iDirect execs discuss Ka-band satellites during GVF Ka Roundtable Assembly 2012

Executives from VT iDirect, Inc. will be present at the GVF Ka Roundtable Assembly 2012 at the Strand Palace Hotel in London, UK on December 5 and 6. The iDirect officers will contribute their expertise and insights on the recently-developed high-throughput satellites (HTS) and Ka-band capacity. These new technologies can accommodate the increasing demands of end users in a broad variety of vertical markets such as satellite Internet.

iDirect is a world-leading provider of satellite-based IP communications technology. The Company's Chief Technology Officer, David Bettinger, and Director of Product Management, Jonathan Barter, will deliver talks during the Ka Roundtable Assembly.

Bettinger will grace two panels: one is the Satellite Operator & Provider Forum, and the other is Ground Infrastructure Focus. Meanwhile, the OEM Forum panel will be hosted by Barter.

The two iDirect execs will discuss the technical components of HTS technology, the effect that HTS will exert on the value chain of satellite services, the ways satellite operators and service providers can use HTS services to provide high-speed satellite Internet connectivity for new end user expectations for high-speed connectivity, and other related issues.

Avanti Communications, Inmarsat, O3B, and other key satellite industry leaders will also be attending the Ka Roundtable Assembly conference.

End users have been loudly clamoring for faster satellite connectivity and greater bandwidth capacity. According to iDirect, HTS technology can potentially fulfill that demand. The Company has developed ground infrastructure technology that allows its partners to use HTS capabilities to the fullest.

Cobham the newest Launch Partner for Inmarsat Global Xpress Ka-band network

Cobham joins the growing list of international “Launch Partners” who will introduce the Global Xpress (GX) Ka-band satellite network developed by Inmarsat. Cobham will be in charge of providing compact land-based satellite communication terminal antennas that support GX services, such as satellite Internet.

Cobham will provide vehicle-mobile, fly-away, man-pack, and other configurations of land terminals for customers in the energy, law enforcement, media, military, and public safety sectors. These products incorporate the GX Core Module developed by iDirect. Computer-assisted manual point and fully automatic auto-acquire configurations will be available for customers.

For a unit just recently formed by Cobham, the Company's SATCOM strategic business unit (SBU) has quickly secured a lead in the mobile satellite communications market. Cobham SBU deftly combines the Company's existing SATCOM businesses with the newly-acquired assets of Danish company Thrane & Thrane.

Global Xpress will be the world's first Ka-band satellite network to provide superfast global broadband connectivity for satellite Internet, voice, data, and other services. It will leverage terminals that are more compact than current very medium aperture terminal (VSAT) systems to offer the highest satellite broadband speeds backed by Inmarsat's world-renowned support services.

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Astrium completes testing ASTRA 2F Ka-band satellite, hands it to SES

After tests of the ASTRA 2F Ka-band satellite proved successful, Astrium has turned the multi-band communications platform over to satellite operator SES.

SES will test its new satellite's Ka-band and Ku-band communications payload. If everything works, ASTRA 2F will enter operational service at the 28.2 degrees E orbital slot.

ASTRA 2F was launched into space by an Ariane 5 rocket on September 28, 2012. Astrium took control of it and performed Launch and Early Orbit Phase operations from the Company's spacecraft control center in Toulouse. The telecommunications satellite entered geostationary orbit on October 4 and has already fully deployed its solar arrays and quadruple antenna reflectors.

Astrium based the ASTRA 2F satellite on its highly reliable Eurostar E3000 platform. The new SES satellite weighs 3 tons and can generate 13 kW throughout its designed operational lifespan of 15 years. It will deliver next-generation satellite broadband and broadcast services to customers in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.

SES currently operates a total of five Eurostar satellites. It has contracted Astrium for another four Eurostar E3000 satellites, of which two are already in final assembly and testing stages, to provide further satellite Internet and broadcast services.

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HITEC, SES TechCom team up for EDRS ground station project

HITEC Luxembourg S.A. will be joining the European Data Relay Satellite System (EDRS) satellite network project led by SES TechCom.

HITEC's role will be to provide four antenna systems for the satellite ground stations that will control and keep an eye on the EDRS satellites. It will design, manufacture, and installation those satellite antennas at key sites in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Belgium.

HITEC earlier delivered a 13m full-motion Ka-band antenna to SES TechCom for use in the DLR's EDRS project.

The DLR (German Aerospace Center) subcontracted the EDRS project to SES TechCom. In addition, DLR recently contracted Astrium to provide major parts of the ground segment.

EDRS's fleet of geostationary satellites link together terrestrial stations and Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. The LEO satellites can pass broadband-quality data to the EDRS platforms, which will then pass it to a ground station, obviating the need for direct line-of-sight between the LEO satellite and the ground station.

In addition, EDRS will offer new opportunities in data acquisition and delivery following disasters. It will also bring about new applications in the fields of environmental protection, security, and weather forecasting.

Each EDRS ground station has two ‘feeder link’ ground stations (FLGS) and two data ground stations. Both feeder link and ground data stations will tap Ka-band frequencies and use 6.8 meter limited motion HITEC antennas of an innovative design. The ground stations will be delivered from 2013 to 2014.

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Spacecom: AMOS-4 ready for launch, AMOS-5 covers Paralympics

Spacecom's AMOS-4 multi-band satellite will be launched during the second quarter of 2013, according to an announcement made by the satellite operator.

AMOS-4 will support satellite broadcast and satellite broadband needs within the Russian, Indian, and Middle Eastern markets. The satellite is equipped with Ku-band and high-power Ka-band transponders with steerable beams, allowing it  to support plenty pf connectivity for cross-region, cross-band, and cross-beam options.

AMOS-4 will provide DTH, video distribution, VSAT communications, and broadband Internet to the eastern side of the planet. Under construction at an Israel Aerospace Industry, the multi-band Ku-/Ka-band satellite is expected to operate for 15 years.

In addition, Spacecom also announced that they will provide complementary satellite services in Africa for Globecast's coverage of the Paralympic Games broadcasts. The satellite operator is cooperating with SatLink Communications to implement a complementary satellite solution tailored specifically for the Globecast and Paralympics.

From its position in 17 degrees East, AMOS-5 can cover the entire continent of Africa with high-power pan-Africa C-band and Ku-band beams. In addition to serving as the prime carrier for African satellite communications traffic, AMOS-5 also provides satellite broadband connectivity to Europe and the Middle East.

SS/L-partnered satellite broadband service provider taps Kratos carrier monitors for support

A Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) customer procured a multi-million dollar order from the SAT Corporation subsidiary of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. order for Kratos' Monics carrier monitoring system and related products. The anonymous SS/L customer is a Ka-band satellite services provider that aims to bring satellite broadband communications services to remote areas in the region.

The industry's leading Radio Frequency (RF) monitoring system, Monics provides automatic carrier monitoring and advanced interference detection and analysis capabilities. The Karos-developed carrier monitoring system will be implemented into SAT's new SAT-DSP-6000 instrument, which uses advanced Digital Signal Processing (DSP) technology to measure entire transponders faster. The combination of the Monics solution and the DSP-6000 instrument will allow the latter to perform multi-beam monitoring of the next-generation Ka-band satellite constellation operated by SSL's customer.

And to make sure that the SS/L's customer's multi-beam satellites will maximize their performance, SAT will activate Monics' In-service In Orbit Test (IS-IOT) feature. IS-IOT uses advanced measurement techniques to characterize transponders in terms of gain, frequency response, and phase. Best of all, IS-IOT can perform its tasks when the transponder is active. That makes IS-IOT the industry's only true in-service IOT solution, as it can analyze network data stream analysis or characterize transponder performance without forcing the transponder to shut down first, which would negatively affect revenue-generating traffic.

The scalability and flexibility inherent to the Monics carrier monitoring solution will allow the SS/L customer to operate a fully-distributed, autonomous system that monitors payload traffic and RF interference. It allows for quick response if the customer's satellite broadband services suddenly act up due to, say, co-channel interference or similar disruptions.

In addition, SAT will also provide the SS/L customer with the satellite antennas, trailer-mounted systems, and flyaway systems to set up and operate 21 monitoring stations. These transportable stations can keep an eye on the customer's Ka-band satellite fleet from anywhere in the service provider's service area.

Inmarsat will launch more Ka-band satellites if Global Xpress service gets congested

Believing it's better to be safe than sorry, Inmarsat is setting up plans to boost the bandwidth capacity of its upcoming Global Xpress Ka-band satellite constellation in case the much-touted system gets congested earlier than expected.

The London-based satellite services provider is confident that Global Xpress will have plenty of bandwidth for its diverse array of planned users. But in case the planned constellation of three I-5 Ka-band satellites somehow cannot handle the demand, Inmarsat also intends to launch additional satellites to expand bandwidth capacity for the long term.

In fact, David Coiley, Inmarsat director of aeronautical business, welcomes the possibility of bandwidth congestion. Heavy demand would mean numerous users who would pay for the additional capacity.

“[Satellite] network operators always say, ‘If there is any congestion, it’s a problem we’d love to have,'" Director Coiley said, "and Inmarsat is already considering the necessary long lead items to put in place should it be required.”

Inmarsat's trio of I-5 satellites each pack a payload of 89 Ka-band spot beams. The planned constellation will be able to provide worldwide coverage save for the sparsely-populated polar regions. Each satellite also carries six steerable beams that can be aimed at high-traffic commercial or government areas.

“Interestingly, the major maritime and aviation routes overlap quite nicely," Director Coiley notes, "so we’ve already looked at areas in the world – such as the North Atlantic, Western Europe and Southeast Asia – where we’re looking to double up Global Xpress capacity. Plus," he adds, "we have steerable spot beams over and above that."

Inmarsat has invested $1.2 billion investment in its Global Xpress Ka-band satellite constellation, which is intended to serve terrestrial, maritime, and aviation customers alike. Director Coiley said that the GX service is not dependent on airline passengers who swipe a credit card session to surf the web.

“The business model, though positive, has yet to be proven whether commercial aviation alone can sustain the numbers being bandied around out there,” he said.

In addition, Director Coiley says that Inmarsat is “absolutely on track” to launch the first I-5 satellite at the end of 2013. Inmarsat will be able to offer global coverage “by the fourth quarter of 2014."

Predicted Global Xpress customers include business and commercial aircraft, government aircraft, ships, and news agencies all around the world.

Can satellite amplifier suppliers satisfy Ka-band satellite market demand?

It's a hot market nowadays for satellite amplifier technology. Everyone has got to have an amplifier to boost signal reception. So a bunch of companies are now competing to provide all those customers with this now-needed equipment. But can these suppliers satisfy the demand for satellite amplifiers? And can the market support all these competing companies?

The constant, unending demands for more and more satellite capacity increases the need for new technology and solutions close the gap. The arrival of high-powered Ka-band satellites, while a solution to the need for bandwidth, also placed a massive demand on the infrastructure that powered these new systems. The new platforms required new technologies and techniques, which in turn opens up new markets for equipment that support and enhance the new or improved services, such as satellite amplifiers.

Amplifier technology vendors have scrambled to meet the demand from satellite operators like Hughes, Eutelsat, ViaSat, and Inmarsat. These companies invested significant amounts into Ka-band satellite technology. And they are apparently satisfied with the quality and quantity of the supply of satellite amplifiers.

“We certainly feel that the success of these satellites is critical to the future of the satellite industry," said Andy Tafler, head of CPI’s satcom division. "Meeting the satellite system providers’ requirements for very high power and very high quality gateways has really pushed the capabilities of both Traveling Wave Tube Amplifiers (TWTA) and Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPA) amplifiers. What they have asked from the amplifier industry and the tube vendors is to push their capabilities," Tafler said. "Manufacturers have risen to the challenge, and these systems have been operating successfully and on time."

In short, the answer to the first question is 'yes.' And the second question can also be answered by a 'yes.'

According to Daniel Enns, senior vice president, business development for Comtech EF Data, the Ka-band market presents some unique issues that vendors must overcome. “The challenge in Ka-band is that there are military bands and commercial bands,” he pointed out. “The number of different bands raises questions: Do I have the right amplifier for the right band, and for the right application or customer requirement? So, we need to predict the right band for the right application so that we can have the right amplifiers built when there is demand."

SVP Enns goes on to say that the military market certainly has a lot of demand for satellite amplifier technology. "The WGS Ka-band for the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is being deployed," he said. "Many of the foreign DODs are getting on the bandwagon for the WGS, so that is driving the demand for international Ka-band. In the Middle East, there are several other satellites that have Ka-band capacity that are also looking at the enterprise market.”

Cristi Damian, vice president, operations, Advantech Wireless, brings up the theme of more demanding customers. “Our customers are demanding high-linearity, high-efficiency and high-power,” she said. “We see a migration from the traditional 30 GHz to 31 GHz market to lower 26 GHz to 30 GHz frequencies, as well as a demand for higher bandwidth SSPAs." As a result, Advantech invested in Ka-band solid state technology for over nine years running now.

Marion Van Fosson, vice president and general manager, CVG-Avtec, believes that the key to success in the market is providing dual-use products that can serve both commercial and military segments. “Tier I OEMs would like to have a dual-use product that can support both the commercial and military bands," he said, "so amplifiers that can operate over a wide Ka-band range to satisfy both military and commercial requirements are desirable."

So far, there's enough business to go around for everyone who wants a slice of the pie chart of profit in the Ka-band market. The CEO of Miteq, Howard Hausman, reveals that his company wants such a slice. He also brought up statistics regarding the levels of data traffic, and uses these statistics as proof of why the Ka-band sector will place such a heavy yoke on technology vendors.

“We supply nearly every major Ka-band satcom system," Mr. Hausman said, "and we expect further growth over the remainder of the year. The projections for ever-increasing data transmission are simply staggering with Ka-band satcom being the critical transmission link to achieve these demands. To give just one example," he noted, "at a recent Air Force conference it was stated that traffic will grow by a factor of 50 over the next five years.”