Brazil, Africa receives expanded mini-VSAT Broadband network capacity from KVH

As part of its ongoing worldwide network upgrade, leading solutions manufacturer KVH Industries has expanded its mini-VSAT Broadband network to more than double of its previous capacity in Africa and Brazil. Said to be the third major capacity boost in less than five months, the network upgrade features the deployment of Variable Coding, Spreading and Modulation (VCSM) technology provided by ViaSat, KVH’s partner in the mini-VSAT Broadband network. This is the latest expansion of KVH after its upgrades in the Caribbean and EMEA regions last year.

“Brazil and Africa are key regions for our customer base, as they are important for both the shipping and oil and gas industries,” KVH mobile broadband group EVP Brent Bruun noted. “The new VCSM technology enables us to handle transmissions much more efficiently, increasing the amount of data that our network can carry, which is important for both safety and business operations onboard.”

The company leverages readily available commercial FSS satellite capacity which cover’s the world’s oceans, provided by companies like Intelsat, Eutelsat, SkyPerfect JSAT and SES. Presently, the mini-VSAT Broadband network makes use of 17 leased transponders to cover the globe with a hybrid network, which includes C-band and Ku-band coverage. The one meter, dual-mode TracPhone V11 antenna of KVH can seamlessly switch among C- and Ku-band frequencies — as easily as the 60cm TracPhone V7-IP antennas and 37cm TracPhone V3 antennas switch among Ku-band satellites.

Romantis unveils new software upgrade for UHP VSAT

Romantis, a Berlin-based provider of satellite capacity and satellite networking equipment across the globe, recently revealed that the company has released a 3.0 software upgrade for its Universal Hardware Platform (UHP).

As a next-generation of high-throughput, universal UHP VSAT platform, the 3.0 software upgrade has a better level of performance, advanced Quality of Service (QoS) and multi-purpose operations. It also takes to the next level the trademark UHP benefits, like exceptional versatility, scalability and industry-best cost of ownership. By releasing the UHP 3.0, Romantis UHP technology proved once more the company’s most advanced status with a high-speed satellite router capable of processing 60,000 packets per second, and also the world’s smallest advanced TDM/TDMA Mini-Hub that can fit in the palm of your hand, but can support over 2,000 terminals with sophisticated QoS.

UHP 3.0 software upgrade features the following:

• Enhanced performance of UHP satellite router ensures up to 60,000 packets per second and up to 150 Mbps aggregate throughput.
• Increased number of supported TDMA Inroutes (up to 254 per network), including Fast-Hopping MF-TDMA and TCP/IP acceleration.
• Extended number of supported Terminals (up to 2,040 per Inroute or above 500,000 per network).
• New advanced traffic management capabilities: Group Hierarchical QoS, Traffic Policies and Hierarchical 680-channel Traffic Shaper.

• Cutting-edge adaptive technologies combining automatic Transmission Level Control (TLC) and DVB-S2 Adaptive Coding and Modulation (ACM) available both for TDM/TDMA networks and SCPC channels.

Gilat’s Spacenet given multi-year contract to provide network services

Gilat Satellite Networks, a leading developer and seller of VSAT satellite ground stations and related equipment, is happy to announce that Spacenet Inc. — the company’s wholly owned subsidiary — has won a multi-year contract worth $20 million from one of the world’s leading delivery service organizations to upgrade and deliver network connectivity to more than 5,700 locations. The contract is said to include an option to extend the five-year base period of performance for three additional periods of three-years, which sums up a total potential contract period of 14 years.

The contract is said to be part of a main initiative to lessen overall operating costs at the delivery service organization, at the same time enhancing the user experience at every location. Spacenet’s contract includes providing more than 1,900 sites with broadband connectivity and more than 3,800 sites with satellite-based VSAT technology.

“For more than a decade, Spacenet has provided a variety of managed network services to this organization,” said Spacenet President and CEO, Glenn Katz. “Our knowledge and experience with satellite-based services long enabled our client to provide high-speed connectivity at locations out of reach of terrestrial networks. Now, like many organizations having geographically disparate locations, this organization is embracing the expansion of cost-effective broadband options all across the country and has selected Spacenet as one of its vendors to achieve its goals. Our broad portfolio of network offerings, industry relationships and technology-neutral approach enables Spacenet to offer optimal solutions on a site-by-site basis.”

RuSat taps Newtec for B2C, B2B VSAT broadband services

RuSat — a primary satellite service provider for enterprise customers, Internet service providers, and government agencies in Russia — is introducing a new satellite broadband service with the use of Newtec’s latest VSAT hub and end-user terminal technology. The new service allows for a high-speed, competitive broadband connectivity all over the Russian territory using Gazprom Space System’s Yamal-402 satellite which was sent into orbit last month.

Formerly, the only VSAT services available in Russia were expensive and offered in limited areas of the country. Raduga Internet is the very first ISP that utilizes RuSat’s service to offer Internet services to the consumer market.

“We have made an extensive market analysis and selected Newtec’s VSAT technology for our new satellite broadband service. We are impressed by the ease of use, the bandwidth efficiency and the price attractiveness of the end-user terminal,” RuSat General Director Sergey Alymov said in a statement. “This means we can keep our service pricing as low as possible for our customers without jeopardizing quality. That is key! Additionally, Newtec has an excellent reputation for equipment reliability and customer service so we are pleased to partner with them.”

Even though RuSat service uses Ku band, Newtec’s terminals for its high-speed VSAT broadband technology can be upgraded easily to operate in Ka band. All it takes is a simple change of Newtec’s interactive LNB, without any hardware adaptation to the satellite modem or the antenna.

“The Russian VSAT broadband market is experiencing a real boost as more capacity becomes available over a wider geographic area,” Newtec CEO Serge Van Herck said. “We are proud that we can help RuSat offer market leading satellite broadband services and this at a very competitive price point both for the professional and the consumer market.

Gazprom taps Newtec for new VSAT platform equipment

Newtec, a company that specializes in satellite equipment, signed a contract with Gazprom Space Systems (GSS) to provide the equipment required for a new VSAT platform to be run using the Yamal-402 satellite. This new alliance makes Newtec the preferred partner of choice to deliver the complete VSAT system, which includes hub, modems and antennas for the project.

A guarantee of Internet access offered at affordable prices in the distant areas of Russia is important. Until this year, only high-priced, professional, VSAT installations in limited hotspots were available in the Moscow and Saint Petersburg regions. Now, Gazprom aims to provide satellite broadband access services to local ISPs that will, in turn, supply the services to customers and enterprise customers within the Yamal-402 footprint, covering the whole Russian territory.

While the GSS network will use Ku Band via the Yamal-402, the terminals can be suited to function with throughput Ka Band frequencies by a simple change of the interactive LNB and with no hardware adaptation to the modem and the antenna.

Newtec started shipping its new high-speed, Ka-band VSAT broadband technology last year. This new technology has already been selected by several customers, including Europe’s most successful satellite broadband service.

Belgium Satellite Services increases capacity with Eutelsat to expand VSAT services in Africa, Middle East

Belgium Satellite Services (BSS), a leading satellite communications provider in the European and Asian market, has just signed a new long-term capacity contract with Eutelsat Communications to provide 46 MHz of C-band capacity on the EUTELSAT 10A satellite.

The company said that the new contract exhibits BSS’s effort to improve and develop its activity and services in Africa and the Middle East, preceding its recent acquisition of African and Middle East satellite-based data solutions provider, Intersat. The new capacity for the EUTELSAT 10A will enable Belgium Satellite Services to expand their VSAT services for client base exceeding 150 businesses, NGOs, government administrations built by INTERSAT in over 25 countries in Africa and the Middle East, and to develop new business. BSS will manage the networks with the use of its teleport in Lessive, Belgium and cutting-edge ground station equipped with the latest iDirect technology.

“We are happy to take our strong 10-year relationship with Eutelsat to the next level,” Belgium Satellite Services CEO Nitin Dhawan said in a company statement. “This is important for BSS as the acquisition of Intersat has significantly expanded the scope of our business. Thanks to the extensive C-band footprint on Eutelsat 10A satellite we can build a strong platform for service provision across the African continent and the Middle East. We are now positioned to strengthen our response to businesses and multinationals in demanding enterprise sectors, including the banking sector, that need secure and scalable networks. The new capacity enables us to consolidate our long-term positioning in this part of the world, boosting our international expansion.”

Meanwhile, Eutelsat’s CCO Jean-François Leprince-Ringuet added, “This new contract with BSSfurther anchors EUTELSAT 10Ain dynamic regions across Africa and the Middle East. We are delighted that itsperformance and coverage will enable BSS to accelerate its growth and that our longstanding partner has renewed its confidence in us with this new lease.“

New Business Class Service for mini-VSAT Broadband Network offered by KVH

World-leading solutions manufacturer KVH Industries recently launched its new Unrestricted Rate Plans which features Business Class Service for its mini-VSAT Broadband network. Specifically designed to meet the increasing demands for maritime connectivity, this new service from KVH provides unrestricted, prioritized, multi megabit service with unfettered access to all Internet applications and protocols. This includes popular Voice over IP (VoIP) services like Skype, streaming media formats and rich media websites.

Traditionally only available with highly-priced dedicated satellite capacity and exclusively used by high-end cruise ship or megayacht customers, the Business Class Service is offered at competitive rates with other shared maritime VSAT services. It also promises to offer significantly faster service and a an excellent user experience.

“The launch of our new Business Class Service culminates a two-year initiative to upgrade our network, increase our capacity, integrate network management capabilities into our core product offering, and devise unrestricted rate plans that provide unprecedented performance while also being cost effective,” Executive Vice President of KVH’s Mobile Broadband Group Brent Bruun said in a statement.

Bruun added that the company is doing its best to match the exponential growth of the Internet and mobile data services, guaranteeing that KVH will continue to work towards enhancing its service when it comes to the connectivity customers need. The company opened up a new transparent, usage-based rate plans to aid customers in selecting the defined amount of data in a monthly package, subsequently offering users the opportunity to purchase more service at an affordable and reasonable price if the package threshold is exceeded during the month.

KVH Industries also made arrangements for heavy users by allowing them to consume as much bandwidth as they want because they are paying for the added service.

Additionally, the Business Class service incorporated the features of its CommBox Ship/Shore Network Manager right into the integrated belowdecks unit of its new TracPhone V7-IP and TracPhone V11 products, providing the tools customers need to manage this new service efficiently, as well as control their airtime costs.

Marlink introduces rapid VSAT installation service

Marlink, a leading satellite communications provider of maritime customers, has recently developed a rapid system of installing that would cut costs for various clients and shipping companies. The new VSAT installation method, according to Marlink, already ensures that a vessel will be connected to and ready for both data and voice traffic in just 24 hours. This new antenna installation and commissioning system outfits a vessel with the company’s more popular WaveCall standardized VSAT service.

Marlink is banking on this new system to draw in more clients since the 24-hours installations means you can install the system just about anywhere, including the scheduled-port calls of a ship. Operation schedules of the vessel will be unaffected by the new VSAT installation procedures. According to Marlink, its team of highly-trained engineers can board a ship and equip it for connectivity in just a day. However, the client must agree to process in advance.

The installation method already includes the customer installation document, testing of gyro and power connections, and the mounting of antennas and other equipment. Customers can also track the installation stages online through Marlink’s web portal. According to Marling, support from the operators of the vessel before and after the installation procedure is necessary for its success.

We recommend you read:

• Internet on satellite
• Beam Communications installs IsatDock Pro at Russian Antarctic polar station