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.


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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.

Orbit awarded $150 million satellite communications contract

Israel-based satellite communications provider Orbit announced that it was awarded a $150 million contract by an undisclosed satellite venture for a supply of Ka band satellite systems. Orbit did say that the project will be to a satellite company offering high-speed broadband services to millions of customers.

The contract will see the satellite manufacturer also provide 2,500 antennas, along with customer service for the Ka band system. According to Orbit, it’s already planning and designing the custom specifications required by the client. The new contract brings a boost to the company which has been struggling over the past year to regain its value.

 

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ISRO to launch 14 communications satellite for VSAT and Ka band systems

According to the R&D wing of the Indian Space Research Organization or ISRO, the agencies plan to launch 14 communications satellite by 2017 draws largely from the increased demand for transponder capacity. At present, the INSAT-GSAT vessels are able to provide 187 transponders.

 

With the more than dozen satellites planned, the Department of Space or DoS is looking to improve capacity up to 794 transponders within five years (2012-2017). The 14 vessels include powerful S band satellite that can be used for geo-imaging and mobile communications.

 

The plan is also in anticipation of the possible increased demand for high-powered new-generation VSAT technology, and the emerging ka band systems. The Ka band spectrum is the successor to the C-band and Ku-band systems which inevitably, will be clogged.

 

The ISRO’s proposal is also seen as a means to facilitate growth in space exploration, as well as scientific and technological fields in the subcontinent.

 

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Ka Band - Will it ever escape domestic broadband and become a real contender competing with Ku?

Post IBC 2012, it seems that Ka is once again the talk of Amsterdam. But having experience this 'buzz' at the last 5 IBCs is Ka ever going to be something more meaty?

 

In my opinion I don't see that there is a replacement issue under all conditions. We have a continuing appetite for capacity, protection, and mobility from space that only add Ka spectrum to existing C/Ku.

 

I will contend that each band and each system has unique pros and cons. Aside from cost/byte, users must account for the supportability of their current C/Ku terminals and infrastructure, the application at hand, rain and overall weather conditions, and constraints (or not) to real estate for terminals (aperture size).

 

The problem is achieving a SLA with the deep fade margins associated with Ka band.When the first trials were done at Ka Band on the ACT and Olympus satellites back in the late 80's, the traffic was still serial; since then, powerful FEC codes have permitted the use of packet based traffic and this in turn has permitted the use of ACM. It is the sum of all these technologies that has finally permitted Ka band to be of commercial value. (obviously the drop in the price of 30GHz FETs has also helped).

 

Now during the fade, the ACM automatically downscales the MODCOD values so maintaining the availability (albeit at a reduced information rate). Even though the information rate is reduced during the fade, the use of packet shaping can enable a CIR to be maintained for specific traffic profiles within the stream.

 

The point that needs to be made is that there are variety of downlink bands being used with Ka-Band uplinks. (C, Ku and K), to my knowledge there isn't actually a communication satellite that supports both uplink and downlink in Ka band (please feel free to correct me if I am wrong).

 

At the higher end of K band (e.g. 21 GHz) the water absorption point starts to have a more pronounced affect, so applications using this cannot be directly compared to a downlink operating in Ku band (as we say in the UK, you have to "compare apples with apples").

 

A high performance hub earth station can be built that overcomes many of the "perceived" issues associated with Ka band and if grouped with a downlink in the lower part of K band (or Ku band) there is no reason why performance not too dissimilar to Ku band cannot be achieved.

 

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