ViaSat will assist US DoD rollout of interoperable SATCOM network

ViaSat Inc. will be producing more than $11 million worth of satellite communications equipment for the US Department of Defense. The equipment will be used to generate interoperable network services for American warfighters all around the world.

The DoD placed a number of production contracts with ViaSat for the Company's Joint IP Modem Network Control Centers (NCCs) and remote modems. They have also tasked ViaSat with additional development of the Joint IP Modem technology to increase its global network footprint and improve the efficienty of its regional connectivity.

The DoD's Joint IP Modem program intends to engender interoperability between warfighters and service networks, to utilize satellite bandwidth more efficiently, and finally to seamlessly unite disparate networks and technologies.

The interoperable satellite communications network will leverage teleports and Strategic Tactical Entry Points (STEPs) for fast and secure SATCOM services.

WTA: Teleport operators experiencing delays in occasional-use access of satellites

The World Teleport Association (WTA) recently released a study, Delays in Occasional-Use Satellite Access, that reported satellite teleport operators were experiencing delays when attempting to access occasional-use satellite capacity.

For its report, the WTA performed a survey of teleport operators and discussed the matter with satellite operators. Delays in Occasional-Use Satellite Access identifies the issues and offers both preliminary conclusions and potential solutions.

According to the report, towards the end of 2011, WTA‐member satellite teleport operators began reporting delays in obtaining occasional‐use access to satellite capacity in time for their needs.

Teleport executives reported that they were encountering more and more delays in completing access procedures. They expressed their belief that the delays were casting doubts in the minds of their customers regarding their companies' capabilities to satisfy OU service demands in a timely fashion.

In order to get a better hand on the situation, WTA investigated the root causes, frequency, and severity of the delays plaguing satellite teleport operators providing OU services.

The WTA reported that 70% of respondents have experienced unexpected delays in accessing OU capacity. However, it also pointed out that those delays only occurred four times or less on an annual basis for more than half of the sample. And while 39% called the delays “a serious problem,” it was only “somewhat serious” or even “not a problem” for the vast remainder of the participants.

In addition, the WTA determined the two biggest causes of delays during standard occasional-use procedures. Both are related to third parties. The first reason is third party interference on the transponder. The second reason is that the end-user was trying to access capacity that had earlier been secured by a third party for full-time use.

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ASC Signal builds antenna turnkey, teleport for HorizonSat in Germany

HorizonSat Teleports GmbH has tapped U.K. company ASC Signal Corporation to create a seven antenna, turnkey, teleport solution in Germany for $2 million. The new HorizonSat satellite teleport will improve the quality of satellite services in the United Arab Emirates.

HorizonSat Teleports is a subsidiary of U.A.E.-based satellite service provider HorizonSat. It has contracted ASC Signal to design, build, install, and maintain multiple large-aperture transmit/receive Earth station satellite antennas and custom feed systems. HorizonSat will use its new satellite teleport to access more communications satellites, allowing it to deliver better broadcast, voice, data, and IP services to their customers.

ASC Signal will provide two types of satellite antennas: 9.4 meter multi-band antenna that can access both Ku- and Ka-band frequencies, and smaller 7.6 meter antennas dedicated to the Ku-band. All of these antennas will feature feed designs specifically-engineered to meet HorizonSat’s unique technical requirements.

In addition to high-performance satellite antennas, ASC Signal will also provide its advanced Next Generation Controller (NGC) to HorizonSat. The NGC is a simplified, central control device that will allow Horizon control and operate the teleport’s antenna systems, allowing them to accurately and swiftly track multiple satellites at the same time.

A site near Munich, Germany will host the new HorizonSat teleport. The ASC Signal-designed satellite farm will support uninterrupted satellite transmission services for large corporations, telecom operators, broadcasters and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) region.

Its teleport contract with HorizonSat is the latest triumph for ASC Signal, which had been delivering greater numbers of satellite antenna for customers in Europe and across the world this 2012.

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