WTA releases Top Teleport Operators of 2012 annual rankings

In its recent announcement of the annual rankings of the Top Teleport Operators of 2012, the World Teleport Association (WTA) once more provided a unique insight into the diverse global sector of satellite teleport companies.

The WTA compiles its Top Teleport Operator rankings through surveys regarding the facilities, services, and business results of teleport operators worldwide.

The “Fast Twenty” of 2012 ranks all satellite teleport operating companies based on year-on-year revenue growth during their latest fiscal years. Meanwhile, the Independent Top Twenty of 2012 bases its judgement of independent teleport operators on said companies' revenue from all sources. The lists excludes companies who primarily operate a satellite fleet or terrestrial network.

Australian satellite communications company NewSat, for example, ranked 5th in the “Fast Twenty” of 2012 list and secured tenth place in the Independent Top Twenty of 2012 list.

Globecomm Systems wins second year for satellite teleport services with US government agency

A US Government agency awarded Globecomm Systems Inc. with the optional second year of a five-year, $6.8 million contract for satellite teleport and other satellite communications services.

Globecomm Services Maryland, Globecomm Europe, and Cachendo combined their efforts for the contract. All three companies are subsidiaries that are completely owned by Globecomm.

Previously, Globecomm reported that it had secured several contracts worth $6.0 million from the aforementioned US Government agency. Factor in the second year option, and Globecomm has secured a cool $12.8 million.

As per the second recently-secured year of its current contract, Globecomm will provide IT services via its satellite teleport facility, plus network connectivity, VoIP, and satellite TV. It will also extend WAN optimization, program management, operations and maintenance, storage, and distribution services. The Company's In-Country Field Engineers will be on call to handle any technical issues.

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RRsat teleport in Israel serving as EBU hub between Asia and Europe

RRsat Global Communications Network announced on November 12 that they will be serving as the main Eurasian teleport hub of the European Broadcasting Union Network (EBU) for the next few years. On behalf of the EBU, RRsat will distribute both standard and high definition footage of sports news, special events, and other digital media content delivery services

The EBU Network is an alliance of European and international public service media organizations with members in 56 countries. It operates Eurovision, the leading distributor and producer of entertainment, culture and music content for the media industry.

In addition to setting up bi-directional fiber connectivity between the RRsat-operated teleport in Israel and EBU Network's headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, RRsat will also handle its client's occasional use of satellite-to-satellite transmissions and traffic monitoring of the three separate satellites that provided capacity for EBU.

According to Paolo Pusterla, Head Of Procurement for EBU, RRsat was selected after a careful evaluation of its capabilities, such as its teleport services, fiber network, master control room (MCR), engineering team, and coordination/booking skill. In addition, EBU Network representatives paid a visit to RRsat's new teleport in Israel.

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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TA Associates buys out SpeedCast SATCOM company from AsiaSat

Private equity firm TA Associates bought out SpeedCast Ltd. from Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. (AsiaSat.) TA enjoyed the full backing of SpeedCast’s management team during its acquisition of the VSAT service provider.

Companies from more than 30 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East turn to SpeedCast for VSAT satellite broadband access services, managed networking solutions, and value-added services. SpeedCast also serves the maritime and offshore oil and gas industries through its SeaCast broadband service.

Sixteen teleports and more than 20 VSAT hubs ensure reliable coverage and connectivity for SpeedCast's customers wherever they may be on the planet. The satellite communications company also operates eight sales and support centers. 

Industry analyst Comsys predicts that VSAT service revenues in Asia, the Middle East and Africa will grow at an 8 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next five years. Western markets, meanwhile, are expected to experience a growth rate of 4%.

In particular, the global maritime VSAT market is enjoying strong and steady growth. According to the Comsys report, worldwide maritime VSAT service revenues increased to $800 million in 2009, compared to $400 million back in 2004.

In addition to SpeedCast, TA Associates has acquired seven other investments in Asia. These investments have been both minority investments and buyouts in growth companies in telecommunications, technology, healthcare, and mining services. Five investments came from India while the two other companies, Forgame Tech Co. and Aicent, operate in China.