatSolutions
“Satellite capacity is an extremely valuable resource” Capacity management is crucial for satellite operators with multi-site operations says, Ahsun Murad, president of Optimal Satcom in an interview with SatellitePro You have just signed an agreement with Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS). What is the nature and scope of the agreement? We are fortunate to have been selected by ABS to be a small but important part of its strategic transformation from a regional satellite operator to one with a broad presence across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. We are providing ABS with a capacity management system based on ECM and Complan. The system will be installed at several sites around the world, and used by ABS to manage its growing fleet of satellites. As part of the project, we are working closely with ABS personnel to transition from their legacy tools, spreadsheets and databases to an integrated ECM database, and to implement automated interfaces for some of their other systems. ECM is designed for multi-site operations and its system of networked and replicated databases will allow ABS personnel to work from anywhere and collaborate together as part of a single team with a unified workflow. Why do you believe capacity management is so critical and who are the ideal clients? Satellite capacity is an extremely 34 | SatellitePro | November 2011
company operates internally, and how it interfaces with its customers – and the increased operational efficiency from such a system has a significant impact on the company’s bottomline.
Ahsun Murad, president, Optimal Satcom
valuable resource. Satellite operators have about 12-15 years to recover the cost of construction, launch, and operation cost of a satellite. For satellite service providers, leasing satellite capacity usually represents their single-largest cost by far. The first benefit of ECM is the efficient utilisation of this valuable satellite resource facilitated by providing functions to enable users to see their entire system usage, to easily identify unused resources, and to find capacity for new services. The second benefit of ECM comes from its increased operational efficiency. The implementation of an enterprise-level system such as ECM is a transformational step in an organisation – it changes how the
What is your assessment of the commercial Satcom market over the next few years? Our close working relationship with satellite operators, many of the largest satellite service providers, and large Satcom users within the U.S. Government gives us a unique perspective on the market. The industry has a number of satellites coming online over the next two to three years, systems such as YahSat, QatarSat, new Arabsat launches, and even non-conventional systems such as O3b and high-throughput Ka-Band satellites. These are in response to demand for capacity from emerging regions – Africa and Asia – as well as an extreme shortage of capacity in the Middle East, driven by the U.S. and NATO military presence. As the U.S. reduces its military footprint in Afghanistan, its use of military capacity is likely to go down. A slowdown in launch bookings as reported by the major satellite launch providers is also an early sign that the satellite industry is preparing for a surplus of
14
capacity and responding by slowing down satellite construction. It is likely that there may be a short-term excess of capacity in a couple of years, but a long-term surplus is unlikely. The experience in post-war Iraq has been that the net demand for satellite capacity continues to rise – fueled by infrastructure reconstruction activities and increases in end-user consumption. A short-term excess of capacity would probably be good
What is Enterprise Capacity Manager? The Enterprise Capacity Manager (ECM) is a software system designed for use by satellite operators, satellite service
for the industry which has been running at unprecedented fill rates for the last few years. Sustained fill rates higher than about 80% are great for the bottomline, but result in reduced operational flexibility; reduced system reliability, as satellite operators lose their ability to provide backup capacity; and a disincentive towards customer support and valueadded services. The extremely high rates that some operators charge for premium
providers and other large users of satellite capacity. It integrates all the different functions that our customers need to perform in the operations of their satellite capacity management business – pre-
Number of Kaband subscribers in 2020
capacity has also had a detrimental effect on service providers as they have to compete heavily for scarce satellite capacity in certain regions. This increases end-user costs and limits the ability to respond to customer needs. A short-term excess of satellite capacity coupled with strong underlying fundamentals that support a longer-term sustained growth in demand may be just what the satellite industry needs to make a course correction at this time. PRO
sales proposal and quotation development, transmission engineering, operations, cost and revenue tracking, invoicing, customer support, and management reporting – into a single system.
November 2011 | SatellitePro | 35
SatEvents
ICT meets Asia’s oil and gas industry at annual event At the ‘GVF’s annual conference, the industry and ICT experts will redefine the digital oilfield for efficient and cost-effective exploration and production activities, writes Martin Jarrold of the Global Vsat Forum (GVF) Economic stagnation and financial uncertainty across U.S. and European markets, the continuing significant political unrest manifest in the Arab Spring, the litany of manmade conflicts and natural disasters across the globe (including serious flooding in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and the Philippines), concerns over hydrocarbon-based energy supplies, consumption, prices, and climate change impact, are justified news headline-grabbers. But, over that longer-term, all is not doom and gloom, at least as far as one of the key industry building blocks of a number of Asia’s economies is concerned. During a recent World Economic Forum (WEF), the President of Indonesia described Asia as the “continent of the future”, and its pan-national growth rate has placed the continent securely at the heart of the global economy. With economic growth there has been a parallel resurgence in the oil and gas industry – most clearly evident in the South-Eastern region where a proliferation of joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions have been indicative of the region’s scaling36 | SatellitePro | November 2011
up on expertise and technology to better meet its future energy needs. In one national example alone, in Malaysia, South East Asia’s regional energy security framework is being consolidated with joint ventures facilitating expertise and technology upgrades that are taking place between foreign and local partners. Similar developments and trends are evident in relation to the oil (and gas) resources of the Philippines, Cambodia, Brunei, Thailand, Laos, and elsewhere in the region, signalling a coming of age of South
East Asia’s oil and gas industry. However, in regard to this regional resurgence in the oil and gas industry, certain key questions must be answered, specifically: • Is the regional O&G industry optimising its production and exploration activities? • How can upstream domestic production be enhanced? • What technologies are needed for enhanced oil recovery? The answers to these key questions are within the realms of multiple disciplines and perspectives, but must include
reference to the fact that mission critical operational success in the upstream E&P environment is dependent on access to the most efficient information and communications technologies (ICTs), and to the wealth of sophisticated applications these technologies bring to the disposal of the teams of geologists, geophysicists, drilling engineers, seismic data analysts, etc., who locate new oil and gas reserves and get them out of the ground and from beneath the ocean floor through the collection of massive amounts of disparate data in multiple formats (including GPS, acoustic, compass and other sensor data) and using the information for predictive analysis. ICT networks’ disproportionate role in cost-reduction Communications solutions represent a small fraction of energy companies’ total CAPEX and OPEX, yet well-managed ICT networks play a disproportionately great role in reducing expenditures not only in exploration, drilling, and production, but in every other area of operations. Such E&P cost-cutting will be essential as oil and gas consumption increases in South East Asia, driving the search for new supplies that will extend the region’s proven hydrocarbon resources.
Martin Jarrold, chief of International Programme Development, GVF
Asia specifically, exploration for new hydrocarbon reserves has moved increasingly to dangerous, difficult (and otherwise very expensive) environments, where the extreme physical conditions of a hostile climate and multiple geographic/topographic obstacles are as equally challenging as the investment imperatives that must be faced in the remote deployment of drilling equipment. Sophisticated ICT solutions not only make E&P activities more efficient and cost-effective, but are
“Communications solutions represent a small fraction of energy companies’ total CAPEX and OPEX, yet well-managed ICT networks play a disproportionately great role in reducing expenditures not only in exploration, drilling, and production, but in every other area of operations” Through the use of ICT, widely spread and remotely located experts can see oil and gas field data as it is collected in real time and can determine the size and potential value of a payload before any actual drilling begins, a capability that can significantly reduce the amount of time and other resources wasted on drilling sites that don’t have a strong yield potential. In the upstream in South East and East
also an ideal fit for streamlining supply chain management and refining processes, leveraging off information gathering from all data points along the supply chain, from production to delivery to the petrol pump. With reliable information sharing and collaboration between points on the supply chain, analysts, operators, and managers can optimise their communications and get product where it needs to be, when it needs to be there. PRO
About the event GVF Annual Oil & Gas Communications South East Asia Conference: Redefining the Digital Oilfield – Onshore, Offshore, Deep & Ultra-Deepwater 2011 Dates: 22-23 November 2011 Venue: Crowne Plaza Mutiara Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Website: www.uk-emp.co.uk/13th.O&GSEA.2011 Contact: Martin Jarrold martin.jarrold@gvf.org, or Paul Stahl paul.stahl@uk-emp.co.uk
November 2011 | SatellitePro | 37
SatEvents
Vote for the 2011 MENA Satellite Player BroadcastPro Middle East’s inaugural Summit and Awards 2011 is our annual flagship event featuring extensive networking opportunities, seminars and awards presentations by key industry and government leaders, it is one of the few annual events where the industry can come together to celebrate its success and promote its future. BroadcastPro Middle East’s Awards are at the heart of the industry calendar, shining a light on the region’s most acclaimed products and the talent that made it all possible. A judging panel comprising industry heavyweights will come together to review the top entries across key categories. Nominate your candidate in the satellite industry Any satellite player that has been involved in a recent deployment in or for the Middle East can be nominated for this award. The only condition is that your installation must be beneficial to the Arab world.
Global Milsatcom 2011 (London)
Milcom 2011
Who should apply: Satellite companies, satellite solutions’ providers or any organisation working towards the above goal can apply. Submission should include complete details/case study of your project/satellite deployment or what you have done to achieve the above stated goal. Period under consideration is post August 2010.
The 13th annual Global MilSatCom conference will host an array of international speakers from the Satcom arena. With 350 industry delegates slated to attend, the event will showcase a wide range of international military speakers. Delegates can network with the key European and NATO players and take this opportunity to learn from these knowledgable experts. Also, Global MilSatCom will provide delegates with speakers from South Africa, USA, UAE, Canada and the South American region, to cover all the key international countries that lead the way in military satellite communications.
Milcom 2011 celebrates the 30th anniversary of the premier international conference for military communications. “Networks … Attaining the Value” gathers the leading minds of government, military, industry and academia in an interactive forum to further explore, define and leverage the benefits, networks bring to today’s and tomorrow’s challenges. Milcom 2011 gives industry the opportunity to promote communications’ technologies to commanders from all branches of the armed forces, department of defense, and the heads of multi-national forces from around the globe.
Event details Date: 23 November 2011 Venue: Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai Website: www.broadcastprome. com/summitandawards2011/
Event details Dates: 29 Nov to 1 Dec 2011 Venue: Millennium Conference Centre, London, UK Website: www.globalmilsatcom.com
Event details Dates: 7 – 10 November 2011 Venue: Baltimore Convention Centre, Baltimore Website: www.milcom.org
38 | SatellitePro | November 2011
400
Increase in Ku-band satellite capacity usage in the next 10 years
Meeting exhibitors at Gulfcomms 2011 In a section of Gitex 2011 that hosted the likes of du, Etisalat, Yahsat, Thuraya and TRA, among others, the stands did not lack the oomph factor. The SatellitePro team had the opportunity to sit down with some of the emerging and leading names in the satellite industry, the telcos and others. Here are extracts from some of our conversations. The full-length interviews will be featured online at www.broadcastprome.com
“There was a surge in satellite capacity usage” “The MENA region is a big growth area for the company. In fact the surge in usage seen earlier this year was driven directly by events that took place across the region. We have an office that is based here as well as a large number of distributors and service providers. We saw a huge demand for news – the news agencies were broadcasting 24/7 and they were using our services. Similarly, we also saw the NGO region focused on serving the region and governments using our services to provide security. The big question was: how do we manage in an unpredictable environment? We
Drew Brandy, director, land mobile business, Inmarsat
have plans in place that will help us respond effectively to such situations and intrinsic to that is having the right individuals in place to take the key decisions,” says Drew Brandy, director, land mobile business, Inmarsat.
The downstream oil and gas industry “We work through distributors in Europe who interface with more than 5,500 petrol stations across the continent. We offer full bandwidth services for electronic payment, stock control of petroleum products and inventory in the shops. Increasingly, these stations are unmanned so the operations are M2M. We connect with over 30 satellites over the region, so we work with a number of satellite operators. Here at Gitex we are looking at the upstream oil and gas market. We have operations on land-based oil rigs in Algeria. We are also looking at
Laurent Devinast (R), sales director and Navin Michael, solutions engineering consultant, GE Satcom
implementing our Scada solutions in this region,” says Laurent Devinast, sales director, GE Satcom.
Bringing broadband to Africa
Shawkat Ahmed, CCO, Yahsat
“The broadband service, YahClick, will be launched as part of the second satellite, Y1B, in the first quarter of next year. We will be offering bundled broadband services to the end user who could be in places such as Tanzania, Kenya or places across the Middle East. The end user needs to buy a small dish that is 70cms in size and they will have access to true broadband services. “We have a robust business model wherein we work with services partners that are local companies with licenses to operate in that region. They will be involved in customerfacing activities including installation, customer service and billing. There will be no initial investment or operating cost from their side. The objective is to ensure that our prices are competitive for the end user who will enjoy reliable service directly into his office or home in a region that at best, gets 85% connectivity even in the major cities,” says Shawkat Ahmed, CCO, Yahsat. November 2011 | SatellitePro | 39
SatGuest
“We kept alternating frequencies” Commenting on the recent interference problems in Libya, Egypt and other parts of the Arab world, Mohamed Al Shahi, senior director, broadcasting, du, commends the performance of his teleport team at Samacom On transmission during the Arab spring We had to face interference during the crises in Libya, Egypt and other parts of the Arab world, but we worked closely with Eutelsat, Nilesat and other satellite operators to combat the problem. We kept shifting frequencies. If one channel was down, we would shift the channel to a new frequency. We had a great working experience with MBC and Al Arabiya. When the interference was on Al Arabiya, we were broadcasting on three different frequencies. Fortunately, there is no interference now and I give full credit to my technical and commercial teams at Samacom that worked on it 24/7. Overall no services were interrupted. We could do that because we have capacity in reserve and we plan ahead. It was hectic – we had no idea where the next interference would come from – but it was important to us and our broadcasting partners, that no channel was down for more than a day. We hope to put together a disaster management plan. There is talk among satellite operators to dedicate a transponder in case there is a disaster. Nothing has been decided as yet. On why customers would approach du Broadcast Services 40 | SatellitePro | November 2011
Mohamed Al Shahi, senior director, broadcasting, du
I would say the answer is in three parts. Firstly it is quality of services. With a dedicated technical team in our NOC, and specific account managers on call, we ensure a high quality of service. Secondly, we have variety of platforms to operate from ranging from Arabsat, Nilesat, Intelsat, Eutelsat and now we hope to work with Yahsat. And thirdly, we offer competitive prices. This is important considering the competition we face from similar companies in Jordan, Bahrain, Egypt and so on. On Samacom’s recent achievements We uplink more than 220 TV channels out of our teleport. Samacom is considered among the top teleports in the Middle East and ranked among the top 15 worldwide. We were ranked 11 by the World Teleport Association in
2010 in terms of revenue generated, customer base and capacity usage, among other criteria. We have almost 85 per cent of the marketshare in the UAE. That includes customers in Dubai Media City, Abu Dhabi’s 2Four54 and so on. We also offer VSAT services for companies such as Bloomberg by way of redundancy service for their fibre links to the UK. With 30 different antennae at our Jebel Ali-based teleport, we have state-of-the-art facilities. On the relationship with satellite operators and future plans They are our partners. We work closely with satellite operators to provide uplink facilities to our broadcasting partners. From a capacity perspective, there was a shortage till a year ago. But now we have Yahsat with its 28 transponders dedicated to broadcast. In addition, Eutelsat has just activated services on the Atlantic Bird 7 boosting Nilesat’s coverage. There are other satellites in the pipeline. Earlier, more than 90% of our customers were based in the UAE, but over the past two years we have successfully diversified our customer base. Now almost 50% of my customers are based outside the UAE. And with satellite TV growing, we are working closely with Yahsat, which has great plans for the future. PRO
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