ISSUE 32 | SEPTEMBER 2014
SatEditorial Group Chairman and Founder Dominic De Sousa
Reliable connections In this mega issue, we look at some of the biggest satellite operators, both in the region and abroad, that have surpassed the limits of pure broadcasting and communications, to offer a plethora of value-added services to its customers. These industry heavyweights have prudently added new satellites to their fleet, increasing bandwidth and capacity through multiband transponders and critical positioning at global hotspots. It is because of these Epic operators, that the thriving Broadcast TV and communications industry has been able to tap into unchartered territories that could not have previously been explored, due to the prohibitive cost and arduous challenges posed by terrestrial linkage. Continuing on with the theme of satellite connectivity, we delve into the world of Communications on the move (COTM). Though not an entirely new concept, the technology that drives COTM has changed considerably. For instance, gargantuan antennas have been replaced by sleek, thin, plate-shaped modules that provide considerably better coverage, with aesthetically pleasant designs. Data intensive devices need massive amounts of bandwidth, and users expect the very best connectivity at any given time. COTM can be used very effectively in any vehicle, ranging from cars and trucks on the road, to trains, yachts and even aircraft. The applications of the technology are now becoming prevalent in almost any luxury or commercial vessel. The antennas which are fixed on the vehicle lock on to satellites and continue to maintain position throughout the field of motion. So the next time you’re on a flight, and speak with a loved one from 35,000 feet above, you know it’s all thanks to COTM. Speaking about flights, I’ll be on one next week, to IBC. I’m really looking forward to meeting you all there.
Group COO Gina O’Hara
Publishing Director Raz Islam raz.islam@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9129 Editorial Director Vijaya Cherian vijaya.cherian@cpimediagroup.com +971 55 105 3787 Editor Clayton Aldo Vallabhan clayton.aldo@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5479 ADVERTISING Group Sales Manager Sandip Virk sandip.virk@cpimediagroup.com +44 7734 442526 Senior Sales Manager Rodi Hennawi rodi.hennawi@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9106 DESIGN Art Director Simon Cobon Designer Lucy McMurray PHOTOGRAPHY Jay Colina PRODUCTION Production Manager James P. Tharian james.tharian@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9146
Clayton Vallabhan Editor clayton.aldo@cpimediagroup.com
In this edition: “We don’t operate here just to fill some transponders or scattered beams, but to create a sustainable business” Khalid Balkheyour, President and CEO, Arabsat Page 12
“Cloud-based applications will also increase in popularity, allowing users to access data from any location” Gez Draycott, Senior Manager, Sales Engineering at SES Page 30
“The connected consumers have spoken. To innovate, the satellite industry needs to look at fresher ways of appealing to this new user ” Asher Faredi, Product Manager for Land IP, Thuraya Page 55
“Sport, which was once only broadcast via satellite from most stadiums, now heads for the broadcast centre in IP format over fibre” Hadi Nazari Mehrabi, CEO of North Telecom Page 56
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Group CEO Nadeem Hood
CIRCULATION Database Manager Rajeesh M rajeesh.nair@cpimediagroup.com +9714 440 9147 DIGITAL SERVICES Digital Services Manager Tristan Troy Maagma Published by
Registered at IMPZ PO Box 13700 Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 440 9100 Fax: +971 4 447 2409 www.cpimediagroup.com Printed by Printwell Printing Press LLC
© Copyright 2014 CPI. All rights reserved. While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.
SatContents Issue 32 | September 2014
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SatNews
SatTechnology
4
36
Satellite Spree
CID: The Facts
SatLead
SatEvents
10
40
Epic Operators
IBC2014 Takes Off
New satellite launch contracts have been signed, Gulfsat partners with ASBU, Arabsat grants SCC contract to GMV and more
A list of regional and international satellite operators who have carved their niche in the broadcast and communications sphere, as well as through value-added services
SatComms
Carrier ID is an extremely effective tool for mitigating satellite interference, by pinpointing the source quickly
With more than 50,000 visitors and 1,500 exhibitors from 170 countries expected to attend, this year’s show promises to be the best ever
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SatConnectivity
25
54
COTM Demystified
The Connected User
SatTeleports
SatGuest
Experts in the field discuss advances in COTM technology and its various applications in different verticals, such as maritime, aerospace and government sectors
32
Talking Teleports
Waleed Al Heijailan, Chairman and CEO of HorizonSat Group, speaks about how the recently launched Horizon Teleports will enhance the company’s service offering
As consumers purchase more ‘smart’ devices like smartphones and tablets, there is a greater expectation for connectivity anywhere on the planet
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IBC 2014
56 Switching to Satellite
With the proliferation of smart devices, there is a growing need for higher bandwidth offerings. Where terrestrial fibre-optics are limited, satellite steps in
September 2014 | SatellitePro | 3
SatNews
Former ISS commander visits EIAST headquarters in Dubai Canadian astronaut and former commander of the International Space Station, Chris Hadfield, visited the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST), and met with a group of executives headed by Yousuf Al Shaibani, Director General of EIAST. During the visit, the parties discussed several aspects of space science and Hadfield explored the successful achievements of EIAST in manufacturing satellites. He was also briefed on the progress made by the institution through technical innovation, scientific research and EIAST strategy, aiming at empowering Emiratis in outer space scientific techniques and applications by transferring knowledge and exploiting technical skills, in order for the UAE to be on a par with the world’s leading countries in the space industry. Commenting on the visit, H.E. Yousuf Al Shaibani, Director General of EIAST,
said: “EIAST always seeks to encourage scientific and technical excellence in the UAE, modernising the infrastructure and empowering highly-skilled Emiratis to manufacture high quality satellites and develop space programmes.” “The Emirates has the potential and human capacity to excel in the satellites
Yousuf Al Shaibani, Director General of EIAST and Chris Hadfield, former Commander of the ISS.
www.eiast.ae
Measat 3B launch rescheduled MEASAT has confirmed that the MEASAT3b satellite has now been scheduled for launch on 12 September, from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. “Measat is pleased to be able to confirm the revised MEASAT-3b launch date,” said Paul Brown-Kenyon, Chief Executive Officer, Measat Satellite Systems Sdn. Bhd. “Once operational, MEASAT-3b will be a key contributor to the Asian pay TV landscape, supporting Direct-To-Home television platforms serving more than 18 million households.” Measat-3b’s 48 Ku-band transponders will expand Direct-To-Home and VSAT services across Malaysia, India, Indonesia and Australia. MEASAT-3b will be colocated with its sister satellites, Measat-3 and Measat-3a at 91.5°E, reinforcing the region’s most popular orbital location. Measat provides satellite services to over 150 countries across the world. www.measat.com
4 | SatellitePro | September 2014
and space science sector. The successful achievements made in the last few years prove it. Accordingly, we are continuing to build on strong foundations to guarantee the sustainability of the sector in line with our ambitious objectives and in order to achieve the overall development in the country,” he added.
Gulfsat partners with ASBU Gulfsat has announced an official partnership with the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU). The partnership will allow Gulfsat to participate in ASBU’s main activities. “This gives Gulfsat the opportunity to participate in ASBU’s annual meetings, as well as conferences, seminars, festivals and other activities,” said Gulfsat’s Chairman and COO, Mohammad Al-Haj. www.gulfsat.com www.asbu.net
Mohammad Al-Haj, Chairman and COO, Gulfsat.
Intelsat launches VSAT services for TeleYemen Intelsat has announced that TeleYemen is expanding its current agreement with Intelsat to provide additional support for its VSAT network within Yemen. Under the new, multi-year agreement, TeleYemen will expand its Ku-band capacity on Intelsat 15 at 85-degrees East to deliver VSAT services to corporate, banking and oil & gas companies. “Intelsat’s satellite services will enable TeleYemen to establish a strong VSAT network that will deliver the bandwidth necessary for our customers to further develop and grow their businesses,” said Ali Nagi Nosary, CEO of TeleYemen. “Intelsat’s reliable and robust capacity will enable us to more quickly and efficiently expand our capabilities and provide critical connectivity to some of the fastestgrowing business sectors in Yemen.” www.intelsat.com www.teleyemen.com.ye
Eutelsat 172B launch contract signed
ABS opens new office in Johannesburg, South Africa
Eutelsat has sealed procurement and launch contracts with Airbus Defence and Space, and Arianespace for the Eutelsat 172B satellite. As an early follow-on programme to Eutelsat 172A, the new triple mission satellite will provide continuity and expansion capacity at Eutelsat’s 172° East orbital position that is a prime gateway for services in the Asia Pacific region. The 3.5 tonne satellite to be manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space will be launched by an Ariane 5 rocket in the first half of 2017 and will use electric propulsion for initial in-orbit raising and all station-keeping manoeuvres. The reduction in mass will enable this powerful (13 kW) satellite to be launched with the Ariane 5 lower position, offering lower launch costs. In-orbit raising is expected to take approximately four months. Eutelsat 172B will host regular C-band and Ku-band payloads. It will also host the Pacific Ocean Region’s first Ku-band High Throughput payload, which Panasonic
ABS has expanded its global presence in Johannesburg, South Africa and formed a new sales liaison office to support its growing business in the African continent. This new office will house the sales and technical members of the Africa team, which will work alongside the regional Middle East office based in Dubai. ABS Africa will be responsible for business development, local sales liaison services and customer support throughout this region. “Expanding our presence in Africa enables us to develop closer relationships with our customers and engineering teams, ensuring we deliver faster local service and support in helping customers to optimise their growth and successes,” said Tom Choi, CEO of ABS. “With the launch of ABS3A satellite at the end of this year/early 2015, we will provide additional capacity to serve this dynamic growing market.”
Michel de Rosen, Chairman and CEO, Eutelsat.
Avionics Corporation has already selected as its key growth platform for in-flight broadband and live TV for commercial airlines on trans-Pacific and Asian routes. Michel de Rosen, Eutelsat’s Chairman and CEO, said: “Through a combination of three distinct payloads, electric propulsion and dynamic power distribution, EUTELSAT 172B reflects our commitment to innovations that benefit our customers and raises the game for the satellite business.” www.eutelsat.com
www.absatellite.net
MSTelecom and Intelsat expand broadband agreement
Grant Marais, Regional Vice President, Africa Sales, Intelsat.
Intelsat has entered into a new, multi-year agreement with MSTelcom, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Angolan national Oil & Gas company, Sonangol E.P. MSTelcom will leverage Intelsat’s satellite and network expertise to offer high quality, reliable and cost-efficient broadband service to consumers and corporations operating in the oil & gas and banking sectors within Angola. Under the agreement, Intelsat will deliver a fully managed broadband service that provides internet access into and out of Angola. The network will leverage C- band capacity on Intelsat 14 at 315-degrees East and on Intelsat 22 at 72-degrees East, as well as the company’s IntelsatOne terrestrial network. MSTelcom initially will provide point-topoint internet broadband service, and the design of the Intelsat network will enable the transition to a point-to-multipoint service that allows MSTelcom to share bandwidth among multiple sites to best serve customer needs. It will also facilitate the termination of IP traffic and connectivity between remote sites and corporate headquarters.
“We renewed our agreement with Intelsat as we believe that they are the best satellite operator to support our goal of satisfying the growing broadband demands of the Angolan business sector and the country as a whole,” said Oldemiro Diogo Cundo Napoleao, Head of Marketing for MSTelcom. “By working closely with our customers and having a strong understanding of connectivity needs in the regions they serve, we are able to provide satellite and terrestrial services that best meet their end-users’ demands,” said Grant Marais, Intelsat’s Regional Vice President, Africa Sales. “We look forward to providing MSTelecom with a broadband network that incorporates our satellite and terrestrial solutions, as well as operational support that will help MSTelcom deliver and expand both its geographic reach and the services provided to corporate enterprises and communities within Angola.” www.intelsat.com www.mstelcom.co.ao
September 2014 | SatellitePro | 5
SatNews
Arabsat awards Satellite Control Centre contract to GMV GMV has been awarded a contract by Arabsat to provide a complete Satellite Control Centre (SCC) for its existing and upcoming fleet of satellites. Arabsat has been using a heterogeneous SCC solution for the past ten years to operate its satellite fleet but has recently decided to establish a more direct and long partnership with a specialised SCC vendor and move to a homogenous, flexible and robust system that enables seamless operations of various satellite platforms with an increased level of operational reliability. The agreement calls for procurement of a turnkey solution comprising of RTS (Real Time System based on the GMV hifly product) and FDS (Flight Dynamics System based on the GMV focusgeo product), along with all auxiliary and support applications that incorporate Arabsat’s existing fleet of six satellites with the option to include two more satellites before the end of 2014. The agreement also includes provisions for addition of more satellites from different
known platforms in the long term. “This partnership with GMV further highlights Arabsat’s drive to remain a global leader in telecom satellite operations. The GMV solution will increase reliability of our monitoring and control operations through system homogeneity and automation. It will also enable us to better optimize our operations and engineering resources in order to deliver the best service to our customers,” said Khalid Balkheyour, President and CEO of Arabsat. Jorge Potti, GMV’s General Manager of Aerospace, said: “This new contract award will help forge an even closer partnership between GMV and Arabsat, a relationship that now dates right back to ten years ago; and will consolidate our leadership worldwide as ground systems supplier for commercial telecommunications operators.”
SpaceX successfully launches Asiasat 8
Thuraya appoints General Counsel - legal
Divona selects Eutelsat for network consolidation
SpaceX successfully launched AsiaSat 8, a commercial telecommunications satellite, into orbit on August 5. A Falcon 9 rocket was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, and space enthusiasts were able to watch the launch live through an internet webcast. The Falcon 9 rocket carried AsiaSat 8 to a highly elliptical geosynchronous transfer orbit about 35,900 km above Asia, where it will provide telecommunication services for its lifetime of 15 years. AsiaSat 8 was constructed by Space Systems/Loral, and carries 24 transponders operating in Ku-band with a bandwidth of 54 MHz, along with a single Ka-band transponder. It is based on the LS-1300 bus. AsiaSat-8 is the ninth satellite to be operated by China’s Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company.
Thuraya has appointed Mark Courtney as General Counsel - Legal. Mark leads the legal affairs department where he is responsible for providing counsel on corporate strategy, key contract negotiation, regulatory affairs, policies and procedures as well as legal strategy and compliance. He reports to Samer Halawi, Chief Executive Officer of Thuraya, and will serve as a member of the company’s Leadership Team. Prior to Thuraya, Mark was the Chief Legal Officer for Virgin Mobile MEA based in Dubai.
Divona, the Algerian VSAT operator providing telecom services in Algeria and the Middle East, announced that it has selected Eutelsat Communications to consolidate its network connectivity offer to mobile telecom operators and enterprises. Divona has signed a multi-year contract with Eutelsat for a 72 MHz transponder on the Eutelsat 21B satellite that delivers optimum coverage of the regions where it concentrates its operations, notably Algeria and southern Europe. Karim Cherfaoui, CEO of Divona, said: “This first contract signed with Eutelsat underpins Divona’s strategy to provide network continuity for national and international players operating in fields where we have recognised expertise including mobile telecoms, oil exploration and production as well as industrial integration.”
www.spacex.com www.asiasat.com.hk
6 | SatellitePro | September 2014
www.arabsat.com www.gmv.com
www.thuraya.com
Mark Courtney, General Counsel - Legal, Thuraya.
Khalid Balkheyour, Chairman and CEO of Arabsat.
www.divona.com www.eutelsat.com
Global connectivity, Local delivery
Attend our Seminar at IBC Find out how we can help you: - Go global for new opportunities - Stay ahead of the game and be part of the 4k revolution - Innovate with multi-screen solutions via satellite - Access the DTH market in Latin and North America Come and register on our stand.
Meet us at IBC 12 – 16 Sept Hall 1 – 1D59 www.eutelsat.com
SatNews
EIAST on schedule for construction of manufacturing facility EIAST has announced that works entailing the construction of its primary facility for the manufacture of satellites were on schedule and expected to be completed in the next few months. The facility comprises a clean room for the manufacture of satellites, an electrical laboratory and a mechanical lab. With a total area of 210.25sqm, this primary facility is the first phase of a bigger development dedicated to manufacturing satellites at the institution. The whole project is expected to be fully completed within two years. Once completed and equipped, the last phase of Khalifasat, which will require 18
EIAST’s clean room for the manufacture of satellites.
Aerospace Summit to reinforce UAE industrialisation International delegates representing various sectors of the aerospace industry will gather in Dubai during the Aerospace Supply Chain Summit in December 2014 to discuss global supply chain aspects. This two-day event is hosted by Dubai World Central (DWC) in association with Arabian Reach FZ LLC. This summit will bring together the stake holders representing global OEMs and suppliers to explore opportunities in DWC, and will reinforce UAE’s vision for industrialisation. The participants will discuss how to build and maintain successful partnerships to overcome
the challenges and risks associated with entering new markets from a supplier’s perspective. Leaders responsible for driving industrialisation in non-traditional aerospace economies will have the chance to highlight the impact of international joint ventures in the emerging aviation markets. The Aerospace Supply Chain Summit is aimed at welcoming aviation supply chain companies to operate from Dubai and to service Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Far East and the Indian subcontinent. www.aerospacesummit.com
months, will be completed at the primary facility, by Emirati engineers. The facility is designed according to the highest satellite manufacturing global standards and specifications. It is equipped with cooling and ventilation systems and is isolated from external factors such as dust and humidity. “The construction work of facilities dedicated to manufacture satellites at EIAST are on schedule. Therefore, we will move as soon as possible from South Korea to Dubai to complete the development of Khalifasat,” said Yousuf Hamad Al Shaibani, Director General of EIAST. www.eiast.com
Inmarsat to host IRG workshop at London HQ The Satellite Interference Reduction Group (IRG) has announced that its next workshop will be hosted by Inmarsat at its London Headquarters from 21-22 October. The workshop will focus on the next steps in interference mitigation, such as using commercial interference initiatives applied to the military environment; VSAT Interference from TDMA/Burst Mode Systems, geo-location and the spinoff technology ideas derived from the detection developments of Carrier ID. “We are pleased to be holding our next workshop at Inmarsat’s HQ,” commented Martin Coleman, Executive Director, the Satellite Interference Reduction Group. “Inmarsat has been, and continues to be, a valuable supporter and contributor to all interference initiatives.” “Interference is an issue that affects the entire industry,” commented Mark Steel, Director, User Terminal Development, GX, Inmarsat. “We are pleased to be hosting this important workshop, which we are certain will once again be filled with positive and interesting discussions, helping us, as an industry, to progress those initiatives further.” www.inmarsat.com
The Aerospace Supply Chain Summit will take place at Dubai World Central, in December.
8 | SatellitePro | September 2014
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SatLead
10 | SatellitePro | September 2014
A run-down of satellite operators that are at the very top of the game. This list includes regional as well as international operators, who have carved their niche in the broadcast and communications sphere, as well as through value-added services September 2014 | SatellitePro | 11
SatLead
Arabsat Arabsat believes the MENA region is the most competitive and fragmented in the industry with more than 15 satellite operators in the landscape. Arabsat still maintains a robust market share of 26% in the market in terms of revenues (up from 19% in 2009). The players in the MENA regionare a mix of major regional players and global satellite operators, in addition to new entries by some local and national operators. Khalid Balkheyour, the president and CEO of Arabsat, thinks the industry knowledge base is shared among all operators in the world through partnerships, knowledge transfer and alliances. He believes the MENA market can’t get more competitive than it currently is. Speaking about competition, Balkheyour says: “Operators are striving to enhance their delivery and products to reach a wider base of customers and achieve their loyalty for sustainable business. If this weren’t the case, substitution is always there. “On a strategic level, we believe that we operate under a different business model than others; we operate under partnerships rather than customer supplier relations. The proof of this is that we have grown and harvested big projects with partners that started small with us on partnership deals. This created a trust between us and our partners to continue and expand the business. We see ourselves as the long standing operator in the region and we don’t operate here just to fill some transponders or scattered beams but to create a sustainable business,” explains Balkheyour. Arabsat says that its unique selling point is that on an operational level, it offers its customers a superior quality product accompanied by dedicated after sales service with a dynamic mentality toward win-win commercial terms. “We don’t also compete with our customers. Those key points have put Arabsat as the best satellite operator in the world in 2012 as per the WTO report. We always look to create reasonable value, but 12 | SatellitePro | September 2014
Khalid Balkheyour, President and CEO, Arabsat.
“On a strategic level, we believe that we operate under a different business model than others; we operate under partnerships rather than customersupplier relations” Khalid Balkheyour, President and CEO, Arabsat
sustainable in the long run. Our customers understand that and it creates a perfect incumbent to generate partnerships. Most of the other satellite operators try to maximise value on the short run,” says Balkheyour. Arabsat has devised many partnerships and alliances to provide value-added services (VAS) to its customers in both telecom and broadcasting sectors
throughout its teleports in the MENA and Europe. More VAS will be announced this year. The operator still sees strong growth in the MENA, Sub-Saharan Africa and West Asia. It is also looking to expand its market share in Europe. Arabsat has put out a request for proposal (RFP) in the market for four new satellites, all dedicated for expansion and growth in these areas. One has already been signed to be manufactured by THALES and launched by Space-X. The others will be signed before the end of the year. Both telecom and broadcasting sectors are expected to witness robust growth over the next five years. Arabsat has designed its new satellites to offer new solutions in different bands for coverage and crossstrapping between different geographical areas, which will assist in moving services around. Even with the company’s expansion on the horizon, Arabsat expects robust single digit growth in 2014. Arabsat Badr-7 will be launched toward Q3 2015, and will provide the operator with additional capacity for expansion until the completion of the sixth generation programme, where the four new satellites are planned to be launched in the 2017/2018 time frame. “We continue to see excellent work on new compression techniques and development of existing standards that will lead the way for more optimisation on both sides of the equation for operators and customers. However, on the other side, we continue to see equipment manufacturers riding the wave of Ka-band to derive satellite operators to consumer broadband with the sole intent to sell more terminals. “This will flunk a lot of the paper satellite projects announced in the market recently. We continue to believe in satellite as a robust and main solution for business networks in our region,” explains Balkheyour. Speaking about IBC, Balkheyour adds: “IBC will continue to be an excellent venue to connect with our partners and look into generating new business. There are some new and important announcements that will be made during IBC by Arabsat.”
We Deliver the Best Experience in the Industry Intelsat connects your content to the largest number of viewers. Intelsat’s exclusive Video Neighborhoods place your content on the most in-demand satellites among top media and telecom providers. And, our next generation satellite platform will combine high-throughput spot beams for content regionalization and targeting, with our wide beam neighborhoods for mass audience coverage – that’s Intelsat EpicNG. Intelligent design developed specifically for your growth and your bottom line – you must agree, is an epic experience.
Meet with Intelsat during IBC 2014 at Hall 1, Stand 1.C71.
www.intelsat.com/media
Envision. Connect. Transform.
SatLead
Nilesat
Yahsat
The Egyptian Satellite Company, Nilesat, is a joint-stock company that was established in 1996 to operate Egyptian satellites, associated ground control stations and uplinking facilities. It launched two satellites to the 7-degrees West orbital location (NILESAT 101 and NILESAT 102), and consequently launched its second generation satellite, NILESAT 201. Nilesat broadcasts around 700 TV channels, and over 100 digital radio channels uplinked either from Cairo, Dubai, Amman, Doha, Riyadh and Beirut. The coverage spans North Africa, the Middle East and the entire Gulf region. Nearly 76% of the TV channels broadcast through Nilesat are free-to-air, with the remaining channels being encrypted. The operator’s broadcasts in the MENA reach more than 43 million households. The first 3D TV channel in the region was broadcast on Nilesat satellites during the World Cup 2010. Tharwat Meky, CEO of Nilesat declared a year-on-year, revenue increase of 7.3% in Q3 2013. Tharwat added that in spite of the current economic and social situation in the country, Nilesat managed to keep its customers and also exploited available capacity to fulfil the increasing demand for Nilesat’s services. Nilesat also provides backhaul for broadcasters through its uplink facilities. The operator uses different compression techniques such as MPEG2 and the more bandwidth efficient MPEG4, depending on the broadcaster’s preferences. There are currently more than 30 channels from Iraq, using Nilesat’s backhaul service, in addition to channels from Oman and Kuwait. Nilesat controls two ground control stations that are equipped with technology to secure routine operations executed on Nilesat satellites. The primary station is located in 6th October city near Cairo, and the secondary station is located in Al-Hammam near Alexandria. Each control station includes facilities to control Nilesat 101, 102 and 201. Furthermore, both stations are equipped to provide services during Launch and Early Operation Phase (LEOP) and orbit determination for other satellites.
Yahsat has been seeing very healthy utilisation of its satellites’ capacity for commercial and government customers, in the UAE and across the Middle East and Africa. The operator says there is healthy competition in the market amongst satellite service providers, thus ensuring it focuses on its key differentiators, ensuring that every partner sees real value in working with the Yahsat team. Strong competition is always a good motivator. With the launch of its second satellite, Y1B, in 2012, Yahsat has quickly become the world’s eighth largest satellite operator in terms of revenue, and its sights are now set even higher with the imminent launch of Al Yah 3. Shawkat Ahmed, Advisor to the CEO, Yahsat, says: “We have the capacity and personnel to take the company forward as a pioneer in the satellite industry, with our footprint in every continent. “We have first-hand understanding of specific market requirements, which has enabled us to develop customised satellite solutions for the government as well as the commercial sector in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Central and Southwest Asia,” says Ahmed. Yahsat actively seeks to partner with leading local industry service providers that understand the unique needs of their markets. Unlike conventional satellite companies, Yahsat does not just lease transponder space, but provides managed satellite solutions in partnership with customers. The satellite operator has a wide
14 | SatellitePro | September 2014
“We commit to delivering quality satellite services to our broadcasters and providing a selective choice of premium television channels” Shawkat Ahmed, Advisor to the CEO, Yahsat
portfolio of voice, data, video and internet connectivity solutions designed to meet specific market requirements for now as well as in the future. “On the technology front, the Ka-band multi spot-beam technology delivers strong signals through small beams to achieve continuous, uninterrupted connectivity using small satellite dishes. Our technology actively allocates power to ensure satellite links are maintained even in adverse weather conditions, delivering reliable, instantly available broadband services that are totally independent from terrestrial infrastructure. “As a satellite operator, with YahLive, we are extremely passionate about what we do. We commit to delivering quality satellite services to our broadcasters and providing a selective choice of premium television channels to our diverse and culturally rich viewers,” explains Ahmed. Yahsat affirms that it provides an entire range of satellite solutions and delivers high quality and capacity solutions securely, quickly and reliably, with the scale, technology and business agility to react quickly to changing market requirements while remaining cost-effective. “Yahsat is one of the world’s largest satellite operators in terms of revenue, offering scale, reach and capacity to meet any challenge with a tailor made solution. The proof is in our growing footprint of more than 140 countries across the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Southwest Asia. It is these optimally designed coverage areas that help us to maximise business potential,” says Ahmed. Yahsat’s value-added services include YahClick, which provides broadband satellite internet to unserved and underserved communities. It is set to open new business opportunities and provide connectivity to a wide range of individuals, industries, NGOs, government and education organisations by providing reliable, high-performance bandwidth internet services to urban, rural and remote communities. YahService focuses on providing endto-end satellite communication solutions to customers by pooling together all of Yahsat’s product capabilities, monitoring and acquiring the latest satellite technologies, and working with the right partners to
Shawkat Ahmed, Advisor to the CEO, Yahsat.
deliver a complete solution, throughout Yahsat’s coverage area and beyond. The YahLink service is well equipped to offer cost-effective communication links for applications such as corporate data networks, internet trunking and GSM backhauling. YahLink leverages high power C-band coverage over the Middle East, Africa and Europe with a single beam. Speaking about the broadcast arm of Yahsat, Ahmed says: “YahLive is a joint venture combining both the energy and values of Yahsat and SES; the former having established itself as a forward-looking regional satellite company fully owned by Mubadala of Abu Dhabi, and the latter globally recognised as a leading satellite operator headquartered in Luxembourg. This partnership provides the edge needed to create a new television hotspot over the Middle East, North Africa and Southwest Asia region. It offers free-to-air TV services from the Yahsat-1A satellite located at 52.5°E.” The launch of the company’s third satellite in under a decade of operation is a clear signal of the UAE aerospace industry’s intentions for the future and Yahsat’s growth strategy. Al Yah 3 provides the operator geographic expansion; however, Yahsat is also looking for product expansion opportunities using its Ka-band capacity. “For example, our capacity can not only serve the broadband and connectivity needs in multiple segments but could also be leveraged for TV, other applications and content-related services. We believe the third satellite will help us expand our footprint in parts of Africa and also into Brazil for the first time, giving us even more presence on a global scale. “Specifically for YahLive, across regions, our aim is to build key differentiators by creating specific hotspots with the type of coverage we offer. For example, we aim to cater specifically to what viewers in each region want to see from a content perspective and therefore, will provide the most wanted entertainment news channels relevant to each culture,” explains Ahmed. With the launch of Al Yah 3 targeted for 2016, in the next two years, their focus will be set on building a great satellite and taking it to market in the best possible manner and with the right partnerships. September 2014 | SatellitePro | 15
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SES Hussein Oteifa, General Manager, Middle East, SES.
According to SES, the satellite industry in the Middle East is getting increasingly competitive; it used to be a handful of regional and global operators such as Arabsat, Intelsat and SES operating in the region. Over the last couple of years, the region has seen the likes of Avanti, Es’hailsat and ABS entering the region to benefit from the growth opportunities offered. However, Hussein Oteifa, GM, Middle East, SES, says: “The demand for capacity remains robust, especially in verticals such as mobile backhaul services, broadband applications and maritime networks. We continue to see demand for satellite TV broadcasting, VSAT applications, maritime and GSM backhaul. While this increased competitiveness has seen a change in the offering in the industry, some customers are requesting for cost per megabits instead of megahertz as a turnkey solution – we firmly believe there is a place for everyone. “Satellite operators such as SES have the global expertise and have been increasing
“The demand for capacity remains robust, especially in verticals such as mobile backhaul services, broadband applications and maritime networks” Hussein Oteifa, GM, Middle East, SES
our presence in the region steadily over the last 10 years. From supplying pure bandwidth to our customers, we have grown alongside our customers by providing value-added services and technical training to help fuel their ambitions and tap into their thirst for knowledge. Furthermore, our customers in the Middle East region are expanding their business overseas, and SES with its global fleet of 54 satellites and spectrum expertise is
well-positioned to serve their business needs anywhere in the world,” says Oteifa. SES believes that being a niche industry, it is common for satellite operators to work together, and knowledge-sharing and transfer of technical know-how is part and parcel of this collaboration. The satellite operator says that it shares the viewpoint that by working together with local players, the whole industry benefits greatly. “Let me illustrate this with an example. SES, together with some satellite operators, has led in the development of tools and techniques to reduce the impact of Satellite RF Interference (RFI) on satellite services. Our leadership in this matter has been illustrated when we adopted a tool named CID and welcome all other satellite operators to do the same to speed up the resolution of RFI and improve the quality of service to our customers,” explains Oteifa. Oteifa is a firm believer that strong competition brings out the best in companies and industries. He says when there is September 2014 | SatellitePro | 17
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competition, companies are forced to be creative and to think out-of-the-box. To illustrate this, he poses the example of how rapidly smartphones have evolved in the last five years ever since Apple came up with the first iPhone. SES was the first commercial satellite operator to launch, with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket last December. The first successful commercial geostationary satellite launch opened the door to a new chapter in the satellite industry as it represents a shorter and more cost-efficient path to space. This has led to a shake-up of the industry as seen from the recent Airbus Group and Safran joint venture announcement to produce new space launchers. Oteifa believes that with strong competition comes creativity, more options and flexibility which ultimately benefits end users. “SES’ reliable space segment and in-orbit availability of 6.53 sigma are often an edge in delivering seamless connectivity to our customers. In addition, as one of the world’s leading satellite operators, we have the financial muscle but maintain an entrepreneurial spirit in being responsive and flexible to our customers’ demands. We have the resources to relocate our satellites to cater to the needs of certain customers,” explains Oteifa. SES has also recently ordered a satellite, SES-12, the largest satellite ever by SES. To be launched in 2017, this satellite has classical shaped Ku-band beams but also a high throughput payload in Ku. Not only do the two payloads complement each other and support growth in different market segments, SES’ customers will be able to decide whether the classical beam or specific spot beam better serves their needs, depending on the application. SES has also invested in O3b Networks’ medium earth orbit satellite constellation, whose Ka-band capacity is fully flexible and delivers a combination of low latency and high throughput that can be targeted to meet internet trunking demands, support cellular backhaul networks and serve certain segments such as maritime, oil & gas and mining. SES serves different customers in a wide range of sectors and industries that have differing needs. 18 | SatellitePro | September 2014
Eutelsat Eutelsat is one of the original satellite operators in the region, and knows that the Middle East and Africa is a very competitive marketplace. From a user perspective, this increases choice and the opportunity to seek the best value proposition. The region is an expanding market, particularly for video but also, for certain profiles of data and broadband service. Michel de Rosen, Chairman and CEO of Eutelsat, says: “The Middle East and African region represents 13% of the global satellite capacity market (excluding High Throughput Satellites), showing a growth rate in 2012 of 2.8% compared to a global sector growth rate of 1.9%.” Economic development across the Middle East and North Africa, the continuing expansion of the broadcast market and demand for broadband will drive new demand for satellites. According to Digital TV Research, satellite TV revenues will grow by 30% to $3.74 billion in 2020, up by $1 billion from 2013 and nearly double the 2010 total. On the HD front, Euroconsult forecasts that the number of HD channels should more than double by 2017 to 450 and reach 750 in 2022, at which point 22% of channels will be in HD, from almost 10% today. The total number of satellite channels is
Michel de Rosen, Chairman and CEO, Eutelsat.
expected to grow from 2456 in 2012 to more than 3000 by 2017 and 3550 by 2022. “Obviously, channels are all looking to maximise their audience and this is where the ‘neighbourhood effect’ becomes decisive, irrespective of how many satellites are technically serving a region. In the case of Eutelsat and Nilesat, with whom we partner at the 7/8 degrees West neighbourhood, we can deliver television channels into 51.5 million homes, up from 26.9 million in 2010 and representing 94% penetration of satellite homes in the region. This position explains the 50% increase in channels selecting 7/8° West over the last three years,” explains de Rosen. The data market is by nature less sticky although VSAT networks with a significant number of terminals are by definition averse to reviewing orbital positions because of the cost of antenna repointing. Data markets are becoming increasingly complex, with customers expecting satellite companies to have the expertise to integrate satellite solutions with fixed and mobile terrestrial networks, to offer redundancy and end-toend solutions as well as understand the performance and efficiency benefits of newer frequency bands such as the Ka-band. De Rosen says: “In Eutelsat’s case, our membership of Samena, the leading telco association in the Middle East and Central Asia, has the dual benefit of improving our response to telco expectations and
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increasing telco exposure to new satellite technologies and how they can costeffectively cover the last mile in order to deliver end-user connectivity.” Eutelsat says that greater competition and more overall expertise about satellites within the context of a growing market can only help to expand the circle of users using its products and services. The operator believes there is also a healthy culture of partnership in the region. For example, in terms of infrastructure, Eutelsat collaborates with Nilesat at 7/8 degrees West and Es’hailSat at 25.5 degrees East, optimising spectrum for the benefit of end customers and, in the case of Es’hailsat, sharing investment in the Ka-band to open new service opportunities. Other partnership models include hosted payloads and lifetime capacity leases. In the value chain, we also have longstanding relationships with key service providers, including Noorsat, Viewsat and Gulfsat, with respective zones of expertise clearly understood and put to the benefit of end-users. “From the perspective of our clients, the principal benefits of strong competition are that it pushes operators to be creative on the innovation front, to deliver the highest quality of service and customer satisfaction as well as good value. If we collectively focus on this, we increase our overall value creation in the sector and our reputation as a reliable and forward-thinking industry. “Eighty percent of our fleet of 37 satellites are concentrated in an orbital arc between 15 degrees West and 70 degrees East over Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Our investments in new satellites will bring new capacity in this arc. This critical mass and the fact that we are operating satellites across C-, Ku- and Ka-bands equips us to be able to respond to requirements for regional, intercontinental and global connectivity, and to match customer applications to the most appropriate band,” explains de Rosen. Eutelsat says its scale and the experience it has acquired over 30 years of operating satellites also means it can propose the innovations it has validated in other markets to users in the Middle East. Eutelsat displayed this at CABSAT in Dubai, where new solutions were demonstrated for interactive broadcasting as well as 20 | SatellitePro | September 2014
“For the longer term, we believe significant opportunities will come with Ultra HD, which has inspired us to instigate early collaboration with partners in the transmission chain” Michel de Rosen, Chairman and CEO, Eutelsat
broadband and mobility markets. In the broadcast market, Eutelsat is pursuing two principal directions that it believes will benefit Middle East markets. The first concerns quality, namely, the transition to HD, the move towards 4k and the question of signal integrity. The second concerns the response to the emergence of OTT services and non-linear content in general. “Through our experience with the HD market over the last 10 years, we can see the importance of delivering viewers the highest quality of image that justifies the investment by broadcasters in generating native HD content and by consumers in high-quality displays. This includes understanding the progressive adoption of new standards including DVB-S2 MPEG4 and HEVC and how bandwidth requirements will shape up for the future. “For the longer term, we believe significant opportunities will come with Ultra HD, which has inspired us to instigate early collaboration with partners in the transmission chain to validate the parameters of this new standard, including frame rates per second, HEVC compression and so on. Over the last 18 months, we have been working with industry leaders across the world that include Samsung, Ericsson, Globecast and others to validate this next step in broadcasting. Other areas where we are active are Carrier ID, an industry-wide initiative we helped to launch in 2011 that will mitigate the effects of interference, and new features that further raise the bar of performance, flexibility and signal security
on future satellites, starting next year with EUTELSAT 8 West B for Middle East and North African markets,” says de Rosen. As far as OTT and non-linear services are concerned, there are multiple avenues that Eutelsat is pursuing, ranging from allsatellite solutions via the new-generation SmartLNB that provides a low-bitrate return path, to hybrid architectures that bundle satellite for broadcast delivery with terrestrial networks for IP-based services. Speaking on growth in the broadcast market, Eutelsat anticipates an acceleration of HD deployment, which currently accounts for less than 10% of satellite channels. The number of homes equipped with an HD ready or full HD display has crossed a threshold of 20 million, accounting for 29% of TV homes in the region. Of the 41.3 million homes not equipped for HDTV, 50% intend to buy an HD display within the next 12 months. This take-up will further expand the audience to whom broadcasters can promote their products and generate demand for bandwidth across the value chain, from outside broadcasting to delivery into the home. The satellite operator also sees scope for growth in Pay-TV that currently reaches 8% of the population. According to Digital TV research, Pay-TV revenues in MENA should grow by more than 80% between 2010 and 2020, with satellite TV accounting for more than two thirds of the market. There are also major growth opportunities in the telecom sector, particularly in Kaband for public broadband programmes launched in countries with a large landmass by governments who want to fulfil universal service obligations and develop e-health, e-administration and e-education. Mobility is another significant frontier, notably in-flight connectivity where new Ka-based technologies are driving down the cost per megabit and encouraging airlines to install passenger services. To address these opportunities Eutelsat is strengthening satellite coverage to the region with competitive capacity lease prices for suppliers and VSAT operators. Global connectivity, innovations in the broadcast sector and how Eutelsat satellite solutions and services are addressing demand in high growth markets are the main highlights at IBC this year.
Shaping the future with SES With our expanding fleet of over 50 satellites, SES combines a strong local presence in the Middle East with global reach. We cover the Middle East with 9 satellites, offering our customers a balance of capacity, customized support and local market knowledge to fuel the Middle East‘s demand for innovation and expansion. Find out more about how we can extend your reach across the Middle East and beyond at www.ses.com
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Gulfsat Gulfsat is a Kuwaiti operator who leases capacity on satellites from Arabsat, Eutelsat and Intelsat, among others. The operator designs, integrates, installs, and provides advanced satellite networking for business and government organisations. The operator thinks the Middle East television industry has seen tremendous growth over the last few years. There has been an increase in the number of television viewers and favourable economic conditions have fuelled further growth expectations. This has led to the entry of a plethora of FTA TV channels. The growth in the number of channels, however, has outstripped TV advertising revenue growth, spurring intense competition among broadcasters. Mohammad Al-Haj, Chairman and COO of Gulfsat, believes that the market From left to right: Nabil Bencompetitive Soussia, Managing will become even more and Director of Safaabout Telecompositive Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh this will bring changes. Al Adely, Managing Director of SkyStream “The benefit of strong competition is that the customers will always get competitive pricing on all services. They get the best customer service and innovative service with service providers always trying to outperform each other,” says Al-Haj. The operator says it stays competitive through strong financial backing supported by Kuwait Projects Company (KIPCO Group), a regional conglomerate giant, a long- term presence in the market (20 years since inception), dedicated customer loyalty programme and managing the regulatory, technical and cultural constraints required to navigate the MENA market According to Al-Haj, Gulfsat’s unique selling point is its complete broadcast solution by blending technical competence with market know-how, and being backed by a strong group. Speaking about Gulfsat’s value-added services, Al-Haj says: “We provide a number of value-added services such as uplink facility, play-out facility, satellite contribution links, IP contribution links, internet backbone, SMS roll-outs, SNG, studio, co-location, OU (occasional use), live event coverage and much more.” Gulfsat is looking to maintain its market share through a sustainable model but 22 | SatellitePro | September 2014
Mohammad Al-Haj, Chairman and COO, Gulfsat.
“Our expansion plans are on track. We intend to acquire another three to four transponders of premium capacity over the next 12 months” Mohammad Al-Haj, Chairman and COO, Gulfsat
is also looking for acquisitions so that it can meet expansion plans set out by its management. Al-Haj believes all geographical markets in the region are growing, but recently, liberalised markets like Libya are experiencing a major boom. “We have had a successful year. We have reinstated ourselves as one of the top broadcasters in the MENA region. We have been able to acquire four new transponders of premium capacity over the last 12 months. Partnering with beIN Sport (a division of Al-Jazeera) and facilitating their 2014 World Cup transmission and broadcast remains our key achievement last year.
“Our expansion plans are on track. We intend to acquire another three to four transponders of premium capacity over the next 12 months. With this capacity acquisition, our market share should rank in the top three,” says Al-Haj. On the topic of broadcast satellite services, Gulfsat sees huge potential in the MENA region. The majority of TV channels are broadcast in SD (standard definition). Progressively, broadcasters are making the transition to HD (high definition), but that can’t be achieved overnight. Until and unless a large majority of the viewers have an HDTV set along with an HDTV set-top- box, the broadcasters need to transmit their channels in both SD and HD formats, which leads to an increase in demand in the satellite bandwidth. This becomes a major challenge. Another challenge according to Al-Haj is “the proliferation of the FTA channels that mainly rely on advertising revenues to survive. This business model is seen by some analysts and industry experts as unsustainable in the long run. However, there is a counter-argument that this model has been working for quite a while now and is hence, a viable one. In any case, Gulfsat intends to counter this possible threat by liaising with only stable entities. “The other major challenge facing this industry is price wars fuelled by competition. There are too many players leading to fierce competition resulting in price wars. The only solution to this challenge is through co-operation and partnerships, according to Gulfsat,” adds Al-Haj. With alternative modes of transmission like LTE becoming a successful model in other markets, the broadcaster’s reliance on satellite is slowly reducing. Gulfsat believes the regional broadcast market is still largely dependent on the satellite medium. In the future, it may present a credible threat but for the immediate future, there is a healthy growth expected in the MENA satellite broadcast market. The prime offerings from Gulfsat for this year’s IBC will be offering satellite capacity on the interference free E8WA satellite and advance sales for the new satellite E8WB (to be launched in 2015). Furthermore, Gulfsat also intends to launch its new play-out facility in Kuwait.
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ABS (Asia Broadcast Satellite) ABS sees that there is constant demand for data and broadcast, which makes room for all the players in the satellite industry. In fact, Mohamed Youssif, COO, ABS, says: “The market will become even more competitive. This will drive operators to offer their best and as a result, this will benefit the end-user in terms of better pricing and better services. We at ABS have recently signed a commercial agreement with Arabsat for a Ku-band payload to serve their customers over the Middle East and North Africa regions. ABS has always been successful in securing long-term partnerships and this long-term contract demonstrates our ability to create a win-win relationship with our client.” Youssif believes that ABS’ dynamism is unparalleled in the industry. “We have grown our fleet from initially using what has been primarily in-orbit satellites often relocated to provide satellite coverage over growing regions of the world. Now we are in the next phase of growth development, launching new satellites which optimise the coverage for these markets,” explains Youssif. Besides looking at organic growth, ABS is also open to partnerships and collaborations as well as M&A options. With an appetite for expansion the satellite operator is always looking at innovative ways of creating opportunities to increase the ABS fleet. ABS wants to improve the industry by not only bringing more affordable space segment capacity but also with novel ground solutions. Youssif explains that ABS cares deeply about the economic viability of its customers too, so it envisions a long-term, symbiotic relationship with its partners. ABS also offers various value-added services including idirect, DVB-S2 and VNO services. “Since ABS’ inception in 2006, we have become one of the fastest growing satellite operators in the world, averaging over 30% year-on-year growth. We operate a global fleet of six satellites and an extensive teleport network providing comprehensive coverage to 80% of the world’s population. Our current investment programme includes two 24 | SatellitePro | September 2014
Mohamed Youssif, Chief Operating Officer, ABS.
“Since ABS’ inception in 2006, we have become one of the fastest growing satellite operators in the world, averaging over 30% year-on-year growth. We operate a global fleet of six satellites and an extensive teleport network” Mohamed Youssif, Chief Operating Officer, ABS
satellites in the pipeline, namely ABS-3A and 2A, which will provide additional capacity planned for year-end 2014 and 2015. ABS3A will provide coverage connecting the Americas, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The C- and Ku-band coverage will serve both sides of the Atlantic for transatlantic as well as regional connectivity and services,” says Youssif. At IBC this year, ABS will be speaking about its recently completed investment in upgrading its global operations, including ground infrastructure and playout facilities across its teleports. The operator is able to support SD and HD playout from content ingestion, scheduling, playout and localisation services. Youssif says this expansion of ABS’ global facilities will enable it to offer a richer portfolio of services to ensure bestvalue solutions for customers. PRO
SatComms
COTM demystified Communications on the move is used in cars, trucks, trains, yachts and aircraft. Clayton Vallabhan speaks with experts in the field on how the technology is evolving, and changing the way we use satellites for seamless connectivity
26 | SatellitePro | September 2014
Communications on the move (COTM) works by using stabilised or tracking antennas on vehicles, whether maritime, land or aerobased. The antenna locks onto the satellite and maintains positioning with the satellite to allow users to exchange data, voice and video while the particular vehicle is moving. COTM isn’t a new concept, according to Tony Sewell, User Terminal Partner Manager, Land, Inmarsat. “It has been used in maritime applications for many years. However, advances in technology are allowing the use of much smaller antennas and higher frequency bands like Ka- bandthe frequency which Inmarsat I-5 uses-in order to provide a much larger bandwidth pipe to users on the move,” he says. COTM, Satcom-on-the-Move (SOTM) or satellite communications on the move are seemingly used interchangeably in the satellite industry, according to Darin Anderson, Director – International Business Development at ThinKom Solutions. “The basic principle behind COTM is that a platform-vehicle, train, aircraft, or vesselis equipped with a satellite antenna and is able to establish communication with the satellite of choice and in accordance with the frequency plan to maintain that communication while in motion. “In motion can mean a variety of things from a vessel being stationary on the
Darin Anderson, Director, International Business Development at ThinKom.
“The basic principle behind COTM is that a platform – vehicle, train, aircraft, or vessel – is equipped with a satellite antenna and is able to establish communication with the satellite of choice while in motion” Darin anderson, Director of International Business Development at ThinKom water but the antenna system needing to accommodate for the pitch, roll and yaw of the vessel to an aircraft flying at 500 knots an hour, to rail or high-speed rail HSR applications or to an broadcast vehicle or command vehicle, even an SUV that is crossing the desert dunes,” says Anderson. According to Anderson, COTM has also been applied to the L-Band (1 to 2 GHz) or SBand (2 to 4GHz) frequency range, sometimes called BGAN technology, working with LEO (low earth orbit) and MEO (medium earth orbit) satellites that cross the skies from horizon to horizon within a fixed period of time. These pay-per-bit business model solutions often have lower capital expense
with high operating costs. This relationship is the inverse for SOTM solutions. For SOTM solutions using GEO (geo-stationary satellites) that are in geosynchronous orbit with the earth, the capital expense for the equipment may be higher, but the operational expenses are much lower. “There are a number of key elements for SOTM antenna systems to work efficiently, they must have the capability to find, lock and track these satellites that are approximately 35,000 kms from the earth and they must maintain the minimum pointing accuracies established by the various regulatory authorities governing the satellite manufactures, namely the ITU, FCC and others,” explains Anderson. In maritime, vessels today require networks which will support data hungry applications such as HD Voice, video streaming, video conferencing and cloudbased solutions. Commercial operators look to reduce operational costs with increased connectivity. These include advanced weather warnings and port notifications to reduce fuel costs, and engine monitoring sensors to reduce maintenance costs. Gez Draycott, Senior Manager, Sales Engineering at SES, says that the satellite operator provides services to a number of customers servicing the luxury yacht market in regions such as the Maldives
Gez Draycott, Senior Manager, Sales Engineering at SES.
September 2014 | SatellitePro | 27
SatComms
and Seychelles. “These yachts, which can cost around $1 million per year just to maintain, would often demand seamless office/home connectivity. SES works with antenna manufacturers such as Intellian, SeaTel etc., to provide robust solutions to customers on the SES fleet. Antennas such as the Seatel 4009 series (1m) are a popular choice among customers. These allow for quick installation on board and reliable 3-axis stabilised tracking facilities. “Commercial operators on larger vessels have the luxury of additional real estate on deck. This allows them to operate larger C-band systems, providing added reliability in rainy areas of operation. That said, SES is pushing the boundaries for C-band innovations and has recently activated a service on our NSS-9 satellite at 183E, which uses a 60cm on the West Hemi beam covering Australia, East Asia and North West Pacific regions. The service uses spread spectrum techniques, and allows the customer to operate a very small unit with excellent rain fade properties,” continues Draycott. Draycott also thinks that aeronautics, while still a relative green field application, presents a good opportunity for airlines to differentiate themselves and increase revenue. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) stated in a recent report (2013) that there will be 331 million new passengers on international flights by 2016. Boeing and Airbus reported that over 7,900 new wide body aircraft will be built between now and 2032. This rise in air travel, and the need for connectivity has driven operators to provide connectivity on-board their fleets. In the aeronautical field, SES works with a number of providers such as Panasonic, Gogo and Global Eagle (formerly Row44). For these services, SES will work with the vendors to suggest suitable high-power beams providing coverage in the specific regions which cover the commercial flight paths. The settings on the satellite, transponder Saturated Flux Density (SFD) are adjusted to suit the application, as the small antennas on the planes often require a very sensitive transponder for transmission. Antennas, such as the Tecom KuStream 1000 unit are installed on top of the plane body by certified installers, and it is SES’ job 28 | SatellitePro | September 2014
A ThinSat 300 antenna manufactured by ThinKom.
A Yukon Denali in the desert, equipped with a ThinSat 300 antenna.
“Satellite technology has the potential to significantly broaden the possibilities of connected vehicles, and Thuraya is working closely with car manufacturers to take on the challenge of extending M2M” Asher Faredi, Product Manager Land IP, Thuraya to ensure that the service will operate within agreed power levels, providing a stable service for travellers on-board the aircraft. Anderson explains that the rail markets are proving areas of focus for new antenna designs, but are not without their challenges. “Connectivity to the rails is fuelled by the customer’s expectations to stay connected
all the time. Ultra low-profile applications help installation efforts and mitigate bird or debris strike compared to taller domed solutions. However, like the aero markets the certification, installation and integration is a lengthy process. Rail markets are planning the long-term and smart hybrid approaches that bridge terrestrial networks SOTM are mitigating the inherent LOS (line of sight) blockages that may occur in urban environments and tunnels. Rail applications require robust product longevity both in equipment life and duty cycles,” says Anderson. Further sector-based interest comes from government divisions such as border patrol, military undertakings including command and control operations in conflict zones and broadcast media conducting live video transmissions via satellite news gathering (SNG) vehicles. Asher Faredi, Product Manager, Land IP, Thuraya, says: “Satellite technology has the potential to significantly broaden
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SatComms
the possibilities of connected vehicles, and Thuraya is working closely with car manufacturers to take on the challenge of extending M2M connectivity. Currently, M2M depends mainly on GSM networks, which can be limited in terms of network coverage, especially for vehicles that are required to cross international borders or be deployed in remote locations. “Backed by our congestion-free satellite coverage, Thuraya is able to provide solutions that address mission-critical needs in rural and remote areas — such as border patrol units that need reliable coverage to transmit video images back to their headquarters, or an emergency response vehicle requiring communications anywhere. The Thuraya IP Voyager is designed to connect at broadband speeds of up to 444kbps while on the move, while the Thuraya Commander is the first ruggedised satellite broadband terminal designed using MIL-SPEC components,” explains Faredi. So what are COTM’s limitations? Mobility does introduce some engineering challenges. Draycott says that mobility antennas need to be designed for specific transport which can lead to expensive solutions for customers. Moreover, antennas need to be installed quickly, especially in the case of aeronautical and maritime applications. Taking planes or cargo ships out of service to install antennas can be costly to operators. “As antennas become smaller, the SES engineering department has to ensure the transmit and receive pattern data is measured and applied to link budget analysis. Uplink power is generally limited for mobile applications, but with improved beam forming technologies we expect this to improve over the coming years. Hardware vendors, such as iDirect and Newtec, are designing improved solutions for mobility applications. Adaptive Modulation and Coding improvements (ACM) ensure throughput is maximised where possible,” says Draycott. Faredi says some other limitations include obstruction of Line of Sight (LOS), which can be an issue from buildings and trees. Also, unlike L-band satellite connectivity which is more reliable, COTM technologies using Ka- or Ku-band may face interruptions during 30 | SatellitePro | September 2014
abnormally harsh weather conditions. “An important advantage that satellite operators have over GSM service providers is their ability to provide an affordable, uniform and optimised cost for their connectivity, even across international borders, as opposed to expensive roaming charges under cellular coverage. This helps facilitate new business models for the car manufacturers, that are currently not possible with cellular data, as well as enables Thuraya to leverage its position in being able to offer satelliteenabled cellular roaming,” adds Faredi. With thoughts towards the future of COTM, Sewell from Inmarsat thinks that whether COTM is employed in aero, maritime or land applications, it is clearly one of the biggest growth areas for companies like Inmarsat
“Commercial operators on larger vessels have the luxury of additional real estate on deck. This allows them to operate larger C-band systems, providing added reliability in rainy areas of operation” Gez Draycott, Senior Manager, Sales Engineering at SES Thuraya’s IP Commander is the first ruggedised satellite broadband terminal designed using MIL-SPEC components.
that are primarily focused on the needs of highly mobile users around the world. “COTM, and advances in the systems supporting it, are fundamental to the driving needs of people living in a connected world; where connectivity is driving personal and professional productivity regardless of whether you are sitting at home, riding a bus or crossing the oceans on an aeroplane,” says Sewell. Anderson is of the opinion that HTS (High Throughput Satellites) in Ku and Ka are coming to the global market in grand scale. He says these satellite solutions will afford various markets enhanced capabilities for man-pack and SOTM solutions that may be smaller and lighter in antenna design yet able to achieve greater bandwidth and throughput to meet the increasing demands of use. Draycott concurs and says that antennas will reduce in size and improve in aesthetics to support greater and more robust connectivity solutions. “Cloud-based applications will also increase in popularity, allowing users to access data from any location. As mobile networks upgrade from LTE to 4G and 5G, consumers will require additional data, which will perpetuate the growth of data hungry applications. This means that engineers have to be more creative and innovative to ensure that satellite links are designed for robust communications in the most demanding of environments,” concludes Draycott. PRO
System Integrators and Ground Operators Regional Resellers and Authorized Distributors Installation, Maintenance, Training and Turnkey Voice - Video - Data - Internet - GSM Backhaul - Broadcast Mena nets provides 4 activities to the Mena region: i. System integration where we design and provide solutions over satellite ii. Supply hardware as resellers and authorized distributors of many manufacturers like ASC Signal, Skyware Global, Cobham, Xicom/Comtech, Anacom, Codan/CPI, NJR, SMW, iDirect, Thomson, etc. iii. Ground operations which includes installation, technical support, maintenance repairs, etc iv. Training and consulting such as the GVF HOST.
these 4 activities are delivered through 6 product lines: i. Earth station antennae (3.5 meter to 9.4 meter) from ASC Signal ii. VSAT antennae (75 cm to 2.4 meter) form Skyware Global iii. Mobile satcom (on the move and on the pause) from Cobham iv. Outdoor electronics: TWTs, BUCs, LNBs, Feeds, etc from Xicom/ Comtech, NJR, Anacom, Codan/CPI, SMW, etc v. Indoor electronics: broadcast encoders, decoders, multiplexers, video servers, power supplies, combiners, splitters, routers, satellite modems, redundancy controllers etc from Thomson, Paradise/Teledyne, iDirect hubs/modems and others. vi. Installation, maintenance, support, logistics and training (GVF) and turnkey solutions involving system integration of all activities and product lines to provide customers with a complete end-to-end product. The objective is simple: meets customer needs with the latest technologies at the best price/quality mix delivered through experience.
www.menanets.com MENA NETS FZE Building Jafza 15, Unit 15-419, Jebel Ali Free Zone, POB 261670, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) Office: +971-4-887 6606, Fax: +971-4-8876605 Email: info@MenaNets.com
SatTeleports
Talking Teleports HorizonSat officially opened Horizon Teleports, in Munich, Germany, earlier this year. SatellitePro ME speaks with Waleed Al Heijailan, Chairman and CEO of HorizonSat Group, about how Horizon Teleports will enhance the scope of the company’s service offerings
Horizon Teleports is a division of Dubaibased HorizonSat, and is the result of the vertical integration of ground services into its current satellite services operations. The satellite communications provider serves corporate, government and military clients, as well as telco operators, ISPs and TV broadcasters across the EMEA. With the addition of Horizon Teleports to its service portfolio, the company hopes to widen the scope of its service offerings to existing and potential customers in the field of 32 | SatellitePro | September 2014
transmission and digital media services. The teleport’s core services include uplink and downlink services, broadband, IP trunking, GSM backhauling, carrier monitoring, media contribution and distribution, across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. The teleport provides access to C-band, Ku-band and Ka-band satellites located at 55-degrees West to 78-degrees East, using its satellite partners such as Eutelsat, Intelsat, APT, RSCC, Yahsat and Africasat.
Horizon Teleports’ launch party at Moosburg, Munich, Germany.
Horizon Teleports in Munich, Germany.
“We have gained a lot of experience in the years from third-party teleports, but we have managed to improve on a lot of the infrastructure” Waleed Al Heijailan, Chairman and CEO of HorizonSat Group Speaking with SatellitePro ME regarding the launch of the teleport, and how it augment current business, Waleed Al Heijailan, Chairman and CEO of HorizonSat Group, says: “Horizon Teleports has been in the works for almost 12 years now since we created HorizonSat in the UAE. I think it’s an extremely exciting opportunity, in the sense that it allows us to vertically and horizontally integrate with our existing business model. “We have gained a lot of experience in the years from third-party teleports, but we have managed to improve on a lot of the infrastructure that we have seen elsewhere, so we did not cut any corners and we went for high-end infrastructure to convince our clientele to park their capacity. It worked well because we had several long-term leads from satellite operators, who take us quite seriously because they know that HorizonSat has extremely good technical support with our dual NOC (Network Operations Centre), one in the UAE supporting the other in Germany,” continues Heijailan. In 2013, HorizonSat completed the construction of the teleport in Moosburg, Munich, and began delivering a significant amount of customer services and traffic.
It installed and began operating its first eight 7-metre and 9-metre antennas to service both existing customers and to be available as new customer requirements arose. Of the first eight, five are fixed and three are agile for occasional-use traffic. The company is continuing to build antennas, and will have 16 antennas installed by the end of this year, with over 30 operational antennas over the next few years. Heijailan explained that all of Horizon Teleports’ antennas, barring the smaller ones, are manufactured by ASC Signal. The reason the company is using a single supplier is because of compliance with the interface it has at the NOC. HorizonSat has transferred a lot of the capacity it has on seven different satellites to its teleport. “Our teleport has effectively became a sub-contractor to HorizonSat UAE. Other than that we are looking at TTNC (Telemetry, Tracking and Network Control) projects, up-linking projects for satellite operators who want to set up broadband services and sell them directly. We also have a lot of queries from telco operators because we are connected to the telco grid and hence this opens a new business line for us,” explains Heijailan. According to Heijailan, the Middle East is a region which is highly regulated, which limits the deployment of broadband networks; hence the company believes it can win contracts from telco operators. “Telco operators require satellite networks for backhauling solutions. There could be a potential for growth on the broadband side but this depends on the development of satellites over the region to have comparable rates to DSL pricing structures,” concludes Heijailan. PRO
The team behind Horizon Teleports.
September 2014 | SatellitePro | 33
Our world. Now more connected than ever. Your world.
www.arabsat.com
SatTechnology
CID: The Facts It is widely reported that satellite interference only affects a minor number of services. However for broadcasters, any disruption of service is not ideal, especially with competition from OTT delivery, and increasing consumer demand for the best service possible – especially live coverage of major events
36 | SatellitePro | September 2014
One initiative, which has created keen interest and importance in recent months, is Carrier ID (CID). CID is a simple concept – every transmitted carrier will have a unique ID encoded on it, which can be decoded by satellite operators. If a carrier is causing interference, the unique ID will be decoded to identify who is transmitting the interference. A satellite operator will be able to decode the unique ID in the carrier, contact the uplinker causing the RFI (either directly or through the satellite operator that provides services to the uplinker causing the RFI), implement corrective action and reduce the duration of service interruptions caused by that RFI. CID is an extremely effective tool for mitigating interference, by pinpointing the source quickly. A great deal has happened with the CID initiative over the last year. Since the establishment of an ETSI standard, a growing number of products on the market are now able to handle CID (both old and new versions), and a database, which was made ready for the World Cup in June, thanks to the hard work of the Space Data Association (SDA) and the developer, Analytical Graphics. Thus we want all broadcasters, uplinkers and users to simply turn CID on! So how does an uplinker get to that point? The Resolutions The World Broadcasting Unions – International Satellite Operator Group (WBU-ISOG) recently announced a number of important resolutions aimed at accelerating the implementation of CID. The resolutions mean that all satellite operators need to begin the transition to using CID from January 2015. For the users, any new Requests for Proposal need to include CID as a requirement and CID will need to be used on all SCPC and MCPC video transmissions by 2018. It is hoped that from 2018 only the new DVB-CID version will be in operation. For many users, the announcement of the resolutions did indeed provoke surprise, as well as a certain degree of misconception around the process and, in many cases, the identification data itself. In this article, I hope to dispel many of those, whilst explaining exactly what is involved.
“For many users, the announcement of the resolutions did indeed provoke surprise, as well as a certain degree of misconception around the process” Martin Coleman, Executive Director, the Satellite Interference Reduction Group The ID itself Although it is known as an identifier, it is more of a key to unlock the process to resolve the originating problem. The minimum data transmitted is either a 64-bit MAC address or a vendor serial number. This “ID” is simply used to correlate the carrier to the correct Satellite Operator or Access Centre to coordinate with the uplinker under their respective control. No other information is transmitted or necessary! No commercial information is ever used between Operators or Centres to resolve the issue when using CID! The CID Process There are three main stages involved in the process of CID, all of which will be highlighted in our final Carrier ID Tour at IBC: Transmit, Detect, Resolve. Transmit The Transmit stage is handled by encoders and modulators: 1. An Identifier is injected into the carrier at the modulator As stated above, the identifier contains mandatory information such as a 64-bit MAC address or a vendor serial number in combination with optional user configurable data such as GPS coordinates, the carrier name and user contact details. This information is effectively injected into the main carrier at the modulator stage at the uplink site ready for decode by a satellite operator. 2. The Carrier ID Is transported over Satellite Below the Noise In order to lower the impact on the throughput over the satellite, the CID information is spread below the noise floor of the carrier. By using robust modulation (BPSK spread spectrum at 112kHz or 224kHz & BCH
Coding) the CID can be easily determined and read out. The typical impact on the overall link budget degradation of the main carrier is 0.28dB or less. In real terms, live testing of this spread spectrum CID had no negative impact on the content being transmitted. There are already numerous products on the market with CID implemented and the great thing for the user is all they need to do, once they have a compatible product, is simply enable CID, and the encoder or modulator unit will handle the rest. Amongst our membership there are companies such as Comtech EF Data, Newtec and Work Microwave, and there is a complete list of CID-ready products on the IRG website - http://satirg.org/ resources/cid-ready-products. Detect Once the CID data has been transmitted, it is of course vital that it can be detected by the satellite operator so that interference can be resolved. Therefore, typically, at a satellite operator facility, either modified carrier monitoring systems or an integrated CID receiver is used to detect problems automatically. Any occurrence of interference detected by these systems means the ID, and any other information that may be present from the carrier, is read out and quickly confirms the source of the interference. Resolving the interference issue, in most cases, is then only a phone call away. Resolve Once the CID has been detected, the satellite operator will check their own CID database first try to determine which uplinker is the cause of the interfering carrier and take steps, internally, to resolve. If that fails to give any results then using the global CID database, managed by the Space Data Association (SDA), will point to the controlling satellite operator and thus hand over the issue to that operator. I know that many satellite users are concerned about their data being held in a central database; however, in actual fact the only people with access to that database will be the satellite operators, and the only information displayed will be the satellite operator responsible for the carrier identified and its ID number. As mentioned above, the resolutions mean September 2014 | SatellitePro | 37
that satellite operators need to begin the transition to CID from January 2015, but many of the major operators have already begun that effort. So what do I need to do? Carrier ID is only effective if users implement and enable it across all their carriers. Think about number plates, for example. If cars didn’t have them, there would be no simple way to identify each car on the road, and when necessary, resolve problems. However, if everyone has that effective number plate it will be easy to identify a service and get help to resolve, thus enabling faster restoration and reduced down time. As previously mentioned, there is widespread misunderstanding of what is involved in getting on board with CID, but for the users it is simply a question of turning it on. So, here is a quick checklist: 1. Check that your products have CID. You can review the list on our website (http:// satirg.org/resources/cid-ready-products) or ask your manufacturer or integrator; 2. If your existing products don’t have CID, check to see if firmware upgrades are available, especially for the older NIT Encoder based CID. 3. Require CID when ordering new systems; 4. Check with your manufacturer how to enable CID on those products and turn it on; 5. Tell your satellite operator or access centre that CID is enabled; 6. That’s it! Of course, the other side to this coin is ensuring you are not causing interference. The best way to do that is to have trained staff and, whilst at it, type-approved transmit equipment. Our End User Initiative (EUI) Advisory Committee provides a much-needed resource for the user community. It has established the knowledge and skills criteria for a series of equipment operator training certifications. These certifications are now available through the Global VSAT Forum (GVF) learning system as a series of online exams, each containing knowledge tests and interactive simulatorbased skills tests. The certification process ensures that uplink operators are properly trained, enabling them to reduce transmission errors and safeguard their operations.
Source
Transmitting
Source
Sat Op
Transmitting
Source
Signal A+ Noise Symbol Rate Signal to Noise Ratio
Service A (Host Carrier) Service B (Interfering Other Service) Noise Floor
Spread Carrier ID (224kHz) Carrier ID Info
The CID Tour
If you still have questions or would like to see the process in action, you can join us for a CID Tour at IBC:
Tour Schedule:
Friday 12th September – 3pm Saturday 13th September – 11am and 3pm Sunday 14th September – 11am and 3pm Monday 15th September – 11am and 3pm
The EUI also offers best practices and documentation service to the industry, enabling users to understand how to ensure they are not causing interference. IRG focuses on improving technology and has done so to great effect, but the role of EUI’s Best Practices group is to translate those technological advancements into guides, helping all satellite users ensure an interference free environment. PRO By Martin Coleman, Executive Director, the Satellite Interference Reduction Group. September 2014 | SatellitePro | 39
SatEvents: IBC2014
40 | SatellitePro | September 2014
IBC2014 takes off
IBC opens its doors to the broadcast world, at the RAI, Amsterdam, from September 11-16. The show will attract over 52,000 professionals and more than 1,500 exhibitors, from 170 countries. Read on to learn more about which conferences to attend, and exhibitors to visit at this year’s event
September 2014 | SatellitePro | 41
SatEvents: IBC2014
Visitors and exhibitors gather for a conference at IBC.
IBC is one of the leading global tradeshows for professionals engaged in the creation, management and delivery of electronic media and entertainment. The event’s exhibition and conference encompasses the very latest developments in broadcasting, mobile TV, IPTV, digital signage and R&D. The exhibition will attract over 52,000 professionals and more than 1,500 exhibitors from more than 170 countries. The event also plays host to a wide array of free to attend Industry Insight sessions, product demonstrations, big-screen movie presentations and the prestigious IBC Awards Ceremony. Co-located alongside IBC, IBC Content Everywhere Europe will provide a forum for discussing the latest developments and the future of digital content with a focus on rich media production, apps, digital marketing, social media, content personalisation, big data, cloud services, second screens and much more. IBC Content Everywhere Europe is the first in a global series of new events that will also span the MENA and LATAM regions, in Dubai and Sao Paulo respectively. The IBC Conference is one of the highlights of the show, and this year’s conference runs from September 11-15. The sessions will focus on Ultra HD and what lies 42 | SatellitePro | September 2014
beyond it, archiving and restoration, HEVC, future transmission technologies, R&D for broadcast audio, assistive technologies and its goal in providing access to new media for all, the rise of social media, contrasting views of high dynamic range imaging and more. Day One questions where broadcast fits in an IP-centric world. It will examine such subjects as spectrum allocation, the soaring costs of sports rights and the genre’s role in driving innovation, and the impact of data analytics. It will also offer an excellent opportunity for the industry to assess innovations stemming from the Winter Olympics and this summer’s FIFA World Cup, before heading on to Day Two and an examination of technological change and the growing list of technologies — from tapeless through the cloud and on to Ultra HD. Day Three looks at the challenges involved in the changing roles of content producers, aggregators, service providers and the potential for disruption to established business models and plans as new entrants make their presence felt. Day Four examines those potential disruptors in detail in a series of future-facing sessions that seek to guide delegates through the newly blended, multiplatform and trans-media world, where TV becomes even more social and
reality is augmented. Finally, Day Five will examine all that has been learnt over the previous days, building up a meta-narrative of change and the course it is likely to take over the next handful of years to give delegates the insights they will need to navigate the turbulence ahead. Another important facet of the conference is the IBC Big Screen Experience, which leverages the auditorium in the centre of the RAI Exhibition centre to provide the perfect place to see and hear the latest technical advances in digital cinema and explore the new business models that underpin it. Accommodating up to 1,700 people, the IBC2014 Big Screen Experience will be equipped with the very latest cinema technology, including Christie 6P 2D and 3D laser projection and Dolby Atmos immersive audio. The theme for this year’s Big Screen conference sessions is “Disruptive Cinema”. These free-to-attend sessions will look at the evolving future of this business sector, covering subjects such as Digital Networked Cinema and Second Screens, the growth in Event Cinema and the new battle over immersive audio standards. The Big Screen will also play host to presentations, exclusive movie screenings and the dynamic IBC Awards Ceremony. PRO
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SatEvents: IBC2014
Hiltron shows HANT C-Ku antenna at IBC Everywhere Hiltron is demonstrating its new HANT C-Ku, a 3.7m antenna for professional satellite signal monitoring or receiveonly services, at IBC this year. A closely integrated feed system enables the HANT C-Ku to receive simultaneously the two linear polarised Ku band signals and the circular or linear polarised signals in C band. With a motorised polariser, the feed can be switched in C band between linear and circular polarisation. Thus, the total receivable bandwidth is up to 5.6GHz. These sources can be converted to six independent L band outputs. Hiltron’s HANT C-Ku has a very wide range of applications including satellite performance assessment, digital newsgathering and cable network head-ends. It provides reliable and accurate positioning far beyond the stability of commercial grade actuator devices. The high rigidity of the HANT C-Ku’s construction ensures absolute minimum backlash. It can operate in winds of up to 125kmph and survive storm conditions of up to 200kmph. The antenna is designed for IP-based control from a PC running a graphic user
interface compatible with standard web browsers. The control GUI displays all information required to set and maintain azimuth, elevation and polarisation, including current position, target positions and a database of potentially accessible satellites. The same GUI can be used to select polarisation, the beacon-tracking
receiver and the signal source matrix. Once a satellite is selected, precise access parameters can be calculated at the press of a single button. Azimuth and elevation can be adjusted at up to three different speeds. Typical travel rates are 2.5 degrees per second (azimuth), 1.7 degrees per second (elevation) and 3.0 degrees per second (polarisation). Antenna control unit and associated motor-control electronics are contained in an IP65-rated weatherproof outdoor housing with a hinged front access port secured by dual key screws. An emergency cut-off switch is accessible to the left of this housing. Above the housing is a resolver which is used to measure antenna azimuth angle. A second identical resolver allows constant monitoring of antenna elevation. Azimuth and elevation drive motors operate through a reduction gear. Options for the Hiltron HANT C-Ku downlink antenna include a satellite tracking system, inclined orbit tracking, integration of parabolic reflectors according to customer preference, a handheld control unit, de-icer, and a choice of standard steel mounts or non-penetrating mounts.
Rascular at the ‘Helm’ of things at the show this year Rascular is exhibiting the latest version of its flagship product Helm, at IBC this year. Helm allows customers to pick best-ofbreed equipment-branding devices, routers, servers, VTRs, multiviewers and modular gear-from a wide range of manufacturers yet control it with a single, integrated and highly customisable control screen for a huge range of broadcast applications. Helm now supports Miranda-now Grass Valley-Densite modular products, giving fast access to card functions. Alongside numerous back-end upgrades, Helm can also control Black Magic Videohubs, Grass Valley native protocol routers and Sierra Video’s Aspen router range. Also on display is the latest version of RouteMaster, Rascular’s flexible 44 | SatellitePro | September 2014
PC-based router control system. Built on tried and tested software modules, RouteMaster can be used with a wide range of video and audio routers-past, present and future-from all the major manufacturers. It’s equally suitable for new router installations or extending
the capabilities of existing systems. Using RouteMaster Web Panels, operators can control routers from computers, tablets and even mobile phones. Web Panels can be fully customised for appearance and function using the intuitive drag-and-drop designer. Use of the latest HTML5 and Javascript standards allows panels to work with all major browsers on all major platforms. It now includes support for hardware control panels from Blackmagic, Nevion and Sierra. Router support has also been increased to include Black Magic Videohub, Grass Valley native protocol and Sierra Video Aspen. RouteMaster can also combine multiple independent routers to form a single, multilayer router.
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SatEvents: IBC2014
LiveU touts range of uplink tech and portable solutions LiveU is showcasing its entire range of uplink technology and product solutions at the show. The company deals with portable live video acquisition, contribution and management solutions. Present at its stall is the complete range of bonded 3G/4G uplink solutions used at all major news and sports events worldwide, such as the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the Indian elections and the Sochi Winter Olympics. LiveU is also demonstrating its professional grade LU500 in backpack and camera-mount configurations. The equipment weighs only 1 kg and is based on LiveU’s fourth-generation patented bonding algorithms, and powered by LiveU’s new multiprocessor video encoding engine. Also on display is the LiveU DataBridge, a powerful mobile hotspot that offers resilient mobile broadband connectivity for any device in any location by bonding together multiple cellular and other data connections. LiveU Central is the company’s browserbased management system for easy control and geo-tracking of all LiveU systems, feeds and apps from anywhere. LiveU Central
enables a live preview of all incoming feeds that can be dragged and dropped to any physical server output anywhere around the world or encoded for web streaming. Lastly, LiveU will be showcasing its mobile application for smartphones and
tablets, LU-Smart with its innovative handheld Smart Grip; LiveU’s Xtender external antenna solution for extraresilient signal in extreme scenarios; and hybrid solutions with microwave and satellite technologies.
Advantech demonstrates next-generation A-SAT at IBC Advantech Wireless is giving a live demo of the next generation Discovery Adaptive Satellite Access Technology (A-SAT) platform at IBC2014. While speaking with its customers, Advantech Wireless has noted that many need to make increasingly unpredictable demands on their network connections, particularly in the data capacity back from remote sites. While TDMA has long been seen as a solution to this, it is also known to be inefficient for streaming data flows. A-SAT is beyond dual mode DVB-RCS/ TDMA-SCPC, it monitors channel utilisation and switches the satellite access method and MODCOD for the return channel in real time to dynamically maximise the space segment utilisation efficiency. Additionally, 46 | SatellitePro | September 2014
by having TDMA and true DVB-S2 SCPC technologies in a single platform, the switch between traffic patterns is efficiently supported and all risks of equipment obsolescence are mitigated.
“We just love to innovate, and our A-SAT technology is a great example of that. We saw customers struggling to predict how to dimension their system in the face of constantly changing usage, so we solved it for them and optimised the efficiency,” explained Mark Lambert, VP Sales & Marketing, Managing Director, EMEA Region at Advantech Wireless. During this demonstration Advantech Wireless is demonstrating multiple VoIP calls, a classic TDMA application, suddenly being joined by streaming. Visitors can see the VoIP calls being sustained as the Discovery Hub switches between TDMA and SCPC satellite access techniques to deliver maximum efficiency for the new situation.
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SatEvents: IBC2014
Intelsat brings Epic Content Delivery system to IBC2014 Bandwidth demand for the global media sector is being driven by three key trends – globalisation, regionalisation and the need for flexible content delivery systems that can reach a growing number of end-user devices. The growing interest in UHD content is evident during IBC, and Intelsat is demonstrating that its existing network is ready to deliver this content to viewers. At the same time, as demand grows and drives up the amount of bandwidth needed for transmission even more, HTS platforms will play an important role in the delivery of these signals. The Intelsat Epic platform offers a multi-frequency solution that provides the additional throughput and performance needed, and the design will enable broadcasters to provide a wider array of services, such as more customised channels that are localised and distributed to a specific region on a spot beam. Building on 50 years of expertise, Intelsat Epic’s backward-compatible, open-architecture design will be integrated with our existing fleet of satellites and IntelsatOne terrestrial network. This will provide innovative solutions
that meet broadcasters’ requirements today and 10 years from now. Satellite has been a critical part of the content delivery chain around the globe and will remain so, even as viewer habits change. Intelsat works in close collaboration with its customers as it transforms its fleet and develops product offerings to meet the increasing demands placed on content providers.
Intelsat’s satellite and terrestrial services allow it to provide solutions for broadcasters of all sizes, from the largest DTH platforms to the growing DTT sector to those that need to distribute just a few channels. It is also continuingly expanding its managed services to address demand for video processing and meet growing demand for outsourcing cloud services for VOD and multiscreen services.
Eutelsat boosts 4K ecosystem development at IBC2014 The main theme for Eutelsat this year is the development of the 4K ecosystem which is taking the industry closer to the commercial launch of ultra HD. The satellite operator forecasts that we will be able to see this by 2016. Eutelsat recently launched the first 4K demo channel encoded in HEVC and broadcast at 50 frames per second with one billion colours. Called 4k1, it’s being transmitted from the HOT BIRD neighbourhood that reaches Europe, North Africa and the Middle East and is the first Ultra HD channel which can be received by consumers using 4K TVs equipped with DVB-S2 demodulators and HEVC decoders. Another key development that is being discussed is the trend towards 48 | SatellitePro | September 2014
video content availability anytime, anywhere and on a multitude of devices. This is what consumers want. Telecom operators cannot and will not deploy fibre everywhere, and will need complementary technologies to offload content. Satellite is very high on the list, because only satellite can meet such consumer demand. Eutelsat’s third theme is Global Connectivity. With the acquisition in January this year of Satmex (renamed Eutelsat Americas), it now has a broader range of satellites as well as a network of owned and partner teleports complemented by terrestrial fibre links and Points of Presence, to strengthen its response to customer requirements.
RAI Amsterdam Conference 11-15 September | Exhibition 12-16 September
IBC2014 Discover More
IBC stands at the forefront of innovation, drawing more than 52,000+ creative, technical and business professionals from over 170 countries. It couples a comprehensive exhibition covering all facets of today’s industry with a highly respected peer reviewed conference that helps to shape the way the industry will develop. Also, take advantage of a variety of extra special features included as part of your registration at no extra cost: • IBC Content Everywhere IBC Content Everywhere Europe is the first in a series of exciting new events focusing on rich media production, devices, apps, digital marketing, social media, content personalisation, big data, cloud services, second screens, investment and much more • IBC Big Screen Experience providing the perfect platform for manufacturer demonstrations, ground breaking screenings and insightful, free to attend conference sessions focusing on the latest developments in digital cinema
www.ibc.org IBC Third Floor, 10 Fetter Lane, London, EC4A 1BR, UK t. +44 (0) 20 7832 4100 f. +44 (0) 20 7832 4130 e. info@ibc.org
• IBC Content Everywhere Workflow Solutions dedicated to file-based technologies and provides attendees with the opportunity to track the creation management journey • IBC Awards celebrating the personalities and the organisations best demonstrating creativity, innovation and collaboration in our industry • IBC Future Zone a tantalising glimpse into the future of tomorrow’s electronic media
SatEvents: IBC2014
Newtec launches Dialog with scalable platform at IBC For the first time at IBC, Newtec is showcasing its efficient, flexible and scalable Newtec Dialog multiservice platform to visitors at its booth in Hall 1, A49. Dialog is a scalable and flexible multiservice platform which allows operators to build and adapt their infrastructure easily as their business and the satellite market grows and changes. “IBC 2014 marks the European Launch of our Newtec Dialog platform, which is designed to be used for every type of network: from the very smallest, to the very largest, and from single coverage to multispot High Throughput Satellite (HTS) networks,”
said Serge Van Herck, CEO of Newtec. The platform is designed to give operators optimal modulation and bandwidth allocation regardless of the application it is being used for.
Newtec’s engineers have achieved this by inventing a new patented return link technology called MX-DMA or CrossDimensional Multiple Access. Together with the new HighResCoding (HRC), it combines the best of both worlds. It enables services to run more efficiently than ever before over satellite, while still providing the option to have the platform also run in either SCPC or MF-TDMA. For dedicated capacity services MxDMA typically brings two attractive options when compared to SCPC: Customers can save more than 35% bandwidth or serve 54% more customers with the same bandwidth.
MultiDyne wows with its SilverBACK range at IBC2014 At IBC2014, MultiDyne will showcase a broad range of revolutionary fibreoptic-based video and audio transport solutions designed specifically for pro A/V and broadcast applications. New features for its SilverBACK family of camera-mounted fibre transport solutions will be presented, including a new operator control panel that offers user-friendly controls and displays. The SilverBACK family now includes four models: the flagship SilverBACK-II; the SilverBACK-II-L for multi-camera production; the SilverBACK-II 4K-L, a feature-rich model that includes Ethernet support and a video option for viewfinder or monitor viewing in the field, enabling camera operators to turn any 4K camera into a true Ultra HD multi-camera production; and the SilverBACK II-4K, a low-cost model without the viewfinder/monitor viewing option, designed to support traditional film-style productions. Ultra HD support can be added to any existing SilverBACK system through a simple upgrade, enabling customers to deliver a state-of-the-art 4K television experience cost-effectively. Another key demonstration at IBC2014 will be the MultiDyne LightningSwitch, a 48x48 optical-to-optical routing switch 50 | SatellitePro | September 2014
that simplifies the routing of fibre-optic signals within broadcast infrastructures by eliminating the need for fibre patch panels. LightningSwitch is perfect for a variety of applications, including broadcast and transmission facilities, sports venues, outside broadcast vehicles, cross-campus networks, postproduction and satellite uplink management. It can be integrated seamlessly with
existing routing infrastructures and standard broadcast architectures. MultiDyne will also showcase the recently introduced Dingo, a new fibre transport card set. Dingo supports a wide range of camera signals-3G HDSDI, composite video, analogue or digital audio with cross-conversion, intercom, serial data and Gigabit Ethernetover a single fibre-optic cable. PRO
11TH NOVEMBER 2014
SUMMIT & AWARDS
12th November 2 12TH NOVEMBER 2014
Summit & ARAB HDTV GROUP MEETING AwArdS
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To DEbaTE To cElEbRaTE www.broadcastprome.com/summitandawards2014 SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Raz Islam | +971 50 451 8213 raz.islam@cpimediagroup.com
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SatConnectivity
The connected user
As consumers are purchasing more ‘smart’ devices like smartphones, tablets, wearables and other home devices, there is a greater expectation that full functionality must be achievable anywhere on the planet According to GSMA’s The Mobile Economy Report, almost half of the population of the earth now uses mobile communications. Over the past four years, a billion mobile subscribers were added. The total now stands at 3.4 billion, where subscribers are growing four times faster than global population. Data will be the driving force of growth with a CAGR of 50% to 2020. But consider some key geographies and the workability of these ‘smart devices’. For example, Australia has a remote land area of 7,700 square kms, where only 1% of the land is populated. Also consider 54 | SatellitePro | September 2014
China, where less than 45% of the land is populated. Remote land areas indicate limited connectivity. Extending mobile networks into remote or rural areas such as these presents both physical and business challenges in connecting people. Does this mean that telcos should ignore the need for connectivity in such areas? Surely not. Connecting users in such remote geographies is where satellite connectivity will become increasingly crucial to ‘smart’ companies. Operators need to consider the following trends to fulfil connectivity for users today:
• Satellite Integration: As users become more globalised, smart device manufacturers will be expected to provide not only cellular but also satellite connectivity options in their devices. • Connect Everywhere: Whilst manufacturers are mulling over the feasibility of the satellite option, consumers will look for a device that facilitates the synergy between cellular and satellite connectivity. • Device Intelligence: Consumers will want a device that is intelligent enough to make decisions based on coverage,
“With online privacy concerns driving more security consciousness, satellite connectivity will become more appealing especially when roaming into networks that are unknown” ASHER FAREDI, Product Manager for Land IP, Thuraya
speed of connection and affordability. So in the home, the smart device may interoperate with the wired internet connection or cellular network, while outside it may interact with the wireless cloud or the satellite network. The bottom line is that the user will expect the best service available • Connect Everything: Consumers will look for a device that acts as a central hub of connectivity that is interoperable with multiple standards, such as WiFi, Bluetooth and Zigbee, and will need to be transparent to the user, requiring minimal user interaction. • Any application: Consumers will expect to maintain their existing usage pattern of applications, such as internet browsing, social media and voice calls, and will not want to know the reasons why they cannot, based on their geographic location. • Monitor Everything: As connectivity via the Internet of Things (IoT) rapidly increases, users will want to monitor and control everything from their home lighting to their personal health status. Energy and utility companies will need to be able to monitor every connection on the grid irrelevant of location. A device that enables satellite connectivity will prove to be increasingly important for such machine-to-machine operations. • Staying Safe: With online privacy concerns driving more security consciousness, satellite connectivity will become more appealing, especially when roaming into networks that are unknown, for example
when travelling or connecting into the Wi-Fi cloud in a connected city. A satellite provider with ubiquitous coverage will be an entity that is trusted by users. A device with a satellite-only mode will be able to connect to a trusted satellite network, giving peace of mind to the user. The Thuraya SatSleeve, an adaptor that transforms an iPhone or Android device into a satellite phone, marked the first time that a satellite operator launched a product with mass consumer appeal and extended its reach beyond traditional vertical sectors. Although the SatSleeve represented a significant breakthrough in the world of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), industry players are now scrambling to follow suit, launching ‘innovative’ products that essentially have similar functionality to existing products. Concentration is being focused on aesthetics without much attention to what consumers actually want. But the connected consumers have spoken, highlighting their needs clearly. To innovate, the satellite industry needs to look at fresher ways of appealing to this new user - only then can we say that we are truly connected to their needs. PRO
About the Author Asher Faredi is Thuraya’s Product Manager for Land IP. He is responsible for developing Thuraya’s satellite broadband portfolio and providing specialist counsel to business development and management projects within the sector.
September 2014 | SatellitePro | 55
SatGuest
Switching to satellite With the proliferation of smart devices, there is a growing need for higher bandwidth data offerings. Where terrestrial fibre-optic connectivity is limited, satellite data communications step in Since the 1990s, when the business of delivering internet via satellite emerged, most of the market has chosen satellite solely for internet connectivity. Nobody was expecting the massive amounts of data consumption through various means of communication like HD videoconferencing that we use on our computers and devices today. Smartphones, tablets and other smart devices need constant web connectivity for various functionality and so, technology has evolved to use broadband infrastructure like fibre-optic cables for communication. Very soon, high-speed internet will take over many of the applications currently delivered via satellite. We are seeing nascent signs of this in digital broadcasting, where live streaming is on the rise as an alternative to using satellite trucks. Sport, which was once only broadcast via satellite from most stadiums, now heads for the broadcast centre in IP format over fibre. However, in rural areas, especially countries that don’t have extensive terrestrial fibre-optic infrastructure, satellite is still at the top of the game. Most of the Middle East as well as Africa, is struggling with connectivity now and satellite will be used for many years to come. There are also other reasons for using more capacity over satellite in the near future. Fibre-optic networks are not necessarily preferred by the banking sector, oil & gas and governments. There are still others that depend on satellite capacity for backing up sensitive data, as terrestrial connectivity could be interrupted at times. According to a recent report by Informa Telecom and Media, by 2016 there will be 1.8 billion in-home video devices, including tablets. This means 70% of all in-home video devices will be able to connect to the internet. 56 | SatellitePro | September 2014
“There are also other reasons for using more capacity over satellite in the near future. Fibre optic networks are not necessarily preferred by the banking sector, oil & gas and governments. There are still others that depend on satellite capacity for backing up sensitive data, as terrestrial connectivity could be interrupted at times� Hadi Nazari Mehrabi, CEO, North Telecom
My view for the broadcasting market is that due to circumstance and competition of satellite operators and content providers, there will be a tendency for a domestic hotspot over countries or territories where people speak the same language or basically have the same legacy and roots in culture. Consequently, there will be a healthy demand for content providers, advertisement campaigns and so forth to make sure that they are targeting the majority of their audience in their marketing plan.Therefore I expect to witness substantial changes and an increased number of TV channels over Africa and Middle East. PRO
Hadi Nazari Mehrabi is the CEO of North Telecom. The company has signed up for multiple transponder capacity to introduce its new broadcasting zone into the market by early next year. It also owns teleport facilities in Germany and Singapore.
2014 Visit Us at the International Broadcasting Convention Hall 5, Booth B.15, 12-16 September 2014 Amsterdam RAI Exhibition and Congress Centre, Netherlands
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