In touch In-flIght - Broadcastpro Middle East

SatNews4Estimated viewersfor London 2012OlympicsHermes Datacomms MEoffers services in KurdistanHermes Datacomms MiddleEast, a specialist providingWide Area Networkcommunications to the upstream oiland gas industry has registered withthe Kurdistan Regional Government’sMinistry of Natural Resources, allowingthem to provide ICT solutions to oiland gas companies in Kurdistan.At the opening of the Kurdistan-Iraq Oil & Gas Conference heldrecently in Kurdistan’s capital cityof Erbil, the Kurdistan RegionalGovernment’s prime minister Dr.Barham Salih stated that they havereached an agreement with the centralgovernment to increase the region’soil export volume to 175,000 barrelsper day in 2012.Kevin Thorley, CEO of HermesDatacomms ME states, “As a principalglobal VSAT service provider, it isof the utmost importance that weeffectively establish operations in theregion ahead of this impending boom.”Chris Beevers, Hermes Datacommsbusiness development manager forQatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman willhead operations in Kurdistan.Optimal Satcom awarded multi-yearcontract with Harris CapRockOptimal Satcom has been awardeda multi-year contract by HarrisCapRock to provide a company-widecapacity management system basedon Optimal Satcom’s EnterpriseCapacity Manager (ECM) andComplan products.As part of the agreement, OptimalSatcom is working with HarrisCapRock to consolidate its legacycapacity management systems intoa single integrated system. Thissystem will simultaneously meet theneeds of Harris CapRock’s energy,maritime and government marketverticals achieving operationalKevin Thorley, CEO, Hermes DatacommsAhsun Murad, president, Optimal Satcomefficiency and cost savings throughbetter utilisation of its leased satellitecapacity. The new system will beJordan MediaCity partnerswith YahLiveSince December 1, 2011, JordanMedia City “JMC” has uplinkedsix HD sport channels from SaudiTelevision to the YahLive satellite at52.5E to cover Europe. It is expectedthat another stream of six HD Arabicchannels will also be uplinked to theYahLive satellite in the near future,according to a JMC spokesman.In 2010, the UAE-based satellitebroadcasting venture YahLive signeda Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with Jordan Media City, theregional media hub based in Amman,Jordan, to define potential areas ofcollaboration on projects and servicesrelated to satellite broadcast. Theareas of partnership include providingup-link services to satellites, play-outcapabilities, and other services.deployed at Harris CapRock’s officesworldwide.Ahsun H. Murad, president andCEO of Optimal Satcom said: “Aconsolidation at this scale representssignificant logistical and operationalchallenges. We have worked closelywith each of the legacy companiesfor many years and understand theirbusinesses well.”Andrew Lucas, global operationsofficer, Harris CapRock said, “HarrisCapRock required the flexibility tofinancially and technically managesubstantial space segment assetsusing a single platform.”BGAN links TSF in LibyaThe work of Télécoms SansFrontières (TSF) in Libya during 2011was enabled with the use of BGANand IsatPhone Pro.In the early months, the focus ofTSF’s efforts was on the thousandsof refugees pouring over theborder into Tunisia.Like other aid agencies,Inmarsat-sponsored TSF joinedforces with the EuropeanCommission’s humanitarianaid department (Echo), the UNHumanitarian Commissionerfor Relief, and the Tunisian CivilDefence organisation to helprefugees arriving at the Chuchatransit camp near Ben Guerdane.IsatPhone Pro proved vital asthe refugee transit camp swelledwith a large proportion of theestimated 200,000 people whocrossed the border in the earlymonths of the conflict.During spring and early summer,TSF enabled a total of 40,000humanitarian calls to be made to 115destinations worldwide for a total of91,500 minutes. By the end of TSF’sAbu Dhabi’s Al Jaber Aviationpartners with Satcom1Al Jaber (AJ) Aviation is tobe the launch customer forSatcom1’s Flight Billing solutionwith Inmarsat connectivity. Theexecutive charter operator, basedin Al Bateen Airport in Abu Dhabi,operates a fleet of EmbraerLineage 1000 and Legacy 600aircraft, plus an Airbus A318Elite+. Satcom1’s Flight Billingmission in November IsatPhone Prohad been extensively used insideLibya supporting humanitarian needs– in Benghazi, Misrata and Sirte.As the Libyan regime retreated,TSF supported a number of reliefagencies. This time a total of 17IsatPhone Pros were deployed.The Agency for Technical Cooperationand Development (Acted)has been working with Unicef inLibya to help restore schools andkey infrastructure.TSF supplied 4GB of data viaBGAN to help Acted carry outassessments for its relief work in Sirte.Support for Acted was broughtabout as a result of TSF’s ongoingwork with the UN Office for the Coordinationof Humanitarian Affairs.allows AJ Aviation to sell prepaidcards with specific dataamounts (such as 100 megabytes)using Inmarsat SwiftBroadbandon its aircraft. Mark Pierotti, AJAviation’s COO, said: “Our aim isto enhance the service we offerour customers. We want to makeit easier for them to buy and usesatellite data.”Thuraya to offerTwitter servicesby SMSTarek Shqairat, director-intercarrierrelations, ThurayaThuraya, the mobile satelliteoperator is the first in the mobilesatellite industry to launch SMSbasedTwitter services for itshandheld consumer base. Thisunique service will enable voiceconsumers to send and receiveTweets via SMS wherever theymay be located within Thuraya’s140-country coverage area toand from their handheld devices.Using the short dedicated SMScode of 1888, users can sign upfor Twitter or link their Thurayaphones with their Twitter accountsor visit the Twitter website formore information.“Through this feature, Thurayaconsumers can consistently feelthat they are part of the modernera and social networkingcommunity which we know is amain driver of our times,” saidThuraya’s director-intercarrierrelations, Tarek Shqairat.4 | SatellitePro | January 2012 January 2012 | SatellitePro | 5

SatNews72Value ofMilSatComrevenues by 2020Arabsat-2B telecom networktransferred to new satelliteArabsat, the Middle Eastbasedsatellite operator hasexecuted its plans to transferits telecommunications networkservices from Arabsat-2B satelliteto its new Arabsat-5C satelliteat 20 degrees East. The newsatellite carries telecommunicationsnetworks across the Arab Statesand the African continent andprivate networks operating at Kabandin addition to Direct-To-Homebouquets transmitted in C-band tothe African continent.The New Arabsat-5C satelliteis considered the third in Arabsat’sfifth generation satellites series,launched over the past two years tosupport the company’s edge in thesatellite telecommunications market.Arabsat’s fourth and fifth generationsatellites, that have been launchedsince 2006, were joined by the latestsatellite of the fifth generation with thepurpose of forming an integrated fleetof satellites operating at Arabsat’sorbital positions of 20, 26 and 30.5degrees East. The satellites providea range of services, at differentbandwidths and areas of coverage,offering connectivity to corporates,organisations and governmentsacross the Middle East, Africa,neighbouring countries in Asia andlarge parts of Europe.It was also reported that theinvestment, in excess of US$1.6billion, towards the manufacturing andoperating of its new fleet of satellites,was sourced mainly from Arabsat’srevenues. Plans are currently underway to manufacture and launchArabsat’s sixth generation satellites inthe coming years.AsiaSat 4 adds three Indian channelsAsia’s leading satellite operatorAsia Satellite TelecommunicationsCo. Ltd. (AsiaSat) announcedthat Pride East Entertainments(Pvt.) Ltd. of India has signed anagreement for C-band capacity onAsiaSat 4 to deliver three Indianfree-to-air satellite channelsserving audiences in the NorthEastern region of India and acrossthe country.NEWS LIVE is a 24-hournews and current affairssatellite channel broadcasting inAssamese and English languages.William Wade, president and CEO of AsiaSatRANG offers Assamese, Hindi andEnglish language entertainmentprogrammes, whereasRAMDHENU, a new satellitechannel, broadcasts music andlifestyle programming in Assamese,Hindi and English languages.“AsiaSat welcomes Pride EastEntertainments to AsiaSat’s SouthAsian channel neighbourhood.We are pleased that Pride Eastappreciates our flexible, reliableand excellent coverage andcustomer service,” said WilliamWade,president and CEO of AsiaSat.SES to increase sales focuson emerging marketsSES plans to further increase thefocus on emerging and growthmarkets and introduce four globalsales regions with a dedicatedmanagement leading the SESteams in each region. The regionsare: Americas, Europe, Africa, andAsia-Pacific/ India/ Middle East. Theywill be headed by Elias Zaccack(Americas), Ferenc Szelényi (Europe),Ibrahima Guimba-Saidou (Africa), andDeepak Mathur (Asia Pacific/ India/Middle East). All four executivesreport to the CCO, Ferdinand Kayser.Ibrahima Guimba-Saidou is joiningSES from Intelsat where he wassenior key account director and haddifferent sales and marketing as wellas systems operations roles overmore than 15 years. His roles includedthe responsibility for the Intelsatrepresentation in Africa. In his new role,he will be based in Johannesburg.Deepak Mathur has successfullyRomain Bausch, president and CEO of SESdeveloped the activities of SES in Asiaand Africa over the past ten years. Heremains based in Singapore.“This organisation and thesenominations are another step on ourway to consolidate our strong positionin Europe and North America whilefocusing our attention on the emergingmarkets, where a lot of the future growthfor SES is coming from”, says RomainBausch, president and CEO of SES.Lufthansa launches in-flightbroadband connectivity in the UAELufthansa passengers from Dubai andAbu Dhabi will now be connectedwhile in-flight via the airline’s FlyNet– the broadband internet connectionon-board between Abu Dhabiand Frankfurt and between Dubai,Frankfurt and Munich. FlyNet wasintroduced almost a year ago onselect North Atlantic routes and isnow available in the Middle East andIran. Currently, 43 of Lufthansa’s longrangeaircraft now have FlyNet andthe carrier expects to equip the entirelong-haul fleet by end-2012.“We are excited to roll out ourtop-tier in-flight internet servicein recognition of the need of ourpassengers to stay in constant touch.Email accessibility is important,particularly for business travellers, andis appreciated by leisure travellerstoo,” said Peter Pollak, Lufthansa’sgeneral manager UAE and DirectorGulf, Afghanistan and Iraq.Lufthansa offers the servicein cooperation with its partnersPanasonic Avionics Corporation andDeutsche Telekom.Yahsat receivesleadership awardin defenceAl Yah Satellite CommunicationsCompany PrJSC (Yahsat) has wonthe 2011 Frost & Sullivan Awardfor its services in the Middle Eastdefence sector. Yahsat is the firstcompany in the region to earn theaward, for its service “YahSecure”,which provides secured and reliablesatellite communications serviceon Ka band, which is suitable formilitary, government, and missioncritical applications.Eng. Rashed Al Ghafri,YahService GM, said: “Weare honoured to receive thisprestigious award, whichrecognises our service that hasenabled us to quickly become apioneering company in the militarysatellite communications market.”In April 2011, Yahsat’s satelliteY1A was successfully deliveredin orbit and is providing satellitecommunications services for bothgovernmental and commercialcustomers across the Middle East,Africa, Europe and South West Asia.The company’s second satellite, Y1B,is currently in the final integrationphase in France and will belaunched in Q1 of 2012.6 | SatellitePro | January 2012 January 2012 | SatellitePro | 7

Welcome toArabsatThePortalof the Middle EastHome of 90% of Free-To-Air HD-TV channels in the MENA region30+ HDTV channels in the MENA region are now exclusively broadcast on Arabsat Badr satellitesat the 26º East hotspot. Indeed, with the new generation of Arabsat satellites, the largest Arabcommunity in the sky brings you more and more power to experience the future. Join us!www.arabsat.com

SatTeleport927Satellite capacityspend by independentteleport operatorsTop teleportoperators of 2011World Teleport Association (WTA) announced its rankings of the Top TeleportOperators of 2011. The annual ranking offers a unique look into the diverse teleportsector of the global communications industryFor the first time in the historyof the rankings by the WorldTeleport Association (WTA), theteleport operators reportedtheir total spending on satellitecapacity. The total spending ofthe world’s top 20 independentoperators was nearly US$1 billionper year on transponder leasing,equal on average to 45% of theirrevenues. The association’s topoperator rankings are compiledby surveying teleport operatorsaround the world on their facilities,services and business results.These rankings provide an insightinto the sometimes less glamorousrealities of the teleport sector.Rankings were reported inthree categories: the IndependentTop Twenty, the Global Top Twenty,and what the association calls the“Fast Twenty.”The independent top twentyThe ‘Independent Top Twenty’ranks teleport operators basedon revenue from all sources. Thelist focuses on the independentoperators at the core of thebusinesss, excluding companieswhose primary business isownership and operation ofa satellite fleet or terrestrialnetwork. In 2011, four newoperators joined the list – CobbettHill Earth station, EncompassDigital Media, Europe Media Port,and NewSat.The global top twentyThis category ranks companiesbased on revenues from allcustomised communications’sources and includes operatorsof teleports, satellite fleetsand business-to-business fibrenetworks. Three companiesmake their debut on the globaltop twenty list in 2011 – du,Encompass Digital Media andGE Satcom.The ‘Fast Twenty’The Fast Twenty ranks all teleportoperatingcompanies based on yearover-yearrevenue growth in theirmost recent fiscal years. NewcomerSantander Teleport was the fastestof the fast with an impressive 531%growth – the kind of growth that onlya startup company can generate inits first few years. Also new to thelist are Encompass Digital Media,NewSat and SES.Unique insight into teleport sector“This year the top operators’survey has an interesting storyto tell,” said Robert Bell, WTA’sexecutive director. “The ‘GlobalTop Twenty’ had a combinedrevenue of $12.85 billion, whilethe ‘Independent Top Twenty’had combined revenues of$2.15 billion. In the 2011 survey,respondents reported on theirtotal spending on satellitecapacity in the most recent,complete fiscal year. Theindependent operators spent$927 million on satellite capacity,which represented 45% onaverage of their total revenues.In addition, companies with lessthan $25 million in total revenuesIndependent Top Twenty1. Harris CapRock (USA)2. GlobeCast (France)3. Arqiva Broadcast & Media (UK)4. Globecomm Systems (USA)5. RRsat Global Communications(Israel)6. Encompass Digital Media(USA)7. TeleCommunications Systems(Government Services) (USA)8. GE Satcom (Germany)9. du (UAE)10. Teleport Internacional BuenosAires (Argentina)11. Satlink Communications (Israel)12. Essel Shyam Communciations(India)13. NewSat (Australia)14. Newcom International (USA)15. Central Europe TelecomServices (Germany)16. CET Teleport (Germany)17. Jordan Media City (Jordan)18. ATCi (USA)19. Cobbett Hill Earth Station (UK)20. Europe Media Port (Cyprus)Robert Bell, executive director,World Teleport Associationspent an average of 54% oftheir total revenues on satelliteGlobal Top Twenty1. Intelsat (Bermuda)2. SES (Luxembourg)3. Eutelsat (France)4. Telenor Satellite Broadcasting(Norway)5. Hughes Network Systems (USA)6. Telesat (Canada)7. Harris CapRock (USA)8. EchoStar Satellite Services Corp.(USA)9. GlobeCast (France)10. Arqiva Broadcast & Media (UK)11. Thaicom (Thailand)12. Hispasat (Spain)13. Globecomm Systems (USA)14. AsiaSat (China)15. RRsat Global Communications(Israel)16. Encompass Digital Media(USA)17. TeleCommunications Systems(Government Services) (USA)18. Gazprom Space Systems(Russia)19. GE Satcom (Germany)20. du (UAE)The total spending of theworld’s top 20independent operatorswas nearly US$1 billionper year on transponderleasing, equal on averageto 45% of their revenuescapacity. It’s interesting to notethat capacity spending as apercentage of revenues variedwidely – from a high of 70% toa low of 17% – depending onthe teleport operator’s type ofbusiness.” PROFast Twenty1. Santander Teleport (Spain)2. Encompass Digital Media(USA)3. Europe Media Port (Cyrpus)4. TeleCommunications Systems(Government Services) (USA)5. Cobbett Hill Earth Station (UK)6. Globecomm Systems (USA)7. Newcom International (USA)8. EchoStar Satellite ServicesCorp. (USA)9. AsiaSat (China)10. Teleport Internacional BuenosAires (Argentina)11. NewSat (Australia)12. CET Teleport (Germany)13. Jordan Media City (Jordan)14. Eutelsat (France)15. Essel Shyam Communciations(India)16. Hispasat (Spain)17. du (UAE)18. RRsat Global Communications(Israel)19. SES (Luxembourg)20. Harris CapRock (USA)10 | SatellitePro | January 2012January 2012 | SatellitePro | 11

SatInnovations27Value of satellitevideo services bythe year 2020Agreement to enhancemaritime communicationComtech EF DataCorporation and Thrane& Thrane announcedthe successful completion ofinteroperability testing of theSAILOR 900 VSAT marine stabilisedantenna systems and the ROSSOpen Antenna Management (ROAM)protocol. The interoperability willenable the SAILOR 900 VSATantenna systems on maritimevessels to globally roam acrossmultiple satellite beams, maintainingconnectivity, moving throughdifferent satellite footprintsand enhancing communicationcapabilities at sea.The ROAM protocol offers acommon management interfacefor Comtech EF Data’s RoamingOceanic Satellite Server (ROSS) andthird-party Antenna Control Units(ACUs) by providing a generic set ofcommands, information, interfacesand status queries. ROSS is anintegrated location server that worksin conjunction with Comtech EFData’s Vipersat Management Systemto facilitate on-the-move satellitecommunications for oceanic vessels.Numerex upgrades satellitebasedasset monitoring solutionNumerex Corp, a provider of securemachine-to-machine (M2M) productsand services, announced its newsatellite-based end-to-end remote assetmonitoring solution, which enablesValue Added Resellers (VARs) toprovide secure, configurable assetvisibility to their customers seeking tomonitor liquid tanks and doors. Thefull solution includes the lightweightyet rugged Numerex Satellite FLEXtracking device, the wireless NumerexFLEX SNSR interface which can beconnected to a broad range of assetsensors, and the Numerex FASTrackapplication which makes sense of thecaptured data.Remote monitoring of liquidtank levels can significantly reduceoperational expenses by optimisingfleet dispatch as well as identifyingleaks or pilferage. Global visibilityto door open/close events helpsensure driver and asset safety andalso reduces cargo shrinkage. Formany installations, Numerex’s solutionenables exterior mounting of thesatellite transmitter and internalmounting of a magnetic door sensorfor a no-drilling solution.Pleiades 1A inorbitReynald Seznec, president and CEO ofThales Alenia SpacePleiades 1A, the first new-generationobservation satellite operated byFrench space agency CNES wasorbited by Arianespace on-board aSoyuz launcher from the Guiana SpaceCenter in French Guiana. Thales AleniaSpace, working for industrial primecontractor Astrium, was responsible for45% of this satellite.The Pleiades satellites arededicated to dual (military/civil)observation applications. They featurean optical instrument with an apertureof 65 cm, built by Thales AleniaSpace, and providing multispectralviews in the visible and near-infraredbands, with very high resolution (70cm) and a swath width of 20 km.In addition to the optical payloadfor Pleiades satellites, Thales AleniaSpace also supplied the encryption/decryption module for the uplinksand downlinks.“With this major contribution toPleiades, Thales Alenia Space isproud of once again being able tocontribute our expertise in opticalimaging systems to CNES andAstrium,” said Reynald Seznec,president and CEO of ThalesAlenia Space.Airborne broadbandsatcom performance at 8Mbps via 12-inchViasat demonstrated a mobilebroadband system using an ultrasmallaperture 12-inch Ka-bandtracking antenna. The networkincludes the ViaSat VR-12 Kaairborne satellite antenna andArcLight 2 modem mounted to amobile vehicle. As the mobile vehicledrove around, the tracking antennamaintained its link with the satellitewhile demonstrating simultaneousencrypted HD video backhaul,video conferencing, IP phonecommunications, and web browsing.In the course of the demonstrationthe mobile satellite network wasconfigured in a number of differentmodes showing a variety of forward linkand return link bit rates. Configurationsincluded ISR (Intelligence Surveillanceand Reconnaissance) operations inVSAT services for Iraq-basedoffices of Nabors IndustriesHarris CapRock Communicationshas signed a two-year contractto provide Nabors Industries withsatellite communications for multipleland rigs and a base office in Iraq.Harris CapRock’s Very Small ApertureTerminal (VSAT) services will provideNabors personnel working on remoteIraq land drilling sites the ability tointerconnect with the local base officeand corporate headquarters.“We have worked with Naborssince 2004 on short-term drillingopportunities, and have providedLarry Taylor, deputy GM, ViaSat GlobalMobile Broadbandwhich the forward link maintained at4 Mbps and the return link performedat 6 Mbps.“Achieving this level of satellitesystem performance in such a smallphysical package is another importantmilestone for us and especially forour broadband ISR customers,” saidLarry Taylor, deputy GM, ViaSat GlobalMobile Broadband.Tom Eaton, president, Harris CapRockservices to other customers with Iraqactivities since 2003,” said Tom Eaton,president, Harris CapRock.Astriumcompletesacquisition ofVizadaEric Béranger, CEO of Astrium ServicesAstrium Services and Vizadateam up to become one of theworld’s largest providers of satellitecommunications and geo-informationservices. Astrium, Europe’s leadingspace company, completes theacquisition of Vizada after receivingthe necessary regulatory approvals.Vizada is an independent providerof global satellite communicationsservices and will be integrated intoAstrium Services. This acquisitionrepresents a total consideration of€ 673 million and contributes toEADS’ strategic Vision 2020.According to Eric Béranger,CEO of Astrium Services: “Together,we now provide our customers andpartners with the broadest rangeof product and service choices– from fixed to mobile services,and from government to civil andprivate customers.”With over 3,200 employees now,Astrium Services will be composedof four business lines: TelecomCommercial, Telecom Governmental,Secure Satcom Systems, and GEO-Information Services.12 | SatellitePro | January 2012 January 2012 | SatellitePro | 13

“One of Australia’s largestretail chains establishedsatellite transmission asa cornerstone of deliveryof content and corporatecommunications to over800 stores.”SatResearchScalable networkwhere capacity stayssame and everyadditional site lowersthe overall averagecost per siteArea AArea Boptions, are unaffected by damage to physical lines or cables.With satellite based networks, each new location needs simply to have a satellite dish installed,connected in the location to the digital content system and pointed to the chosen satellite in thesky, with no impact on inter-location communications.disaster recoverya satellite network can also serve as a standby back-up for terrestrial networks and paysfor itself in a digital media solution. Clients use the satellite network during “normal mode”for broadcasting applications. however, in the event of a disaster when terrestrial networksfail, mission critical voice and data traffic can be re-routed over the secure satellite networkuntil terrestrial communications are restored, enabling the core business to function withoutdisruption.Single network tomanage with noadditional connectionpoints which presentpotential points of failureSatellite signage networkArea DArea EArea CSeparate networkDigitallyconnected signage• As signage networkgrows capacity staysthe same• Can act as backupnetwork if core businessnetwork failsBenefits of satellite technologyDigital Signage Expo (DSE) quarterly manage. Other delivery options with mode” for broadcasting applications.• Most efficient means of transmitting contentBusiness Barometer, which analyses comparable footprints usually require However, in the event of a disasterresearch data collected • from Multiple 447 locations multiple configured terrestrial to receive connectivity content simultaneously when terrestrial networks fail,digital signage providers • (84% Cost-effective in and vendors, scalable therefore with incremental reducing ROI mission critical voice and data trafficNorth America), over a quarter of efficiency. Satellite communications can be re-routed over the secure• As signage network grows satellite capacity stays the samefuture company budgets will be also have the advantage of scalability satellite network until terrestrialabsorbed by “deployment • Multicast and content and from rapid a deployment, single point across quickly large geographical communications areas are restored,delivery” activities. In fact, • the Secure and private establishing networka broadband network enabling the core business toinvestment required in “hardware,• Manage one network,virtuallycomparedanywheretoandmultipleunliketerrestrial vendorsfunction without disruption.deployment and delivery”, averages terrestrial options, are unaffected by• Less connection points (potential failure points) than traditional networkover 45% of budgets.damage to physical lines or cables. Benefits of satellite technologyTherefore, selecting • the Rapid most deployment With and greater satellite geographical based networks, reach • Most efficient means of transmittingcost affordable communications • Not affected if terrestrial/traditional each new location needs networks simply are disrupted contentservice is paramount for any digital to have a satellite dish installed, • Multiple locations configured to• Can serve as a back-up network for terrestrial networkssignage business and all alternatives connected in the location to theincluding satellite, should bedigital content system and pointedconsidered. Satellite technology is to the chosen satellite in the sky,ideal for not only digitally connected with no impact on inter-locationsignage, but also for applications communications.such as digital cinema, tele-medicine,e-learning and other broadcastingapplications.Reliability and scalabilitySatellite communications ensurethere is only one network toDisaster recoveryA satellite network can also serveas a standby back-up for terrestrialnetworks and pays for itself in adigital media solution. Clients usethe satellite network during “normalreceive content simultaneously• Cost-effective and scalable withincremental ROI• As signage network grows satellitecapacity stays the same• Multicast content from a single pointacross large geographical areas• Secure and private network• Manage one network, compared tomultiple terrestrial vendors• Less connection points (potentialfailure points) than traditional network• Rapid deployment and greatergeographical reach• Not affected if terrestrial/traditionalnetworks are disrupted• Can serve as a back-up network forterrestrial networksPractical applicationSeven years ago, one of Australia’slargest retail chains establishedsatellite transmission as acornerstone of delivery of contentand corporate communications toits 800+ stores. Customers and staffare now kept informed about newproducts, special offers and thelatest information, via digital signagedisplays throughout each store.They have summarised the keyoutcomes of this project as:• The ability to deliver content bysatellite “one-to-many” so thatall stores concurrently receiveexactly the same content, boostingefficiency, effectiveness andconsistency.• The ability to deliver content viatheir own private satellite network,providing security, safety, and reliability.• Satellite bandwidth remains thesame over time no matter how manysites are rolled out, resulting in rapidROI and minimal administration.Greek shipping magnate, AristotleOnassis once said: “The secretof business is to know somethingnobody else knows” and thisdescribes this retailer.ConclusionIf you are seeking seamless, secure,reliable and cost-effective transmissionof content to many locations, no other9minsMENASAT @ CABSAT 2012GVF MENASAT Satellite InterferenceMitigation Forum29th February | 11:00 to 17:30Organised by GVFIn association with sIRG and incoordination with RFI-EUI & WBU-ISOGPart of the CABSAT ACADEMYwww.cabsat.com & www.gvf.org* FREE registration for CABSAT attendees *To send a 100mb file to1,000 sites via a 1.5mbpssatellite connectionsolution delivers as well as satellitetechnology. Conventional cableand fibre optic technology is suitedto point-to-point communications,not broadcasting large amountsof the same digital content.A private and secure satellitesolution provides the most efficientmethod to multicast content, isscalable without incrementallyincreasing costs and can berapidly deployed anywhere inworld. Additionally, your digitallyconnected signage network canalso serve as a back-up networkin the event of a disaster whenyour terrestrial networks fail,enabling the core business tofunction without disruption. PROWhite paper, courtesy Newsat Ltd(www.newsat.com)GVF MENASAT Satellite Markets &Services Summit1st March | 11:00 to 17:30Organised by GVFPart of the CABSAT ACADEMYGVF welcomes SatelliteProas media partner forMENASAT @ CABSAT 201222 | SatellitePro | January 2012

SatTrends10.2Global mobilesatellite servicesmarket in 2020IP Over Satellite:Reaching beyondthe cableinfrastructureIP over satellite throws open most of the potential of two-way communication, makingit possible to deliver real-time linear broadcasting, on-demand content and OTTservices via satellite in addition to catering to diverse sectors such as manufacturingand mobile hospitality writes Simen Frostad, chairman, Bridge TechnologiesInternet kiosk in AfricaSimen Frostad, chairman,Bridge TechnologiesDelivering connectivity – internetaccess, voice-over-IP, streamingvideo, and so on – over asatellite link to homes and smallbusinesses might be thought ofas a solution more appropriate fordeveloping regions than countrieswith mature telecommunications’networks and cable infrastructure.In fact, many countries in Europeand elsewhere have largeareas where populations arethinly spread or beyond thereach of traditional cable-basedbroadband for various reasons.Often, these communities make asignificant economic contributionsin terms of agriculture and lightindustry, and governmentsgenerally want to keep thesecommunities viable and avoidletting them fall behind themetropolitan population throughlack of access to connectedservices. Countries like Spain,Greece and Portugal areexamples: with a substantialproportion of the population livingin rural areas that are not servedby broadband-over-cable whereconnectivity by satellite is anattractive solution. Governmentand regional initiatives are underway to promote the penetrationof internet access into remotecommunities, both in Europe andAfrica, with initiatives such as‘internet kiosks’ that offer accessto the web as a communityresource. In Greece, hill villagesare equipped with a satelliteaccess point, feeding a local wifihotspot so that villagers can usetheir own computers online.Connectivity across theMENA regionIn the Middle East regionand in North Africa, there areboth concentrated centresof population and regions ofrelatively low density, so inGovernment and regional initiatives are under way topromote the penetration of internet access into remotecommunities, both in Europe and Africa, with initiativessuch as ‘internet kiosks’ that offer access to the web asa community resourcemany respects the situation isnot that different from someparts of Europe. Cable-basedinfrastructure may not have beendeveloped to the same degree,but widespread mobile phoneownership has leapfrogged thefixed-line telecommunicationsmarket. Mobile access to theinternet would be the obviousnext step in connecting remotecommunities, but for the fullbroadband experience…this is stillsome way off.IP connectivity by satellite is agood solution in the meanwhile.IP over satellite throws openmost of the potential of twowaycommunication, makingit possible to deliver real-timelinear broadcasting, on-demandcontent and OTT services viasatellite. The technology createsan opportunity for satelliteproviders to use their capacity todeliver a user experience that iscomparable to what’s availablevia wired broadband.Throughout the Middle Eastregion there is a widespreadfamiliarity with satellite as ameans of receiving television, andsatellite equipment companiesare now packaging offerings forconsumers and small businessesthat are easy to install andcalibrate without expert help.These are often provided to theend-user as part of a serviceprovider’s deal for access, and insome parts of the region, serviceproviders work in conjunction withgovernment agencies promotingthe growth of internet use.These providers segment theircustomer base carefully, offeringservices closely tailored to therequirements of each sector:users include not just consumerswanting internet access, email,24 | SatellitePro | January 2012 January 2012 | SatellitePro | 25

SatInterviewhighly transportable systems.To accommodate this need, wehave developed a complete lineof these systems in X, Ku and Kaband. I expect the market for theseproducts to be a growth area for usand our partners.You set yourself a challenging goalof coming up with a new productor a new market each year. In 2010what success did you achieve inthis endeavor?It is something I insist on, actually.Again, innovation is our heritage.In this year, both our GSM andCDMA switches were rolled outto Tier 1 level. We initiated VSATservice in the maritime businessand developed a family of tacticalterminals, including a remarkableproduct we call Manpacks. Forthe enterprise side, we introduceda new software product calledTEMPO, which is targeted fordistance learning and corporatecommunications purposes. Wehave also entered the cellularconsulting business with ouracquisition of ComSource. Finallywe received Ka-band contractsfrom Hughes for its Jupiterprogramme gateway terminalsand from governments worldwide.This may be the most importantdevelopment because Ka-band willbecome increasingly important inthe years ahead.You witnessed the dotcombubble burst and survived.What would your advice be tosatellite companies during thecurrent period of prolongedglobal recession?We also had our problems butadjusted and were flexible in ourthinking. Our major problem wasthat we made bandwidth capacitycommitments before we had therequirements. Fortunately we didnot borrow money and were ableto buy our way out of satellite andfibre capacity agreements that wemade during the euphoria of thatfirst bubble.This period is different becausethe markets are different. The“velocity” of the markets and theability to be disintermediated bycompetition is higher than ever. IThe “velocity” of the markets and the ability to bedisintermediated by competition is higher than ever…Have enough (by way of) different products andmarkets to hedge against downturnswould say that the main thing is dois to not leverage one’s businessbased upon optimistic projectionswhich might change very quickly.Diversify around your core offeringsand innovate. Have enough (by wayof) different products and marketsto hedge against downturns. Easiersaid than done, I know. However,it is a key to survival and there areways to do it. PROAbout David HershbergDavid Hershberg started his career in 1959 at ITTDefense Communications working on earth stations forthe first active communications satellite carrier as wellas many other early satellite programmes. He foundedITT Space Communications, Inc. in 1968; Comtech, Inc.Systems Division in 1972; and Satellite TransmissionSystems, Inc. in 1976, each becoming successful.During his 18 years as President and CEO of SatelliteTransmission Systems, Inc., STS became the globalleader in the field of satellite communications groundstation systems. STS had annual sales in excess of$110 million, and an installed base of over 1,000major earth terminals. In addition to his duties at STS,Hershberg also served as the president of the SatelliteCommunications Group of California Microwave Inc.,which included responsibility for EF DATA, Inc. andCMI Mobile Products. David E. Hershberg foundedGlobecomm Systems Inc., in 1994 and has been itschief executive officer and chairman of the Board ofDirectors since its inception.30 | SatellitePro | January 2012

SatTrendsKa-band leads theway - IIIIn the third of our series, Serge Van Herck, CEO of Newtec, explains how Ka-bandhigh throughput satellites will transform the business of satellite service providers,teleports and broadcasters and impact video contribution and distributionSatellite operators around theworld know it: the future of satellitecommunications is called Kaband.This is simply because thetotal capacity offered by othercommercial frequency bandscannot possibly cope with the everincreasing bandwidth requirementsof the cyber world, certainly notat a competitive price againstterrestrial services. Relief will notcome from the satellite broadcastindustry, as new channels, HDTVand soon 3D TV, claim increasingshares of the available Ku and Cband capacity. In the long run, theonly way for satellite operators andsatellite services providers to stayin the game is therefore to launchor use new Ka-band satellites.Many launches are now plannedaround the globe for the comingyears and although the main targetof these launches is large-scaleconsumer broadband accessnetworks, the availability of new Kabandsatellites is very likely to havea major impact on the rest of thesatellite market, including broadcastand business applications.For video contributionWith the globalisation of mediaconsuming habits, videocontribution has become a matterof exchanging audiovisual contenton a large scale. Most broadcastersSerge Van Herck, CEO, Newtecare members of international TVand radio contribution platforms forthe exchange of news, sport andlive event broadcast. A decadeago these platforms were stillmostly based on satellite links,even for transmissions from studioto studio. But since then, factorssuch as the cost of the bandwidth,the reach of the coverage andthe availability of the capacityhave pushed broadcasters toturn to fibre networks and evento the public internet to fulfil theirmedia exchange needs. In fact,unless fibre is not yet availablelocally, satellite seems to be moreand more confined to the onlyapplication fibre cannot address:mobile news gathering.The availability of Ka-bandsatellite networks could changethis picture. Indeed, the capacitywould not only be cheaper andmore abundant, but the starconfiguration of the satellitenetwork is perfect to centralisemedia content in order to betterdistribute it to multiple recipients,something which is moreThe star configuration of the satellite network isperfect to centralise media content in order to betterdistribute it to multiple recipients, something which ismore complicated and expensive to achieve with fibrecomplicated and expensive toachieve with fibre. With this idea,Ka-band gateways can becomemedia gateways where the mediacontent is made available for highspeed real-time or on-demandaccess from multiple sites acrosslarge geographical areas.The implementation ofsuch contribution networkshowever requires a very specificinfrastructure in the hub and inthe terminals in order to copewith the challenges of schedulingtransmissions, reservingcapacity, coping with rain fade,storing media content in thehub, interconnecting gatewayswith fibre, organising the mediadistribution and controlling theaccess rights to the media. Thecase of mobile news gatheringis particularly tricky since thereservation and allocation ofsatellite capacity depends onwhere (which spot beam) the SNGis located. That said not only wouldthe capacity be cheaper and moreabundant using Ka-band but thestar configuration of the satellitenetwork is ideal to centralisemedia content in order to betterdistribute it to multiple recipients.We could therefore see a changein the hosting and operation ofnetworks which could inducechanges in the value chain andoffer new business opportunities forservice providers and operators.For video distributionKa-band Direct-to-home TVdistribution already exists in theUnited States. It comes bothwith advantages and drawbacks.The advantages are the smallerantenna size and the possibility tobroadcast regional content withina limited geographical area, usingonly one or several spot beams(for example over a large city). Thedrawbacks are the large numberof uplink transmission systems thatare needed (one for each beam)and the lower availability of thesignal because of rain fade, whichcan’t be compensated by adaptivecounter measures in the case ofone-way multicast applications.The spot beam advantagecould prove very interesting forTV distribution over regions suchas Europe or the Middle-East.Regional broadcasters or TVstations of smaller countries couldconsider broadcasting their TVprogrammes via satellite. This isbecause the limited foot print ofthe spot beam would avoid thecurrent problem of prohibitivemedia content distribution rights(movies, music) when the contentcan be received in much largergeographical areas than thetargeted country or region.Provided the signal availabilityis high enough, Ka spot beamscould also be used for the primarydistribution of digital terrestrial ormobile TV over smaller countriesor regions, which is todayeconomically impossible becauseof the high cost of the Ku or C-bandcapacity or because of other issuesrelated to distribution rights outsideof the country. Even if they have touplink from the gateways, televisiondistribution platforms are onewaytransmission infrastructuresthat can easily be added next tobroadband access networks, on ahosting basis or as part of a sharedplatform operated by the satelliteor service provider. PRO32 | SatellitePro | January 2012 January 2012 | SatellitePro | 33

SatEvents80Reach of satellitetelevision among MENAhouseholds by 2016“Cabsat 2012 willexpand by 15%”In conversation with event organiser, David Roberts, industry group manager, DWTCCurrent status of the show (as ofmid-December 2011):“We are a long way ahead ascompared to the same time lastyear and that has already madeCABSAT 2012 the biggest CABSATever. With more than 95% of theexhibition space booked, it puts usin a stronger position and allowsus to incorporate more visitordrivenfeatures in the show.“Response from exhibitors:“In terms of exhibition space, wewill be expanding by 15%. Weare already moving into areasthat we had not moved into. Theaisle space is now 2.5 metreswide, which is the minimum thatis allowed for exhibitions. Wehave seen our existing exhibitorsmove into bigger stands and wehave seen a massive influx of newexhibitors. Among the satelliteoperators, we see teleportoperators such as Santander andMilano participating for the firsttime. Paksat, EADS Astrium andInmarsat are all participating forthe first time and companies suchas Skyband have moved intolarger stands.“I believe the key messagethat this region is lucrative forboth manufacturers and all otherplayers in the value chain isreflected in the increased interestfrom exhibitors. All this is goodnews for the region. ExhibitorsDavid Roberts, industry group manager, DWTCare aware that there is a veryspecific quality to this region.While countries such as the UAEmay have a very well developedfibre network, large parts of theMiddle East and Africa have to relyon satellites for communicationand entertainment. In addition,vertical markets such as oil andgas have grown phenomenallyand satellite operators are aliveto this opportunity as well. Whilethe broadcast section of theevent accounts for 2/3rds of theshow, the section dedicated tothe satellite sector is growingenormously. We see a lot ofinterest in countries outside theGCC that look upon countriessuch as the UAE as a rolemodeland CABSAT operatesas a platform for inter-regionalcooperation.”Global interest in the region:“In the last three to five years,there has been massive amountof investment in infrastructurein the region with new satelliteslaunched to serve the region. Theindustry is maturing rapidly. Evenin terms of visitors, we are seeingregistrations from countriesin Eastern Europe. With ourexpanded marketing efforts, youwill see visitors from Africa andS.Asia, among other regions.“Marketing campaign for CABSAT:“This year, in addition to attendingother events and issuingregular press releases, we usedenhanced barter campaigns andsophisticated media platforms topromote our event. From January1, our social media campaign willkick off. We have outsourced thisto a specialised agency. Whilethe marketing for exhibitors isrelationship-based and moreone-to-one, social media willhelp create buzz among potentialvisitors to the event. You cannever have enough quality visitorsto your show. In addition, we areworking with local universitiesto enable them to bring theirstudents for the show.“Networking and learningopportunities during the event:“While many of the exhibitorsare organising corporate eventsaround CABSAT, we will befeaturing vendor-led presentationsunder the umbrella of the CABSATAcademy, within the exhibitionhall. These presentations will notexceed 45 minutes in duration,a win-win situation for all. Thepresentations that is packagedas a byte-sized snapshot allowthe exhibitor to get the messageacross and the visitor has enoughtime to watch and learn and thenmove on to visiting other stands.This year, the very successful GVFsummit last year, will be extendedto two days. All these sessions arefree to attend.”Gauging the success of CABSAT:“For me, after 18 years in tradeshows, when you walk aroundyour show and you cannot talk toexhibitors because they are toobusy talking to visitors, you knowthe event is a success. More so,when they want to talk to you afterthe show. The 2011 event was verymuch like that and I hope 2012will be better. We have intense,almost three-month long, one-onone,post-show interview sessionswith our exhibitors. Based on theirfeedback we try to improve theshow. We are moving to a newformat for 2012 and it promises tobe better than the show held in2011 at the Sheikh Zayed Hall.“Shows such as IBC and NABare decades old, and while wehave some way to go, CABSAT iscurrently achieving double digitgrowth each year in terms ofexhibition size and it will not betoo long before we are knockingon the doors of these two larger,more established events.” PROSatellite TV for65 million MENAhomes by 2016CABSAT, the leading digital mediaevent in the region, is bringingtogether the most dynamic - andlucrative - broadcast markets inthe world. According to the latestresearch by Informa Telecomsand Media, there are 80 milliontelevision households in theMiddle East and North Africamarket. Today satellite televisionreaches 65% of them, but by2016 that proportion will rocketto 80%.With almost 95% of theexhibiting space already sold out,CABSAT is set to welcome leadingcompanies from around the world,including: Arabsat, Astrium, Avid,Canon, Dubai Studio City, EutelsatS.A., For.A Company Limited,Harris Systems, Hitachi Broadcast,Humax, Live, Mediacast,Panasonic, Sony, Salam MediaCast, twofour54 and Al Yahsat.The event is more than justan exhibition. This year thereare even more opportunities forspecialist training, tutorials andhands-on workshops under theumbrella of the CABSAT Academy.The GVF Satellite Summit isextended to two days becauseof the weight of information to beexchanged - there will be 19 newsatellites launched by 2013.Event detailsEvent: CABSATDate: 28 February - 1 March, 2012Venue: Dubai World Trade CentreWebsite: www.cabsat.com34 | SatellitePro | January 2012 January 2012 | SatellitePro | 35

SatEvents15Spacecraft launches asof 2011 with Ka-bandtransponder payloadsgvf forum at cabsat:spotlight on ka-bandDriven by robust market dynamics and technology drivers, the satellitecommunications industry will gather at CABSAT 2012 to address among otherissues, the mature yet escalating force that is communications via satellite Ka-band,at a two-day Global VSAT Forum (GVF), writes Martin Jarrold, chief of InternationalProgramme Development, GVFMartin Jarrold, chief ofInternational ProgrammeDevelopment, GVFAs an official media partner,SatellitePro will cover the two-dayGVF MENASAT@CABSAT 2012.Visit www.broadcastprome.com forregular updatesIt is gratifying to open my columnhere with the news that the GVFagenda during – and followingjust after – the forthcomingCABSAT exhibition will be busierin 2012 than in all the previousyears where I have beeninvolved in the Association’sannual programmes at the DubaiInternational Convention &Exhibition Centre.The subject of Ka-band will bea key focus of the agenda of thesecond day of GVF MENASAT @CABSAT 2012, a day that setsoutto examine and profile thenature of satellite applicationsand technologies in the MENAregion. But, prior to this, MENASATwill investigate an issue that forthe satellite industry, and for itscustomers, is responsible forcausing service interruptions,significant increases in operationalcosts, decreasing reliability, andone that generally impacts industrycompetitiveness – radio frequencyinterference, or RFI.In the September 2011 issue ofSatellitePro, in an article entitled‘The Practicalities of MitigatingInterference’, Martin Coleman,Executive Director of sIRG (theSatellite Interference ReductionGroup) wrote in some detailabout satellite radio frequencyinterference issues – its causes,and how the industry is workingcollaboratively to mitigate it –including the work that sIRG isdoing with GVF. GVF and sIRGwork closely on RFI, and indeedsIRG is one of the organisationswith which GVF is working to bringthe satellite interference agendato the attention of CABSATattendees in 2012.Themes to be included atthe GVF MENASAT @ CABSATare: Addressing SatelliteInterference Challenges; Pro-Active & Re-active Solutions;Training & Certification; ProductQuality Assurance; Carrier ID;Spectrum Initiatives; Space DataAssociation; Network ValidationInitiatives to Address Sub-Optimal& Dysfunctional Networks; Auto-Deploy Antenna Systems.Beyond the dialogue onsatellite interference, thesubjects for discussion duringthe MENASAT Satellite Markets &Services Summit, to be held on 1stMarch, is a widely encompassingoverview of a range of key issueson the current internationalsatellite communications agenda,including: Understanding Today’sand Forecasting Tomorrow’sRegional Growth Drivers; SatelliteTransponder Supply and Demand,and the Dynamics of Ka-band inthe MENA Region: Global andRegional Satellite Operators -Local Knowledge and UniversalMarkets; Satellite-WirelessAccess to Multimedia Solutionson the Move; Mitigating Disaster,Promoting Development, DrivingSustainability; Energy, Maritime,other Key Regional Verticals– The Mission Criticality of theCommunications Space; NewRegulatory Dynamics: MENAAdministrations in a GlobalContext; The DVB-S2 TechnologyAdvantage; SustainableDevelopment Solutions via‘SatCommunity’ CSR Initiatives.The significance of Ka-bandOne of the subjects listed abovebrings me full-circle, back to thesubject of Ka-band. Ka-bandrefers in general to frequenciesroughly in 17-22 GHz downlink and24-31 GHz uplink, as comparedto C-band which refers tofrequencies around 3-4 GHz inthe downlink and around 6-7 GHzin the uplink, and Ku-band refersto frequencies around 10-12 GHzin the downlink and around 13-14GHz in the uplink.Worldwide, as of November2011, a total of 15 global andregional satellite operators havelaunched spacecraft equippedin whole or in part with Ka-bandtransponder payloads. Moreoperators have such satellitesat the planning stage, and in thenear-term the total number ofcompanies in the Ka transpondermarket will have risen to 22. Kabandallows satellite operators toKa-band frequency allocations – set by theInternational Telecommunication Union (ITU) – havea substantial degree of regional commonality, thuslaying the groundwork for harmonised use of the Kabandspectrum internationallyprovide new and better services tokey sectors, and it offers low-costequipment and lower airtime rates:• For the consumer sector (e.g.broadband internet access,advanced video services)• For the government sector (e.g.,policy goals such as ‘Broadbandfor All’; remote education andmedicine; connectivity in remoteor sparsely populated areas,emergency communication)• For the enterprise sector (e.g.,cellular backhaul for LTE and4G; global data communicationsservices for both the mobile andfixed communities; redundancycommunications for the oil andgas, and maritime communities)Ka-band frequency allocations– set by the InternationalTelecommunication Union (ITU)– have a substantial degree ofregional commonality, thus layingthe groundwork for harmoniseduse of the Ka-band spectruminternationally. This is vital for therapid deployment of internationalsatellite services and encouragingthe exploitation of the Ka-band forfixed, transportable and mobilesatellite service.To ensure that citizens andbusinesses can enjoy the benefitsof new Ka-band satellite services,National Regulatory Authorities(NRAs) should enable marketaccess for such systems byensuring the following:• Authorisation procedures andprocesses should be transparentand non-discriminatory, withminimal associated paperworkand costs.• Regulatory fees should belimited to compensating therelevant administrative costs to theregulator.• Wherever possible, blanketlicensing of end-user terminalsshould be employed.• An “Open Skies” policy shouldbe adopted for market accessto satellite capacity, i.e., foreignand national satellite operatorsand service providers should betreated equally.The least onerous licensingfor all parties (regulators andoperators) is a registration system,by which operators inform theregulator of their intent to use aset of frequencies which havealready been approved by thatregulator for this use.The demand for spectrumnever abates. Over theyears satellite systems haveresponded to this increasingdemand by developing evermoreefficient and powerfulspace and ground segments.Now the satellite market hasresponded to the demand forspectrum by developing brandnewstate-of-the-art systems thatcan use the Ka-band.Specific details of theevolving programme for theMENASAT Satellite InterferenceMitigation Forum can beobtained from the GVF website(www.gvf.org) and CABSATwebsite (www.cabsat.com). PRO36 | SatellitePro | January 2012 January 2012 | SatellitePro | 37

SatEvents7.6HTS share of retailsatellite communicationsrevenues by 2020Satellite telecom solutions at Malaysian defence showThe Langkawi International Maritimeand Aerospace exhibition (LIMA) held from 6 – 10 December,2011, for aerospace and maritimemanufacturers attracted more than500 companies and over 50,000trade and public visitors from allover the world. For around 20years, LIMA has assembled decisionmakers and specifiers from acrossthe Asia Pacific for this five-daybiennial event.With a portfolio of satellitecommunications solutions,Thuraya was one of the mainexhibitors during the eventshowcasing various solutionsthat have reportedly receivedmilitary approvals.Thuraya’s DefenceCommssolutions include the world’ssmallest satellite broadbandterminal to support 384 KbpsRobert Demers. vice president governmentservices, Thurayastreaming, Thuraya IP, as wellas Thuraya XT, a narrowbandaeronautical solution, ThurayaNettedComms, the MarineNetPro maritime broadband solution,Seagull 5000i and a Comms-onthe-Moveantenna.“With seamless coverage inAsia and a range of products thatStrong energy sector demand for HTS satellites,say experts at GVF ForumHigh Throughput Satellites (HTS) willincreasingly be a key addition to theoffshore communications industry’sportfolio, as energy-sector interestsdemand more broadband for lesscost. The projection of strongdemand for HTS solutions wasone of several prominent topicsexplored during the “GVF Oil &Gas Communications South EastAsia” conference (O&GCSEA2011)held in November 2011 at theCrowne Plaza Mutiara Hotel, KualaLumpur, Malaysia.Themed ‘Redefining the DigitalOilfield Onshore, Offshore, Deep& Ultra-Deepwater’, the eventattracted approximately 100 offshorecommunications’ executives, whoheard more than a dozen reportsfrom front-line experts. A reportprovided by Northern Sky Research(NSR), an independent consultingfirm, revealed that HTS – a termthat refers to new high-frequency,high-powered broadband satellites– is poised to drive a significantvolume of business, despitenegative economic trends in theinternational marketplace.“By 2020, HTS will accountfor 7.65% of total retail satellitecommunications revenues,compared with only 0.12% in 2011”,defence organisations can rapidlydeploy for assured, secure, highspeeddata, voice and maritimesolutions, Thuraya is poised toserve the defence sector thatdemand customised and reliablesatellite communications for vitaloperations,” said Thuraya’s vicepresident government services,Robert Demers.For Navy Officers, on displayat the Thuraya stand was thesoon-to-be launched MarineNetPro, a maritime broadbandsolution which provides dataspeeds up to 444 Kbps as well asstreaming speeds up to 384 Kbpswhile at sea. Also on show forthe maritime sector is the Seagull5000i, a solution that providesvoice, data, SMS and fax servicesbased exclusively on Thuraya’ssatellite network.said Patrick French, NSR’s SeniorAnalyst. “Energy-sector companies’appetite for cost-effectivebroadband is a major factor inthis growth projection, becausethey depend on high-throughputconnectivity to increase operationalproductivity and reduce costs.”A host of industry leaders alsoprovided market and technologyinsights during O&GCSEA,which was held in associationwith Harris CapRock, Intelsat,Hughes, SpeedCast, and HermesDatacomms, and was supportedby the Asia Pacific SatelliteCommunications Council (APSCC).Upcoming satellite events in the Middle EastMilsatcom Middle EastMilsatcom Middle East is a two-dayconference that will connect regionalmilitary and security professionalswith the commercial military satellitecommunications industry. Thisevent will provide an in-depthunderstanding on emerging trends,changing battleground realities,connectivity, network security andregulatory concerns.The Military Satcom conferenceaims to provide regional commandersfrom all sections of the defence andBroadband MEABroadband MEA, the region’s premierbroadband event, is expandingits programme in 2012. Leadingoperators, Etisalat, Saudi Telecom(STC), Sudatel Telecom Group anddu, are participating, as well as vitalindustry content players and industry‘game changers’ such as Googleand Al Jazeera.The conference has a speakerline-up that includes Nasser BinObood, CEO at Etisalat UAE, Dr.Saad Zafer Al Kahtani, CEO StrategicOperations at STC and HatemBamatraf, senior VP of NetworkDevelopment and Operations at du.Dr. Saad Zafer Al Kahtani of STCsaid: “We are very excited to bepart of the Broadband MEA 2012show next year. It is a key event inthe calendar for STC as it providesa fantastic networking opportunitywith our key industry partners andenables us to showcase our latestinnovations. STC has embarkedsecurity forces, departments of interior,national security agencies and othergovernment agencies, the opportunityto examine new capabilities, networkand meet with leading commercialsatcom service providers.The two-day conference will addressthe following issues:• Business of milsatcom• Regional and global milsatcomcase studies• Regulatory and other strategic issuesKeynote presentation by H.E. MohamedNasser Al Ghanim, director general of the TRAon major developments withinthe ICT industry through smartinvestments on a state-of-the-artbroadband infrastructure and itsrelated ecosystems.”In recognition of its work indriving the sustainable growth ofbroadband in the Middle East andAfrica region, Broadband MEA 2012has the official support of the TRAUAE, the event’s official governmentpartner. Delegates will also getthe opportunity to hear a keynote• Hosted payloads and other newbusiness models• Command, control, and logistics• Network continuity plus security• UAV video and data transmissions• Beyond line-of-sight capabilitiesEvent detailsEvent: Milsatcom Middle EastDate: January 23 – 24, 2012Venue: Fairmont Bab al Bahr, Abu DhabiWebsite: www.milsatcom.mepresentation from H.E. MohamedNasser Al Ghanim, director general ofthe Telecommunications RegulatoryAuthority (TRA).Now in its fourth year, theconference and exhibition willreportedly bring together more than1,000 decision makers. BroadbandMEA’s programme also features ‘TheRural Broadband Summit’, which isset to explore delivering broadbandconnectivity to rural areas, and ‘TheExecutive Summit’ – an invitation-onlyevent that will focus on convergenceand ensuring the co-existence andsustainability of future fixed andwireless technologies.Event detailsEvent: Broadband MEADate: 25 – 27 March, 2012Venue: The Westin Mina Siyahi BeachResort and Marina, DubaiWebsite: www.milsatcom.me38 | SatellitePro | January 2012 January 2012 | SatellitePro | 39

SatGuestClose collaboration:Governments and commercialsatellite operatorsIn conversation with Payam Herischi, COO, Emerging Markets Communications (EMC)Why are governments turningincreasingly to commercial satelliteoperators such as EMC?The satellite industry, like all the othersegments of telecommunicationsis the core infrastructure forthe development of any nation.Government initiatives to provide anenvironment of growth for its citizenshave never been so focused as inthe past few decades. The digitaldivide and the opportunities for ‘leapfrogging’into the future have beenfueling the growth of the Telecomindustry. [In this regard] the satelliteindustry, by nature, has two distinctadvantages — fast deploymentcompared to traditional infrastructureand broadcast capability.Advancements in technology inthe past several years have enabledsatellite operators to provide moreMbps per satellite which in turn hasreduced the cost of satellite services.Furthermore the technologies inthe commercial satellite field haveenhanced in a manner to providequantifiable service for governmentaland military use, in terms of pureconnectivity. Designing and launchinga satellite is a lengthy processand in the 21st century, speed andreaction time are crucial. In thiscurrent environment, a large numberof countries have opened theirmonopolies in the telecommunicationPayam Herischi, COO, Emerging MarketsCommunications (EMC)field and have paved the roadfor the private sector to takethe lead in capturing the marketneeds for growth. A combinationof the immediate and affordablecommercial capacity and privatesector efficiencies in operation, haseliminated the need for governmentsto commit to heavy investments in asatellite fleet.How have you engaged withgovernments and non-governmentalorganisations in the critical area ofdisaster relief?Since its inception, EMC’s corebusiness model has been providingcommunications’ networks fororganisations working in the mostchallenging areas of the world,including conflict areas. This hasincluded global disasters andemergencies such as the Tsunami inAceh, Indonesia, in 2004, where EMCwas the first company to respond insupport of the UN-led humanitarianeffort to provide stable communicationsystems in a short time frame.“A combination of the immediate and affordablecommercial capacity and private sector efficiencies inoperation, has eliminated the need for governments tocommit to heavy investments in a satellite fleet”In response to the crisis in theHorn of Africa during the end of2011, EMC assisted humanitarianorganisations such as the UNand other NGOs by having teamsin the field within the first weekto install VSAT kits in Somalia tosupport communications’ efforts.These missions were critical inorder to ensure the survival ofthousands of people who werereceiving support from the UN andthe NGOs. PROCMYCMMYCYCMYK40 | SatellitePro | January 2012

VISIT US ATCABSAT 2012Booth S-G1228 February - 1 March 2012MORE VALUE THROUGH TRUSTED PARTNERS.CHOOSE NEWTEC.Join our world of innovation, product leadership and localpresence. Newtec makes sure its most trusted partners meetthe highest exacting standards of knowledge, experience andprofessionalism. Through our partners you can tap into a rocksolid, long-term relationship that brings a broad set of satellitecommunication solutions. This, combined with local presence andmarket knowledge, jointly delivers more value to the success ofyour business.www.newtec.euNewtecSHAPING THE FUTURE OF SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONSNewtecSHAPING THE FUTURE OF SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONSNewtecSHAPING THE FUTURE OF SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONSBelgium | USA | Singapore | Dubai | China | Brazil www.newtec.eu