New Ka-band beam lets Galaxy SkyDATA reach Eastern Canada

Canada-based satellite communications company Galaxy Broadband Communications recently announced the addition of a new Ka-band beam to its SkyDATA enterprise class managed service.

The additional beam is a Ka-band spot beam from the Telesat satellite Anik F3. It will cover Central and Eastern Canada, including Northern Ontario, Northern Quebec, and the western regions of Newfoundland and Labrador. Expected launch for the upgraded service is April 15, 2013.

Galaxy launched its SkyDATA enterprise class service back in 2012. The original platform used four Ka-beams and covered the Western half of Northern Canada. Galaxy also included plans to extend SkyDATA's coverage over Eastern Canada.

SkyDATA provides cost-effective and reliable managed services to customers who need more bandwidth for mission critical applications, morale services for work camps, and VoIP communications. The new Ka-band spot beam will allow Galaxy to offer affordable, fast, and predictable managed services to customers in the resource-rich mining havens of Eastern Canada. 

Recommended additional reading:

• Kratos Cybersecurity Assessment enhances satellite communications cybersecurity
• IAI picks SIS as launch partner for AMOS-4 multi-band satellite, says Spacecom

SES signs new capacity deal with Turkish broadcaster covering sub-Saharan Africa

This Wednesday, SES announced that it signed a new satellite capacity deal with Türkiye Radyo ve Televizyon Kurumu (TRT,) a public broadcaster based in Turkey, to provide the Turkish company's programs to customers in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Company's SES-5 satellite will deliver TRT's FTA digital channel TRT Turk and its radio channel Turkiyenin Sesi Radyosu (TRS) to the region between Europe and Africa. The SES platform is located at the 5 degrees East orbital slot, and it will provide flexible broadcasting operations through its Ka-band uplink capabilities.

TRT leverages another SES satellite at the prime orbital position 19.2 degrees East to broadcast its programs to audiences Western Europe.

Ibrahim Sahin, the General Manager for TRT, stated that the Turkish broadcaster could reach critical audiences and important markets outside Turkey thanks to the expertise and global satellite fleet extended by SES. The new agreement and capacity provided by SES-5 will allow TRT to directly deliver premium Turkish news, culture, and entertainment programs to audiences in sub-Saharan Africa.

Recommended additional reading:

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

Inmarsat showing off satellite communications solutions at UAE showcase

Inmarsat will show off its ever-expanding portfolio of business voice and data services at the upcoming Gulfcomms event in Dubai, UAE. Its preview will include future commercial satellite services that will leverage Inmarsat's next-generation Global Xpress Ka-band satellite network.

The Company will display both its wide array of voice and data services, and its equally diverse assembly of portable, fixed, and vehicular terminals, on a daily basis at Gulfcomm.

In addition, Inmarsat will present an overview of the path preceding the deployment of its Global Xpress satellite system. It will also discuss how it will merge its L-band services with the new GX-enabled Ka-band satellite services.

The Alphasat I-XL L-band satellite will be part of Inmarsat's display. The planned Inmarsat satellite will improve service outreach and throughput of the Company's L-band services across Middle East and Africa, which will in turn speed up streaming performance and refresh capacity.

Furthermore, Inmarsat will also debut an improved BGAN streaming rate service. Set for commercial distribution in 2013, the new service will deliver higher streaming rates for customers.

Inmarsat is performing changes to its L-band portfolio in preparation for its future Ka-band services, which will be delivered by its planned Global Xpress satellite network. The GX-enabled services will cover the EMEA region in 2013 and go global before 2014 is out.

Global Xpress will be the first Ka-band network that can support support mobile and fixed communication services on a global basis. Its exceptional speeds will raise the measuring bar for Virtual Private Networks, Internet Protocol, rural cellular backhaul, and other applications.

A wide variety of sectors benefit from the voice, satellite broadband, and M2M (Machine-to-Machine) solutions that the Company offers. Inmarsat assures its customers of a 99.9% network reliability thanks to its global satellite communications network, which is considered to be one of the most reliable in the world.

Recommended additional readings:

• Thuraya launches high-speed XT-Hotspot mobile Wi-Fi router
• Avanti, InSat, Newtec finish testing Ka-band satellite Internet hub in Cyprus 

Boeing receives approval for COMSATCOM Services Acquisition Program

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) and General Services Administration (GSA) have authorized Boeing Commercial Satellite Services to act as a service provider of the Future COMSATCOM Services Acquisition program.

Boeing is now authorized to provide assorted satellite communications services to U.S. government customers. This including both fixed and mobile transponded and subscription services.

Boeing offers subscription agreements on military-unique services like UHF and Yahsat's military Ka-band, Ku-band and Ka-band commercial services from the Inmarsat-5 satellite, and L-band services from Inmarsat and Thuraya. These services can be secured through a GSA Schedule 70 contract with Boeing.

According to Craig Cooning, CEO of Boeing Satellite Systems International, the COMSATCOM program is another opportunity for Boeing to provide quality satellite communication services to its customers.

"Boeing continues to support the government's increasing need for satellite communications bandwidth," Mr. Cooning said.

Want to read more satellite communications articles?

• US DOJ sends second request for information to Loral, MDA on SS/L sale
• ViaSat Exede satellite internet reaches for skies aboard 370 plane order

Orbital Science: HYLAS 2 Ka-band satellite successfully makes orbit

Orbital Sciences Corporation announced this August 14, 2012 that the HYLAS 2 broadband communications satellite it built for Avanti Communications Group PLC has successfully reached orbit.

The launch mission for the Orbital Sciences-built, Avanti-operated started on Thursday, August 2, 2012. An Ariane 5 rocket lifted off from Kourou, French Guiana a few minutes before 5:00 PM local time. The HYLAS 2 satellite successfully separated from the rocket’s final stage slightly over half an hour after liftoff.

“The HYLAS 2 mission is going very well so far following another successful launch by Arianespace," Mr. Christopher Richmond, Orbital’s Senior Vice President of Communications Satellites, said in an announcement. "Over the next several weeks," he added, "we will work with the engineering team from Avanti to conduct in-orbit testing to verify the spacecraft’s systems before it enters commercial service.”

According to Orbital Science, the HYLAS 2 satellite project proceed just as planned from design phase to its early in-orbit activation and verification processes. "We have worked closely with Avanti every step of the way," SVP Richmond elaborated, "following our model of superior customer involvement throughout the program to ensure our customer’s needs are fully met. We are pleased to be a part of Avanti’s team, bringing exciting new applications and services to these fast-growing markets.”

The Orbital Science-designed and -built HYLAS 2 platform is a high-throughput Ka-Band satellite. It will allow satellite communications company Avanti to provide broadband dat and video services to customers in Eastern and Southern Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and across the Caucasus.