Broadband Case Studies

SKYLink - ARINC Turns to ViaSat Satellite Technology to Build Its Vision for Airborne Broadband (ArcLight CDMA)

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 19:41:47 -0800

ViaSat ArcLight technology builds a network - and business case - for in-flight broadband to business jets. With a 75-year history in communication networks for aviation, ARINC knows both the performance that aviators demand and the strict guidelines that the industry maintains. That was the environment that ARINC faced in seeking to bring broadband data connections to business aircraft.

The prevailing industry-standard data rate of just 64 kbits-per-second was slipping far behind the broadband connections that enterprise customers enjoy on the ground. Plus, business jet customers are typically technology advocates and early adopters: the kind of people who need good connections to the home office when they travel, and demand the cutting edge of technology in their business and leisure pursuits.

Now Over 70 Systems Installed and Operating

To fill that need, the SKYLink BroadbandSM Service was launched, a revolutionary in-flight broadband service from ARINC DirectSM. This high-speed satellite connection can change a corporate aircraft into an "office in the sky." SKYLink Broadband allows business aviation passengers to stay connected-at speeds more than six times faster than a cable modem-even at 30,000 feet. Passengers can download data to the aircraft at up to 3.5 Mbit/s, while sending data off the plane at 128 kbit/s. The service comes at an "all you can eat" fixed price and every link is secure as well, with each aircraft on its own Virtual Private Network within the system. SES Americom is partnering with ARINC to provide SKYLink, supplying satellite transponders and funding for the project.

To make the service both a technical and business success, ARINC turned to ViaSat satellite networking technology. In partnership with antenna maker Rantec, ViaSat is supplying a complete airborne broadband terminal and ground system available both as a retrofit for larger business aircraft and as original equipment in new corporate jets, first for GulfStream Aerospace the launch customer for SKYLink.

ArcLight CDMA-like Satellite Broadband Creates the Lower Cost, Higher Speed Combination

The airborne system builds on ViaSat ArcLight CDMA broadband VSAT technology. ArcLight satellite communications technology introduces new breakthroughs in satellite network waveforms, frequency reuse, and return channel technology. The result is efficiency, lower costs, and added data security.

"Our competitive advantage is definitely the ArcLight technology. We can put 250 business jets on a single transponder," said Bob Thompson, senior director of satellite services at ARINC. "That is very efficient and a very compelling business model." To reach that level of operating efficiency, ArcLight incorporates two ViaSat-exclusive technologies: Code Reuse Multiple Access (CRMA) and Asymmetric Paired Carrier Multiple Access (A-PCMA). PCMA enables data transmissions coming back to the hub from remote sites to be combined within the same bandwidth as the outbound channel. Rather than requiring additional bandwidth for return channels, ArcLight needs only the space segment required by the outbound broadcast to support two-way satellite services. Several benefits result:

More efficient use of bandwidth especially for completely random traffic patterns.
Full use of bandwidth without loss of data throughput due to reservation schemes or contention-based protocols.
Less power required through spread spectrum transmissions.
Encoded signals with a combination of CRMA and PCMA technologies.

A key hurdle in developing SKYLink was putting an antenna onboard that could receive broadband data. Anything added to an aircraft always must be as small and lightweight as possible. The CRMA spread spectrum waveform is the answer, because the lower power requirements open up applications that need smaller satellite antenna sizes than standard VSATs. The antenna used for the SKYLink mobile broadband system is less than 24 inches in diameter.

The SKYLink installation includes a tail-mounted antenna and a satellite transceiver on the aircraft. As it rolls out, the Ku-band satellite network is offering coverage in the continental United States; however, future expansion of the system is likely to offer end-to-end connectivity to any region in the world-including Latin America, Europe, and Asia, where business jet travel is rapidly expanding. ARINC estimates that there are 1,200 "larger" business jets in the U.S. that can accommodate the service, and 2,000 worldwide. Other mobile applications could follow as well.

ARINC Incorporated is the world leader in transportation communications and systems engineering. The company develops and operates communications and information processing systems and provides systems engineering and integration solutions to five key industries: airports, aviation, defense, government, and surface transportation. Founded to provide reliable and efficient radio communications for the airlines, ARINC is headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, with over 3,000 employees worldwide. For more information, visit the ARINC web site at www.arinc.com.

CapRock - Quick Deploy Broadband Terminals for Remote Field Operations (LinkStar)

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 19:37:57 -0800

"VLAN Tagging" feature offers secure virtual private networks to many customers with automatic authorization

Reliability, portability, broadband data speeds, and a high level of customer care are all communication requirements of the oil and gas drilling business. With facilities and operations dispersed around the world in some of the most extreme and isolated areas, the energy industry faces challenges in keeping its remote sites connected with its headquarters and regional offices. In such environments, communications not only play a critical role in enhancing the efficiency of operations, but also serve as the only lifeline to civilization.

CapRock Communications, a provider of satellite communications including data, voice and video for harsh and remote locations, designed its IPxpress� networking architecture to meet the specific needs of customers with mobile operations in remote areas. IPxpress leverages IP routing and Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) technologies, enabling personnel to move from one site to another with their IP addresses, and even VoIP telephone numbers, �following� them to the new locations. This eliminates the hassle of reconfiguring network parameters such as IP addresses and results in easy plug and play operations.

To make this service viable, CapRock needed a method to offer high-speed services to many customers from a single VSAT hub. With its high-speed return channel, scalability, and advanced VLAN tagging feature, LinkStar� broadband VSATs have become a standard design for CapRock.

Energy exploration, production and service companies are finding that the business gets more difficult every year. The easy-to-reach wells are going fast, so locations are getting more and more remote. Only a few specialists in the world are capable of interpreting the sophisticated data that tell companies exactly where and how deep to drill. Getting these experts to travel to more and more remote - and dangerous - locations is not practical.

Geological scans produce very large data files, so connecting by many wireless alternatives would waste too much time. Early communication options were as low tech as recording data onto diskettes and shipping them to data centers. The longer it takes for decisions to be made in the field, the longer expensive assets such as drilling rigs sit idle and unproductive. Better ways to keep the experts at home and bring the data to them were clearly needed. Now satellite connects exploration locations in North America, South America and Africa with the state-of-the-art Real Time Centers at the corporate offices and other regional decision centers around the world. There, experts can interpret incoming data and direct drillers in virtual real time to the locations that will bring the biggest yields.

Originally deployed with the ViaSat StarWire DAMA IP VSAT system, CapRock has since moved to the more advanced LinkStar networking system. ViaSat has adapted the same easy installation and commissioning features to the LinkStar system � non-satellite technicians can move the terminals into place and be up and running in 20 to 30 minutes at any location. Several other advantages also make the case for the move to LinkStar VSATs.

First, the LinkStar network can grow to service far larger networks. The ultimate capacity of a single LinkStar hub can grow to 10,000 remote terminals.

Second, LinkStar is one of the few star architecture VSAT systems that can send data from remote sites back to the hub at very high rates, with a maximum of more than 3 Mbps. CapRock customers have a choice of 144 kbps, 256 kbps, 384 kbps, or 512 kbps, The high-speed return channel is very important in these networks where most data flows from remote sites to the hub, reversing the typical hub-spoke traffic pattern.

Finally, a key LinkStar differentiator is its VLAN Tagging feature. LinkStar modems include the latest advances in Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) technology to provide secure segregation and correct routing of customer data traffic within the CapRock network. VLAN Tagging enables a service provider to provide many different customers with their own virtual private networks (VPNs) from a single hub installation. These �multi-tenant� VPNs are completely secure from other shared-hub customers and automatically authorize users as they log in and request access to network resources. Each customer can receive its own custom level of privacy and service, opening up a world of options for CapRock.

�The VLAN tagging feature in LinkStar really positions us to meet our customers� needs for privacy, security, and quality of service as they push into more remote locations around the world,� said Errol Olivier, president and COO of CapRock.

About CapRock (www.caprock.com)
Celebrating 25 years in business, CapRock Communications is a premier global satellite communications provider for the off-shore energy, maritime, construction and mining industries, as well as for disaster relief and government applications. The Company uses the latest field-proven satellite technologies to deliver highly reliable managed communication services for broadband networking, real-time video and digital telephony to the world's harshest and most remote locations. CapRock delivers on its promise to be the market's reliability leader by leveraging "best of breed" partnerships, technical expertise and a robust self-owned and operated global infrastructure that includes four international teleports and ten regional operation centers across the U.S., Central and South America, Europe, West Africa and Asia Pacific.

DOHA VSAT Africa - Advanced Communications for Mobile Offices (LinkStar®)

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 19:33:07 -0800

Bringing South Africa Department of Home Affairs services to even the most remote locations

Conventional wisdom has it that people in rural areas will just have to accept a lack of infrastructure and the resulting absence of the same services enjoyed by their fellow countrymen in the cities. The South African Department of Home Affairs has now turned this accepted fact very firmly on its head.

Giving credence to the Government's promise of taking services to remote areas, the department is employing technology to create mobile facilities rather than establishing a multitude of offices all over the country. We have seen mobile clinics, libraries and pension payout vehicles before, but what makes this case different is the use of satellite communication networking that enables the mobile offices to access centrally held information from any location in the country.

The department uses light trucks that are fitted with thermally insulated bodies and equipped with the same Local Area Networks (LANs), personal computers, and printers used in permanent offices in urban areas. To provide the satellite communication links to the trucks, Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) satellite communications equipment is installed in all vehicles, connecting to a central hub located in the same building as the department head office in Pretoria.

When a mobile office arrives at the desired location, the VSAT deploys an antenna that automatically finds the correct satellite and establishes a data and voice link from the mobile unit to the head office. Using the link, the staff is able to access and update records in real time, issuing birth certificates, identity documents, and passports with minimum delay.

DOHA VSAT Africa

Mopalema Communications, a subsidiary of Palmtree Holdings is a South African provider of satellite communications equipment and services. Mopalema selected the ViaSat LinkStar IP network technology to extend the department's head office capabilities. The LinkStar system is a hub-based VSAT system that incorporates many features that match the best terrestrial enterprise networking systems, but can flow information to even to the most remote service points.

LinkStar VSAT networking provides efficient broadband communications for Internet access, enterprise networking, retail operations, distance learning, and other multimedia applications. Remote LinkStar terminals offer a far wider range of efficient data transfer rates than other VSATs. The versatility extends from fast, low-rate transactional data, to high-speed data file transfer. Terminals can receive data from a shared, 60 megabit-per-second (Mbit/s) broadcast from the access hub, and can transmit back to the hub at up to 2.5 Mbit/s. Dynamic bandwidth allocation increases or decreases data rates on-the-fly for better service and more efficient use of bandwidth. LinkStar hubs and remote terminals are compliant with the digital video broadcast (DVB) international standard. Since its introduction in September 2001, approximately 80,000 LinkStar DVB-RCS-ready terminals have been shipped worldwide to over 100 customers.

The Home Affairs network is an excellent example of a forward looking, service-oriented department using the capabilities of the private sector to accomplish its mission. The result is a combination of local knowledge with international expertise; Mopalema, Ntwese Consortium as the main contractor, Sentech as the South African telecommunications operator and ViaSat supplying the communications network equipment.

Intelsat Broadband VSAT Network (LinkWay)

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 19:16:08 -0800

As one of the world's preeminent satellite communications companies, Intelsat connects people and businesses everywhere, affordably and reliably. With its global fleet of 21 satellites, Intelsat offers Internet, video broadcast, telephony, and corporate networking to leading service providers in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. One new offering from Intelsat is an advanced bandwidth-on-demand service called Broadband VSAT (or BVSAT). The network offers flexible and cost-effective high speed networking for wideband data, voice, video, and Internet traffic. The new service is implemented using LinkWay VSATs from ViaSat.

Intelsat has established gateways in each of four major regions: Europe/Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and the Asia-Pacific. Using Intelsat 801, 804, 901, and APR2 satellites, on both Ku-band and C-band frequencies, BVSAT takes full advantage of the following LinkWay attributes:

Mixed beam mode
Multi-transponder operation
IP, FR, ATM, ISDN
Bandwidth-on-demand
User groups with unique Service Level Agreement

Star, Mesh and Hybrid Topologies

According to Intelsat, a company in Latin America has implemented BVSAT for a Virtual Private Network with 30 sites using Frame Relay for voice, data, and video conferencing. By upgrading to Broadband VSAT, the company saved 50% in space segment costs and the savings paid for the equipment in just four months.

The advantages of using LinkWay VSATs as a broadband system for global services include:

Dynamic bandwidth assignment on-demand
Multiple carriers and data rates
Efficient error correction schemes that reduce space segment cost and earth station size
Multiple topologies and protocols on a single platform
Full IP routing with QoS and multicasting

By using an advanced system that coordinates multiple transmissions and frequencies, the LinkWay system enables each terminal to use a range of satellite bandwidth over multiple transponders to boost system throughput. All LinkWay 2100 broadband VSATs have access to all channels in the network, so mesh, star, and hybrid network topologies are available from a single platform. The topology flexibility gives remotes within a region the ability to connect directly to one another in a mesh configuration, but also receive efficient multicasts from other regions or a home office. Automatic, adaptive bandwidth assignment and advanced coding provides substantial transponder cost savings.

WildBlue - Broadband Internet Access for Residential and Small Office/Home Office (SurfBeam® DOCSIS)

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 18:11:28 -0800

WildBlue, the first next-generation Ka-band satellite broadband system, is the fastest growing broadband service in the world

WildBlue's initial target for its affordable two-way broadband services is residential and small office/home office customers throughout the contiguous United States. WildBlue's strategic investors include Liberty Media Corporation, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Arianspace, the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative, and Intelsat. The spot beam satellite technology and ground system design of WildBlue is lowering the cost of providing high speed Internet access via satellite. Since its roll out in late 2004, subscriptions have quickly grown to nearly 300,000.

WildBlue is especially appealing to the 15 to 20 million U.S. homes that do not have access to DSL or cable modem service.

Spot beam satellites focus multiple beams of satellite power onto different geographic regions, similar to the cells of a wireless phone network. According to WildBlue this technology produces an increase of four to six times the capacity of conventional Ku-band satellites that have one large "footprint," generally covering an area slightly larger than the continental US. Of course with higher system capacity WildBlue can offer lower cost airtime for users. WildBlue service will launch using Ka-band transponders on the Telesat Anik F2 satellite. WildBlue also has its own satellite, WildBlue 1, on order with Loral Space Systems.

DOCSIS for Satellite

Perhaps as important as choosing spot-beam technology is another aspect of WildBlue's strategy, which is building a satellite system based on the cable industry's well-established Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS®). Using DOCSIS for satellite, WildBlue can tap into proven broadband technology, including mass produced chipsets, a variety of hub hardware, and mature back office systems. This tremendous savings in development time and costs will further reduce the cost of subscriber services.

To adapt the system to satellite, WildBlue chose ViaSat as its technology partner. ViaSat engineered both a satellite modem and the satellite modem termination system (SMTS), or "headend" of the network. ViaSat wholly owned subsidiary, US Monolithics will also be contributing key technology to WildBlue.

US Monolithics is the exclusive supplier of outdoor satellite transceiver electronics, in the form of a 3-watt linear output power transceiver operating at transmit frequencies of 29.5 to 30.0 GHz and receive frequencies of 19.7 to 20.2 GHz, integrated into a single, compact package. As with the other system components, a low cost transceiver is a key to making WildBlue's business proposition work.

The satellite modem, similar in size and function to DSL or cable modems, converts the analog data transmissions into Internet Protocol (IP) data packets, which can be read by subscriber's PCs or any digital Internet appliance. ViaSat is enabling WildBlue to leverage standard components from DOCSIS, as well as the satellite TV industry, while ensuring the design will provide excellent performance over the Ka-band satellite link.

The SMTS serves same purpose as a cable modem termination system. Located at each WildBlue gateway location, the ViaSat SMTS will provide the interface between the terrestrial internet backbone and WildBlue subscribers. The SMTS will control the satellite network, act as an IP router/switch to communicate with and manage the traffic for each subscriber satellite terminal, and perform authentication and encryption for subscribers. Six gateways, being built by Andrew Corp., are under construction. Locations are in San Diego, CA; Cheyenne, WY; Laredo, TX; Syracuse, NY; Duluth, MN, and Seattle, WA.

Shoppers/Pharmaprix Links 800 Retail Sites With Data, Voice and Video (LinkStar)

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 17:58:06 -0800

The largest drugstore chain in Canada weighs the benefits of satellite networking versus terrestrial every year. Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix, the only national drugstore chain in Canada, measures a number of IT parameters with its annual audit of its more than 800-store network. Year after year the results favor satellite as the best networking alternative, and Shoppers continues to expand the scope and capabilities of its network from ViaSat.

Joseph Cira, VP of technology and communications at Shoppers has always seen the network as a competitive edge, saying "We are very aggressive in thinking of new applications and uses for the network." In keeping with that philosophy, Shoppers is implementing a major upgrade of the network to new LinkStar broadband VSATs. The upgrade is increasing the speed and capacity of the network, while saving satellite bandwidth. Shoppers' network is one of the largest private VSAT networks in Canada, with one of only a few private hubs in the country. The system connects stores to nine regional offices and three distribution centers.

Traffic over the network is multi-dimensional mix of data, audio and video. During the day it processes credit or debit card orders, prescriptions, purchase orders and e-mail. By night the system transfers sales data, pricing updates, new software, and sale and special offer information. Four digital audio channels pipe in music and advertising during store hours, including separate feeds to customize information for local and national advertisements, in both French and English.

From its own TV production studio, Shoppers also produces and broadcasts an in-store television network. Programming includes a distance learning network for store associates, and information, advertising, and promotions targeted to customers. New initiatives have created even more need for higher data throughput on the network. Last year the retailer began a customer loyalty program, called Shoppers Optimum, where customers use a "swipe" card to earn frequent shopper points. The program is great for business, but Cira is seeing a three- to five-fold increase in daytime transaction traffic.

LinkStar is meeting Shoppers’ need for higher data rates and also delivering bandwidth savings because of its combination of the fastest return channel data rate in the industry, dynamic bandwidth allocation, and turbo coding. Terminals can transmit data to the network hub at speeds up to 1.15 Mbps. Network customers will find that their data throughput is much faster than typical TDMA systems because LinkStar gives users more bandwidth on-demand as more traffic hits the network. Channel rates automatically increase (and decrease) based on need, speeding data through the network, but also using less bandwidth in the long run than if each terminal were permanently configured for the maximum rate possible.

Dynamic bandwidth allocation gives Shoppers a means to easily balance the needs of its store operators. Depending on how much Shoppers wants to increase the capacity of the network it could save as much as 50% on bandwidth needs or, alternatively, deliver higher operation speeds to its stores within the same bandwidth used before the upgrade.

LinkStar also saved Shoppers' previous network investment because it is based on Digital Broadcast Video (DVB) industry standards. Previously, Shoppers had installed a DVB overlay on top of its VSAT network. With DVB-compatible LinkStar, Shoppers was able to retain the DVB equipment as the hub uplink (outbound). The retailer continues to use a 6 Mbps DVB-S channel as the outbound broadcast to remotes. Operators at the hub can scale the aggregate outbound channel to provide the right combination of video and IP data. Current settings are 3 Mbps for video and the balance for IP data.

The network gives pharmacists Internet access, as well as providing a company-wide intranet for e-mail, merchandising and information management, and video for training, new product announcements, and corporate communications. If Shoppers financial performance is any indication, it has made the right decisions regarding its network choice. During the most recent fiscal year the retailer has grown sales by 11% to C$5 billion, with net earnings rising even faster, to nearly 30% more than the previous year.

Sentech - Expanding Into New Opportunities in Multimedia Services (LinkStar)

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 17:54:55 -0800

New "Hot" Ku-band Satellite Capacity and Advanced VSAT Systems Combine to Lower Costs and Open Opportunities for Satellite Service Providers

Historically, African operators have utilized C-Band satellites to cover the large geographic expanses of the continent. With the recent launch of higher-powered Ku-Band satellites, new opportunities have presented themselves to assist in the development of the Pan-African telecommunication infrastructure. On the horizon in Africa, as a result of several new, very "hot" satellites that have been recently launched are a significant number of service providers providing support for the latest IP-based applications that previously were unaffordable due to high equipment costs.

These new satellites are carrying much more powerful Ku-band transponders with EIRPs measuring from the high 40s to more than 54dBW. Due to the high available satellite powers, the antennas and RF equipment can be substantially smaller than the equivalent C-Band terminals resulting in significant cost savings. With the advent of higher performance VSAT platforms, commissioning and operational costs have tumbled, opening a completely new market for low cost, higher performance telecommunications services. Ku-band equipment is typically just one-third the cost of C-band, so budgets can stretch farther and larger networks are possible.

An excellent example of the new breed of service providers is Sentech Ltd, located in South Africa. Sentech is one of the largest broadcasting distributors in Africa, transmitting programs for customers such as e-TV, the BBC and South Africa’s national public service program provider (SABC) to audiences across Africa.

Recently Sentech secured a multimedia license to provide Internet, e-commerce, broadband and other value-added services across Southern Africa. The company is adding IP-based, broadband satellite networking services to its product offering, expanding into a new role as an Internet access and two-way multimedia provider, and has adopted ViaSat's LinkStar VSAT platform to tap this new customer segment. The initial footprint of the service, on the PAS 7 Ku-band satellite, covers Southern Africa. Like the satellites described previously, PAS 7 offers high-powered Ku-band capacity - up to 54 dBW signal strength - within the borders of South Africa. Typical customer installations need only a 1.2 meter dish with 2-watt block upconverter (BUC) and LNB to ensure high availability and service quality.

"We all know that the Internet is fast-becoming the economic and commercial hub of the world, but the reality of Internet service in South Africa has long been low-speed connections at exorbitant prices," said Marcel Steyn, portfolio manager: product development with Sentech. "We’ve turned that model on its head by using the latest in bi-directional satellite communications technology and taking advantage of the new regulatory framework."

Since almost all the services are IP-based, direct connections to the US or European IP backbones provide high-speed connectivity directly to Tier 1 Internet Service Providers. Internet access and VoIP are the most prevalent services, generating significant revenues to those operators who have invested in VSAT equipment.

Sentech services are called VSTARInternet and VSTARCustom. VSTARInternet fits a variety of budgets, from home users to enterprise users, while VSTARCustom is a premium offering for wide area corporate communications with added security, flexibility, and higher data rates (up to 10 Mbps from the hub to the remote terminal and up to 1Mbps on the return). Customer benefits include 24-hour always on service, fixed monthly pricing no matter the distance covered, no caps on usage, connections that are unaffected by inadequacies in the existing infrastructure, and no threat of cable theft. And connections are quickly implemented as well; Sentech promises installation within 10 days of application approval.

Advanced hub-based VSAT systems like that being used by Sentech provide efficient broadband communications for Internet access, enterprise networking, retail operations, distance learning, and other multimedia applications. LinkStar VSATs are capable of receiving data from a shared, broadcast from the access hub at up to 60 megabit-per-second (Mbit/s), and can transmit back to the hub at speeds up to 3.3 Mbit/s. Dynamic bandwidth allocation increases or decreases data rates on-the-fly for better service and more efficient use of bandwidth. This exclusive feature measures data demands on-the-fly and automatically increases or reduces bandwidth for an optimum balance between throughput and bandwidth use. Other enterprise-level features available in LinkStar include Quality of Service to prioritize network traffic, and a feature called "VLAN Tagging" that enables one hub installation to support several customers at once, each with their own, secure virtual private network.

LinkStar hubs and remote terminals are compliant with the digital video broadcast (DVB) international standard. Since its introduction in September 2001, over 25,000 LinkStar DVB-RCS compatible terminals have been shipped, providing service for more than 80 networks worldwide.

NewSat - Regional Broadband Services in Australia and Greater Asia (LinkStar)

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 17:50:51 -0800

VSAT network has the potential to reach 60% of the world's population from a shared hub in Australia

NewSat is a regional broadband service provider based in Australia. Since 2003, NewSat, a subsidiary of Multiemedia, has been working together with ViaSat and IP Access International to provide high-speed, two-way satellite broadband services.

From its ViaSat LinkStar hub in Newcastle, the service provider has gained incredible reach into potential markets in its region. The NewSat footprint covers Australia and much of greater Asia, covering 50% of the world's landmass and 60% of the world's population.

"We fill a void in the marketplace for next generation video, Internet, voice and data communication services for organizations whose needs are not met by traditional terrestrial broadband technologies, such as ADSL, ISDN and cable," said William Masson, general manager of sales and marketing at NewSat.

With its service offering in place, NewSat is already signing customers. One is the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which is operating a network in Iraq as part of the post-war enforcement and governance program. The USAID is a humanitarian organization that is the principal U.S. agency for extending assistance to countries recovering from disaster, trying to raise standards of living, and engaging in democratic reforms.

Another network is for retail operations and communications for over 700 Woolworths stores in Australia. Woolworths Limited, based in Sydney, operates more than 1,400 retail stores in Australia, mostly food supermarkets. Woolworths brands in Australia and New Zealand include a diverse mix of businesses, including Woolworths, Safeway, Food For Less, Dick Smith Electronics and PowerHouse, Tandy, First Estate, Dan Murphy's, Plus Petrol, BIG W, Australian Independent Wholesalers (AIW), Woolworths Ezy Banking, and GreenGrocer. The company has annual sales of over $20 billion (Australian).

NewSat is capitalizing on the ability of satellite communications to overcome the limitations of buried or overhead cables. VSAT stations can be placed anywhere within view of a satellite, and are capable of sending and receiving various video, data and audio content at the same high speed, regardless of distance from terrestrial switching offices and infrastructure. Additional bandwidth can be added on request to deploy further applications such as VoIP and videoconferencing. And advanced VSAT networks can match or beat terrestrial reliability and availability standards. NewSat offers a guaranteed uptime of about 99.9 percent.

LinkStar� is the highest performance, star-based VSAT system for service providers, ISPs, and corporate network managers who are seeking a system compliant with the DVB-RCS open standard. LinkStar's edge is in its dynamic bandwidth allocation that makes it more efficient and faster than other TDMA systems. Terminals can transmit data to the network hub at speeds up to 3.3 Mbit/s, with data downloads of up to 10 Mbit/s, satisfying bandwidth-intensive applications using IP data.

"There is no doubt that LinkStar gives us a competitive advantage because of its bandwidth speeds and reliability," said Masson "While other VSAT technology has not been able to sustain video conferencing or video and fax over IP, we are seeing performance that is making those services a reality, providing superior broadband speed and service."

INTRALOT - Using satellite to build a reliable, secure, wide area network (ViaSat Managed Broadband Services)

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 17:47:33 -0800

High-stakes lottery business shows attributes of satellite communications for maximum reliability, wide area coverage, and security.

Sometimes satellite is an obvious networking choice. If your network requires very high availability, covers diverse locations scattered over a wide area, or needs the security that direct control over the infrastructure gives you, then satellite is the ideal choice. One business that combines all of those requirements is the lottery business. While it is a specialized application, it shows the capabilities of satellite for a variety of networks.

INTRALOT USA is a new subsidiary of Greece-based INTRALOT SA that is bringing the company's worldwide expertise in lottery operations to the United States; the source for half of all global lottery revenue. INTRALOT's first success in the U.S. market was its selection as the on-line lottery gaming system and services contractor for the State of Nebraska. INTRALOT is providing its LOTOS® on-line gaming computer system, software, equipment, and services related to the lottery's on-line gaming activities for a network that is projected to reach 1,500 locations.

The Network is The Critical Lottery Communications Component

INTRALOT has identified the telecommunication network linking the central processing system with the terminals as the critical component of any on-line system. Building that connection with terrestrial lines is very risky and difficult because even a single state typically has dozens of different companies to deal with in piecing together a wired network. That means dozens of possible points of failure and difficulty in tracking down the right contact to fix any problems. The new network for Nebraska is the first 100 percent wireless lottery communications network in the world, using all VSAT connections. Because it is an all-IP network, INTRALOT uses IPSEC and 3DES encryption to secure network transmissions.

In the lottery business literally every second counts. In ticket purchases alone, the network has recently averaged about 8,000 transactions per hour, peaking at a daily total of over 297,000 on one recent day when a large payoff was at stake. Those traffic totals don't include additional traffic in the form of reports and ticket validations. Should communications fail, state-owned lottery operators not only lose thousands in revenue every minute, but enforce stiff penalties on communication contractors as well.

"Satellite is obviously our best choice for networking," said Lee Wilson, communications manager for INTRALOT USA. "Using the LinkStar VSAT for the Nebraska State Lottery, we've met and exceeded our goals for installation, reliability, and speed of the network."

Rapid Installation of 1,000 Sites

With pre-planning help from ViaSat Network Operation Center staff INTRALOT installed 900 terminals in just 40 days, with as many as 35 installations in one day. The network was in operation by July 1, 2004. Additional installations have brought the network total to just over 1,000 sites.

Once the network was on line, the goal was a maximum of four seconds per transaction. Each transaction is now taking less than three seconds, including transmission from the retail location through the LinkStar hub and lottery data center and then back again to the retailer to print a ticket.

Back Up Ready in Less Than 10 Minutes

Obviously a network like this one can't be a single thread. There's always possibilities for a network outage no matter how reliable the system, so a backup plan was also implemented by ViaSat. In its first test of the switchover to the backup hub, it took less than eight minutes until full recovery of the network, including switchover of more than 900 retail sites.

"Intralot is just beginning to capture business in North America and we feel that with ViaSat as our communications technology partner, we have a good team in place to meet our goals for growth and performance," said Wilson.

About INTRALOT

Based on its extensive know how, advanced product development specifications and substantial experience in organizing and operating lottery games, INTRALOT can offer its clients custom-made integrated system, which ensure maximum efficiency and absolute security. INTRALOT is ranked 3rd in revenues and 2nd in profits, based on 2002 financial results, among lottery suppliers worldwide, and maintains a steady course towards the leading position in the global market. Today the company has secured an important position in the European and South American markets while is expanding its presence in S.E. Asia and North America.

Evolv-e - A New Generation of Business Services for Latin America (LinkStar)

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 17:39:55 -0800

Telespazio adopts LinkStar networking features to roll out enterprise-quality shared hub satellite IP services.

Telespazio is a satellite service provider with the mission of designing and implementing global satellite-based systems supporting innovative services and Internet applications. In Latin America, the company has developed a new family of broadband IP services called Evolv-e. Telespazio launched Evolv-e first in Argentina and Brazil from shared network hubs in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

"Evolv-e is Telespazio's DVB-IP multimedia platform for a new generation of business communication services," said Claudio Mastroiani, vice president of IT at Telespazio. "We feel it represents an overwhelming qualitative leap in broadband communication, making satellite IP accessible for businesses anywhere."

The technology platform that Telespazio is building on is the LinkStar® broadband VSAT system from ViaSat. A number of LinkStar innovations enable Telespazio to reach its goal of expanding the reach of satellite IP:

Cost effective for thin route or broadband applications
Dynamic bandwidth allocation optimizes bandwidth efficiency
TCP acceleration for higher data throughput
Smaller, more highly integrated and lower-cost RF equipment

Many times, the demand in Latin America is still for simple, thin-route applications such as voice over IP, although broadband demand is growing. LinkStar enables Telespazio to provide cost-effective networking for either low-rate services or bandwidth-intensive applications, such as digital media streaming, video, multicasting over IP, VoIP, and high-speed file transfer.

LinkStar also became the choice for Telespazio because it is a VSAT specifically designed for enterprise level services. Those features include dynamic bandwidth allocation that matches bandwidth use to customer applications and faster throughput at the customer premises by using TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) acceleration.

The round-trip time (RTT) for a packet traversing a LinkStar system via satellite averages 670ms. This is the time from when a packet is sent until its acknowledgement or reply is received. This includes satellite propagation delay, as well as processing delay of the LinkStar remote and hub components. When connecting to a corporate network using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection via terrestrial backhaul, the round trip time (RTT) for packets, and network throughput, could potentially increase by 15 to 20 percent.

The ViaSat TCP-PEP (TCP Performance Enhancing Proxy) Gateway eliminates this potentially problem by accelerating TCP/IP applications over the satellite. It is installed between the customer LAN and the satellite network equipment and transparently routes IP traffic while selectively accelerating TCP traffic. No modifications are required for customer applications, servers or workstations. All TCP-based applications, including web browsing, e-mail and ftp, can operate at the maximum data rate allowed by the satellite network. Using ViaSat TCP-PEP, files typically download in just one-third the time that it would take in a satellite link without TCP acceleration.

In addition, guaranteed Quality of Service (QoS) techniques help business users prioritize different types of data flowing over the network, rather than simply queuing all traffic indiscriminately. For example VoIP traffic can be expedited over email or large file transfers.

Evolv-e services use Ku-band transponders on a variety of regional satellites. Data rates are 10 Mbit/s for the DVB outbound and 64 kbit/s to 1 Mbit/s on the return from remotes to the hub. Evolv-e subscriber terminals include VSAT-size antennas, about 1 to 1.2 meters, which fit on building rooftops. ViaSat also focuses on cutting costs in the outdoor RF equipment portion of the terminal, often the single largest element of cost in VSAT terminals. Along with its subsidiary US Monolithics, ViaSat has developed advanced, compact RF components that significantly reduce costs for satellite networking.

Telespazio, 100% owned by Telecom Italia SpA in the Telecom Italia Group, is the first European private operator able to provide the whole range of satellite products and services to communication operators, business and consumer users. Telespazio holds a majority stake in Telespazio Brazil, a joint-venture with Inepar (Brazil), Entel (Chile), and BGH (Argentina) which markets Telespazio's portfolio of products & services in Latin America.

e-Mexico - A National Project to Bridge the Digital Divide in Mexico (LinkStar)

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 17:22:27 -0800

INTERDirec and ViaSat - Reaching across a nation to provide education and communications, including the largest videoconferencing network in Latin America.

On the eve of Presidential Elections in Mexico in July 2000, one of the main declarations of the candidates was to grant Mexican children the opportunity to learn the English language and have access to information networks through Local Community Centers. But making this project feasible in the short term was a real challenge when presented with a population dispersed into so many graphically remote locations.

Following the election of Vicente Fox, the Secretary of Communications and Transportation received a Presidential assignment: to develop a system capable of linking not only the children, but also their parents, to the Internet and other sources of information and knowledge. Additional goals for e-Mexico are to develop Mexico's IT and communications (ITC) industry, foster an internal market for ITC products, promote an adequate regulatory framework for the use of electronic media and e-commerce, and digitize government services.

In mid-2002 the government opened a domestic public tender for companies to bid for the best-suited, price-performance network to complete phase I of the overall project, the connection of 3,200 remote "from digital community centers." The overall objective of e-Mexico is to build a national IT network that will connect over 90% of Mexico's population with electronic services for distance learning, internet access, government, health, and commerce.

Internet Directo, a private ISP company owned by Carlos Peralta and IUSA group started an evaluation program to find the technology partner to share responsibility for the success of the biggest wireless networking project ever in Mexico. The main objective was to offer local Internet access at a very low price: US$ 40.00 per month, per site. PanamSat had already agreed to provide free satellite Ku-band space segment on its Galaxy 3C satellite, with a footprint covering all of Mexico. INTERDirec considered its alternatives in going with modern DVB/RCS technology from ViaSat or older platforms with larger installed bases. Following a demonstration of ViaSat's LinkStar broadband VSAT, INTERDirec officials commented, "The economically agile return links caught our eyes immediately and after extensive field tests in several sites LinkStar was never matched; no one came close."

On Dec 4, 2002 INTERDirec and ViaSat were chosen to provide services for e-Mexico, a project that is expected to become a landmark for the communications history of Mexico. On January 17 the e-Mexico System was inaugurated by Mr. Pedro Cerisola, Communications Secretary of Mexico.

The installation of the service began almost immediately with service already rolling out by mid-January. Baseband equipment and remote stations were shipped to reach the milestone as well. Install crews deployed a 9-meter antenna hub in Mexico City. As of mid-June, over 3,200 remote sites were installed. The single hub can manage up to 4,000 remotes The network is using two separate transponders on Galaxy 3C. The outbound DVB-S stream from the hub to remotes occupies a full 27 MHz transponder and the inbound return channels from the remotes have bandwidth-on-demand access to another 17 MHz. A frequency-hopping feature built into LinkStar chooses the best available carrier based on network demand, providing a 50% improvement in data throughput according to INTERDirec.

The success of the project has been immediate. By early 2004, daytime hours saw a constant 24 Mbytes of traffic transiting the network resulting from nearly 5 million page views per week. "We have actively participated since 1957 in the development of the telecommunications of our country in support of the productive sectors as well as for small isolated communities. Now, taking advantage of modern satellite technologies, we can offer connectivity for the National e-Mexico System to the Digital Community Centers to facilitate access to Internet services, distance learning and medical programs," said Mr. Peralta.

LinkStar is a hub-based VSAT system that provides two-way, broadband-on-demand services with more efficiency and higher data rates than other satellite networks. Remote LinkStar terminals in the e-Mexico network receive data from a single, 29 megabit-per-second (Mbit/s) carrier broadcast from the access hub, and transmit back to the hub at either 128 or 256 kbit/s (3.3 Mbit/s max possible).

The ultimate goal of e-Mexico is to build and connect 10,000 Digital Community Centers to a national network, benefiting more than 98% of the population of Mexico by 2025. With the e-Mexico infrastructure expected to increase Internet users in Mexico from 4.5 million to 60 million, two additional phases, each adding 2,000 sites, are being planned.

"We know we have many challenges ahead," said Manuel Cerrillo, director general of INTERDirec. "But the effort will all be worth it if we can contribute to the smile of a child with a brighter future."