ASC Increases Capacity Lease On EUTELSAT 172A Satellite

The Australian Satellite Communications (ASC) is increasing capacity leased on the EUTELSAT 172A satellite for Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic).

ASC inked a multi-year lease for a 36 MHz transponder on the EUTELSAT 172A satellite to benefit from its superior performance and coverage of the South Pacific, including Australia and New Zealand, building ASC’s existing leasing agreements with Eutelsat for capacity on EUTELSAT 172A to enable Panasonic Avionics Corporation to address airline routes over Australia and New Zealand and for trans-Tasman flights, with teleporting managed from ASC’s teleport in Adelaide.

“We are very pleased to scale up the service we provide to Panasonic Avionics Corporation on EUTELSAT 172A," said ASC General Manager Mark Borgas. "The strong features of this satellite, combined with our Adelaide teleport facilities enable us to meet the stringent and growing requirements for sophisticated in-flight communication and entertainment.”

“In-flight connectivity at 35,000 feet is changing the face of air travel. We are delighted that EUTELSAT 172A is increasingly servicing this market and meeting the high expectations of ASC and the world’s first global Ku frequency high bandwidth aeronautical network operated by Panasonic Avionics Corporation,” Eutelsat Asia CEO, Andrew Jordan, said.


See also: Ka-Band Capacity

O3b taps Norsat to provide microwave components for ground terminals

Canadian satcom company Norsat International will be updating its portfolio soon as it has been chosen to be the authorized supplier of microwave components for O3b Networks’ ground terminals.

For O3b’s launch of the company’s next-gen Ka-band satellite constellation, Norsat will supply O3b with custom-made frequency 5W and 10W Block Upconverters (BUCs) and Low-Noise Blocks Downconverters (LNBs). O3b’s constellation aims to provide telecommunications and data backhaul from remote locations, as well as deliver consumer broadband Internet services to maritime customers. The multi-million dollar, multi-year project aims to incorporate Norsat’s LNBs into maritime systems so O3b can deliver high-speed satellite broadband service at sea by summer of this year.

In a company statement, Norsat President and CEO Dr. Aimee Chan noted: “We’re pleased to be selected as a preferred vendor to O3b Networks and look forward to building the first Medium Earth Orbit satellite constellation through this partnership. The customizations we’ve introduced to our leading edge microwave products make them ideal for projects with high reliability requirements, such as communications at sea. This new partnership with O3b is another milestone as we deliver on our mission to develop innovative communications products and services for challenging applications and environments.”

NigComSat Selects Newtec To Provide Ka-Band Hub Platform

Nigerian company, NigComSat Ltd. (Nigerian Communications Satellite ) has chosen the Europe-based company, Newtec to provide a Ka-band hub platform including terminals to offer B2B and B2C broadband services. The broadband platform will enable voice, data, video, internet and application service solutions over Nigeria via the NigComSat-1R satellite.

“High-speed and reliable Internet will transform the economy and lead to more and better opportunities for many individuals," said NigComSat's Managing Director and Chief Executive, Timasaniyu Ahmed-Rufai. "In 2011 we successfully put our own high throughput satellite in the sky and I am pleased to welcome now our new technology partner Newtec. We are teaming-up with Newtec because of its track record of delivering reliable, fast and easy to use satellite solutions at an affordable cost.”

The installation of a first Newtec broadband hub is already complete. NIGCOMSAT plans to operate several thousands of satellite modems within the first year of operation.

“I am delighted to say that our new Ka-band technology will help to close the digital divide in Nigeria by using the latest broadband technologies to achieve the highest broadband experience and availability. Our Newtec MDM2200 Ka-band consumer modem and our MDM3100 enterprise modem enable NIGCOMSAT to provide highly competitive connectivity services, achieving download speeds eventually up to 45Mbps. The self-installation capability and the optimized packaging of our complete Ka-band terminals allow NIGCOMSAT to minimize the logistical and installation costs,” said Newtec CEO Serge Van Herck.


See also: India To Launch The First Of Seven IRNSS Satellites

SES To Debut Ka-Band Service In Germany

One of the world's leading satellite operator, SES, announced last March 3rd that starting the second half of 2013, it will offer its satellite broadband service, SES Broadband, with download speeds up to 20Mbps in Germany. According to the report in the company website, "The enhanced service will become available once the Ka-band capacity on SES’ ASTRA 2E satellite is operational."

Marketed by SES's wholly-owned subsidiary SES Broadband Services to Internet Service Providers, the service is "designed for end users in remote locations all over Germany" and, according to the said company report, will provide a highly competitive broadband offering with performance features comparable to terrestrial broadband services.

SES's Ka-band expansion to Germany is the next step in the company's strategy to offer its customers an ever-higher quality of service.

Managing Director of SES Broadband Services, Patrick Biewer said, “We are delighted to offer download speeds of up to 20 Mbit/s to end users in Germany in the course of this year. We are convinced that the highly competitive new offering will satisfy consumers and help us in our endeavour to further expand our offer throughout Europe.”

See also: Apple, Likely To Adopt Wireless Charging Technology

Spanish satellite Amazonas 3 starts in-orbit tests

Amazonas 3, Hispasat’s communication satellite, has now started its systems, positioned its solar panels and begun its in-orbit test phase.

After reaching its geostationary orbit a week after its launch aboard an Arianespace Ariane 5 ECA on February 7, the Amazonas 3 satellite deployed four of its communications antennas. The Spanish satellite will then be taken to its definitive position at 61 degrees West after the successful completion of in-orbit tests. It will remain under the Hispasat technicians’ supervision.

Equipped with 52 simultaneous transponders -- 33 Ku-band, 19 C-band and 9 Ka-band beams -- the Amazonas 3 satellite aims to deliver advanced telecommunications services, distribution of TV platforms and deployment of corporate fixed and mobile telephone networks, broadband or integrated solutions for telecommunications operators.

Hispasat is the first Latin American operator to offer Ka-band services in the region.