satellitepro middle east

November 2011 | SatellitePro | 1

FSS & MSS OPERATORS ENABLE THE SMART FIELD

A SUPPLEMENT OF BROADCASTPRO MEPUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ

CATCHING UPWITH FUTURE TV

PLUS

THE KA-BAND JUGGERNAUT

ISSUE 2 | NOVEMBER 2011


EDITORIAL

WelcomeThe digital oilfield faces opposition of the kind that US president Barack Obama would have paid good money to confront – the kind that would have said: “Obamacare is a good idea but how do we implement it?”

Even the harshest comments from oil and gas professionals are over the confusion felt with the deluge of new technology and the dearth of innovators that can show the way with some real-time demonstrations. “Until then, it is too much of an abstraction,” commented one geoscientist.

Fortunately, there are digital oilfield initiatives in place, such as Shell’s Smart Fields, BP’s Field of the Future and similar initiatives by companies such as Saudi Aramco and Kuwait Oil Company, among others. From hardy, field-tested solutions in the mobile satellite services (MSS) sector to VSAT-based technologies, the oilfield in Angola need not be less connected than the one in the UAE.

However, one crucial challenge remains. While computers can detect and notify management of a well performance on a 24/7 basis, are the companies staffed with the new breed of engineers and technicians who can analyse and take action based on that information with minimum time lag? That is a staffing deadline that should have been met yesterday. With labour scarcity in the oil and gas sector slated to touch a whopping 1.7 million by 2030, transforming labour-intensive oil-rigs to technology-driven sites that require fewer skilled personnnel, cannot be done quickly enough.

In the high-cost, geographically fragmented world of oil exploration and drilling, change is coming, one rig at a time, as communications solutions’ providers, that I spoke to, demonstrate daily. With the right solutions, a remote oil-rig is as connected as the head office in Houston, London or in Dubai. Tell us what you think as we continue to explore the possibilities of realising and expanding the digital oilfield.

Supriya SrinivasDeputy EditorSatellitePro Middle East

© Copyright 2011 CPI. All rights reserved. While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

A SUPPLEMENT OF BROADCASTPRO MEPUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ

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CONTENTS Issue 2 | November 2011

News

4Expanding horizonsSatellite launches, in-flight innovations, teleport acquisitions…

Cover story

12The digital oilfieldMission critical operations in remote locations

Features

18The commercial potentialIn conversation with EIAST’s Salem Humaid Al Marri

32The impact of Ka-BandHigh throughput satellites will influence the value chain

34Solutions for capacity managementCrucial for satellite operators with multi-site operations

36Global satellite industry eventsGVF’s oil and gas conference in Asia, Global MilsatCom 2011, Milcom and more

38

40GuestMohamed Al Shahi, senior director, broadcasting, du, on building relationships with satellite operators

Vote for the 2011 MENA Satellite Player28The challenge of future TVInterview with World Teleport Association’s chairman, Brett Belinsky

ON THE COVER: Kevin Thorley, CEO, Hermes DatacommsPhotograph by Cris Mejorada

4 | SatellitePro | November 2011

SatNews

Osman Sultan, CEO,

du, was chosen as the

recipient of the fourth CEO

Middle East Awards 2011, in a

glittering ceremony held in Dubai.

The CEO awards recognise

and reward outstanding

success, innovation and ethics

across the Middle East business

sector. Expressing his gratitude

while receiving the prestigious

award, Osman Sultan, CEO, du,

said: “I am deeply touched with

this honour.”

During his tenure, du claims

to have become the fastest

growing telecom company in

the UAE with a market share of

over 44% in mobile services in

just five years of operations.

Under his leadership, net profit

before royalty increased 51%

year-on-year and is growing

across multiple product and

service categories.

Osman Sultan, CEO of du, is the recipient of the fourth CEO Middle East Awards 2011

Arabsat to broadcast the Saudi League matches in Europe and the USA

Arabsat has signed agreements to

distribute the Saudi League matches

on the European satellite, Hot Bird,

and a dedicated TV channel has

been assigned for this purpose

to enable the Saudi community in

Europe. Arabsat has also made

the necessary arrangements to

distribute the Saudi League matches

in the United States via the paid

network, Dish Network, through

satellites, and also via the IPTV

system across the same network.

Arabsat’s President and CEO,

Eng. Khalid bin Ahmed Balkheyour

said that all necessary technical and

logistical requirements for the global

distribution of the Saudi League

matches in Europe and the United

States have been finalised. Arabsat

has made all these arrangements

based on the agreement with the

Saudi Ministry of Culture and

Information to distribute the Saudi

League globally, and further to the

previous contract to launch both

the HD and standard Saudi sports

bouquet on Arabsat satellites Badr,

which includes six HD channels

and six standard channels

covering the Arab world and large

parts of Europe.

Du CEO feted for contribution to telecom

Eng. Khalid Ahmed Balkheyour

China to launch 25 satellites by end of 2011China has set a target of launching 20

rockets and 25 satellites into space by

the end of this year, making it the second

country after Russia to accomplish that

many launches in a year.

“This year, we are supposed to

launch 20 rockets and 25 satellites, a

number that would put China in second

place after Russia,” Yuan Jiajun, deputy

general manager of China Aerospace

and Technology Corp, said asserting

that the country’s space projects

have entered a stage of high-intensity

development and launching.

At the Jiuquan Satellite Launch

Center in the northwest Gobi desert, a

total of eight satellites will be launched

within the year along with the country’s

first space lab module, Tiangong-1.


Revenue growth by 2030 in aero comms market2.3

Gulf Air, Bahrain’s national carrier,

took delivery of its first A330-200

aircraft retrofitted with Panasonic

Avionics Corporation’s (Panasonic)

Global Communications Suite. The

comprehensive communications

and entertainment solution, Sky

Hub, offers passengers onboard

full broadband connectivity to

access internet, mobile phone

services and, for the first time in

the world, a global, live television

service onboard.

Unveiling the Sky Hub onboard

the aircraft, Gulf Air chief executive

officer, Samer Majali, said, “We are

bringing, for the first time in the

world, fully integrated broadband

connectivity offering high speed

internet with high speed Wi-Fi

and data services, voice over the

internet (VOIP), streaming videos

and the world’s first in-flight live TV

satellite stream across continents.”

Passengers will be able to

browse the web at broadband

speeds, and access social media

services such as Facebook and

Twitter. In addition, business

travellers can access their virtual

private network (VPN) to send and

receive emails while watching live

news and stock market updates at

35,000 feet.

In Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin

America, global brands within

the satellite communications

industry have joined Newtec’s

business partner programme

called bePART. It is designed to

ensure customers have local

access and support to Newtec’s

comprehensive and unique

range of products anywhere in

the world.

Since the global launch at IBC

2011, more than fifteen companies

on five continents have joined the

initiative that will change the way

end-users and partners interact

with Newtec.

African Union Communications

(Pty) Ltd CEO Villiers Joubert, said:

“It will help us to provide even

better services and support to

our customers. We also feel it will

boost our operations enabling us

to take advantage of the strength

of both brands.”

Claus Peeters, Global

Channel Director for Newtec

added: “Launching our partner

programme is a key element of

our new indirect go-to-market

model. The quick uptake confirms

that our partners support the

direction we are going.”

Newtec’s global partners join the bePart programme

Gulf Air launches in-flight global live television service

Samer Majali, CEO, Gulf Air

Thales to build Turkmenistan’s first satelliteFrench firm Thales International

will build Turkmenistan’s first-ever

satellite, with the firm’s president

unveiling a model of the satellite

to the Turkmen leader.

The agreement comes as the

reclusive former Soviet state

marks 20 years of independence.

The agreement is a harbinger

of “prospects for long-term

and mutually beneficial

contracts related to the massive

transformations in Turkmenistan

aimed at diversification of the

national economy,” the report on

state television said.

Turkmenistan now depends

on a satellite from Russian firm

Gazprom Space Services for its

digital television needs.

The Turkmen leader first

decreed the drafting of

proposals for a national satellite

in 2009.


SatNews

HorizonSat will be

increasing its satellite

capacity for the MENA

region with two agreements – one

with Eutelsat on their 3C satellite

located at 3-Deg East and another

one with APT Satellite Company in

their upcoming APSTAR-7 satellite

located at 76.5 Deg East. The

new contracts have increased the

existing inventory of HorizonSat

by another 216 MHz of capacity.

“The overwhelming response of

the new DVB-S2 ACM IP-service

in the MENA region has prompted

HorizonSat to increase their

platforms on iDirect, Comtech and

Newtec. We are able to respond

to the tremendous demand for

satellite capacity in our principal

target locations since we are one

of the few to have services running

on all the three platforms,” says Joel

Lundahl, business development

manager.

A new teleport to serve the MENA

region

HorizonSat is also setting up

a teleport – a new facility built

outside Munich in Germany that

will be fully operational by mid

2012. From the teleport location,

the visibility of satellites spans

from 79° East to 40° West. This

gives HorizonSat the opportunity

to widen its area of business in the

Middle East, Africa and Europe.

With this investment and using

the latest technologies available,

HorizonSat takes a strategic step

forward to grow their presence

in new business segments in the

regional satellite industry.

Horizon Satellite Services

(HorizonSat) is a satellite service

provider in the Middle East, Africa

and Asia, offering a broad range

of services that include wide area

network solutions for data transfer,

internet backbone connectivity,

satellite-based ISDN solutions,

VoIP handling services and GSM

Backhauling. HorizonSat continues

to increase its presence in the

region, through the implementation

of new technologies and

diversification of offerings that also

include shared service Broadband

solutions for VNOs. From dedicated

internet links, shared internet links,

intranet solutions, GSM backhauling,

broadcasting services, VoIP traffic

and hosting services, HorizonSat

covers almost all possible satellite

connectivity scenarios.

Horizon Satellite Services increases capacity over the MENA region

“We are able to respond to the tremendous demand for satellite capacity in our principal target locations since we are one of the few to have services running on all the three platforms [iDirect, Comtech and Newtec]”

Joel Lundahl, business development manager, HorizonSat

HorizonSat has signed an agreement with APT Satellite Company on its upcoming APSTAR-7 satellite located at 76.5 Deg East

PRO


CAGR for MSS and FSS operators from 2010 to 202012

Hermes Datacomms Middle East, a

key specialist providing Wide Area

Network communications to the

upstream oil and gas industry has

appointed Saif Al-Azzawi as country

manager of their Iraq operations, and

Nigel Green as head of security and

operations for the Middle East.

Al-Azzawi has worked in the

telecommunications industry for

the past eight years. In this new

role, Al-Azzawi will be responsible

for establishing and managing the

Hermes Datacomms Middle East

offices in Iraq. His day-to-day duties

will include managing the sales and

technical teams; and handling all

aspect s of logistics, VSAT licensing

and so on. Additionally, Al-Azzawi

will focus on expanding the

company to best suit Iraq’s market

requirements.

As head of security and operations,

Nigel Green will be responsible for the

security of all Hermes personnel within

the Middle East. He will implement

audits on security companies, organise

accommodation and methods of

transport; and liaise with client security

companies, while Hermes Datacomms

are supporting their projects.

Key appointments by Hermes Datacomms

Thuraya appoints Patrick Chenel as CFO

The international mobile satellite

services (MSS) operator, Thuraya

Telecommunications Company, has

appointed Patrick Chenel as chief

financial officer.

In addition to leading Thuraya’s

financial management, planning

and reporting functions, he will

also be responsible for maintaining

and developing the company’s

relationships with the relevant

financial institutions and strategic

suppliers across the globe.

Prior to joining Thuraya, Patrick

was the CFO of the real estate

arm of the Qatar Investment

Authority, Qatari Diar. He began

his career with Alcatel in 1989,

holding a number of various

senior positions in the finance

area. Thuraya’s CEO, Samer

Halawi, says,”Patrick combines

an excellent and reputable

background as a CFO, with

international experience, and

a broad background in the

telecom industry. This remarkable

combination makes him a valuable

addition to our team.”

New chairman of Eutelsat proposedThe Board of Directors of Eutelsat

Communications unanimously

proposed to nominate Jean-Martin

Folz as a Board member. If elected,

Jean-Martin Folz will be appointed

by the Board as Chairman to

succeed Giuliano Berretta.

Michel de Rosen, Eutelsat CEO,

said: “The Board is delighted to

propose Jean-Martin Folz and

believes he has all the qualities

to assume the role of chairman,

succeeding Giuliano Berretta

whose mandate expires in

November.”

Jean-Martin Folz is a graduate

of France’s Ecole Polytechnique.

He joined PSA Peugeot Citroën

in 1995 and was the Group’s CEO

from 1997 until February 2007.

He was Chairman of AFEP (The

French Association of private

companies) from 2007 to 2010.

His current board memberships

include Alstom, Axa, Saint-Gobain,

Société Générale and Solvay.

Saif Al-AzzawiNigel Green


SatNews

BusinessCom, a satellite internet

service provider, has launched

iDirect Evolution enabled satellite

Internet access services on

the Eutelsat W7 geostationary

satellite. The new Evolution

services are available on Ku-

Band beams covering the Middle

East. The coverage includes

“hot” destinations such as Iraq

and Afghanistan and many other

countries. The new Evolution-

based satellite internet service

allows customers to enjoy

always-on 24/7 broadband satellite

internet access, with only a small

1.2m VSAT antenna and 3W block

up-converters.

The primary markets for the

newly launched satellite internet

services, which complement

BusinessCom’s flagmanship PEP-

iDirect solution, include demanding

DTH and SOHO users, internet

cafes, SCADA and telemetry

applications, and small to medium-

sized wireless hot spots.

The iDirect Evolution platform

selected by BusinessCom is an ideal

choice for multi-service broadband

satellite internet access. The

Evolution X3 modem is based on

the DVB-S2 standard that delivers

very high spectrum efficiency, and

is backed up by ACM (Adaptive

Coding and Modulation) technology.

The ACM automatically changes

the outbound modulation and FEC

overhead per each remote VSAT

terminal on the fly, depending

on the actual rain fade margins

observed. The return channel

is based on a patented iDirect

Deterministic TDMA technology

that enables true QoS (Quality of

Service) support.

Istanbul FM TV broadcasts on SES 31.5° degrees East

BusinessCom launches Evolution VSAT services on Eutelsat W7

SES has concluded a

capacity agreement with

the Turkish media company

Istanbul FM TV. The new customer

will use SES satellite capacity at

the orbital position 31.5 degrees

East for the free-to-air transmission

of two TV and two radio channels.

With the SES satellites, the

programmes can be received in

Turkey with standard Direct-to-

Home (DTH) satellite dishes.

“The agreement is a significant

step into the fast growing Turkish

market,” said Ferdinand Kayser,

chief commercial officer of SES.

“This market has become

increasingly important for us. At the

same time, our new partnership

confirms the attractiveness of 31.5

degrees East for customers in

growth markets. We will continue to

extend our presence in Turkey and

create an attractive neighborhood

for our broadcasting customers.”

“We have chosen to partner

with SES for the distribution

of our TV and radio channels

because of their excellent track

record and technical expertise,”

said Sabri Demirdogen, President

of Istanbul FM TV.

MBC to launch HDTV on Atlantic Bird 7

Ian Boreham, marketing & business development manager, BusinessCom

Eutelsat Communications and MBC

Group announced a multi-year

contract for capacity on Eutelsat’s new

Atlantic Bird 7 satellite at 7 degrees

West. The lease of a full transponder

will enable MBC to expand its platform

of channels addressing viewers in

the Middle East and North Africa,

particularly new HD content which

the group is preparing to launch in

January 2012.

Atlantic Bird 7 brings resources to

7 degrees West, an established video

neighbourhood delivering Arab and

international channels into almost 30

million satellite homes.


Annual growth rate of global broadband satellite revenues15

AsiaSat 7 satellite at Baikonur launch-site ahead of scheduleAsiaSat 7, a new communications

satellite designed and built for

Asia Satellite Telecommunications

Company Limited (AsiaSat) by

Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) arrived

at the Baikonur Space Center

in Kazakhstan, where it will be

launched aboard an ILS Proton

Breeze M vehicle provided by

International Launch Services (ILS).

The launch is currently scheduled

for 26 November, Baikonur time.

“We appreciate SS/L’s efforts

to complete the construction of

AsiaSat 7 and have it ready to ship

one month ahead of schedule,”

said William Wade, president and

chief executive officer of AsiaSat.

AsiaSat 7 will carry 28 C-band

and 17 Ku-band transponders,

and a Ka payload. Its region-wide

C-band beam covers Asia, the

Middle East, Australasia and the

Commonwealth of Independent

States, with Ku-band beams

serving East Asia, South Asia and

a steerable Ku beam to satisfy

market demand.

FashionTV in 3D via AsiaSat 5

FashionTV will extend the

broadcast time of its 3D

programming for FashionTV H3D

on AsiaSat 5 from 1 December

2011, following 10 months of

successful test of 3D broadcast.

The H3D programming block

on FTV HD channel will be

increased from the current four

times a day for 10 minutes each,

to a regular 30-minute 3D window

four times a day, available to

viewers in 53 countries across

AsiaSat 5’s Asia-Pacific-wide

footprint.

Viewers with 3D TV sets can

switch to the 3D mode to view the

spectacular programming offered

on this FTV HD channel.

Ka-band on Asia Broadcast Satellite ABS-7 added to coverage

ViaSat Inc. and Asia Broadcast

Satellite have entered into a multi-

year agreement to provide Ka-band

satellite service in key areas of the

Middle East using the ABS-7 satellite.

The bandwidth will be used for fixed

and mobile satellite services as a part

of ViaSat’s continuing expansion of its

Yonder mobile satellite network from

global Ku-band coverage to growing

Ka-band coverage in key international

markets. ABS-7 (formerly Koreasat-3)

provides 600 MHz of Ka-band

capacity suitable for mobile broadband

services, cellular backhaul, VSAT

services, and US/NATO government

requirements in the Middle East.

The Yonder mobile broadband

service is one of ViaSat’s fastest

growing segments, serving

business jets, maritime vessels, and

government and defense customers

around the world.

“This additional Ka-band capacity

on ABS-7 will support and strengthen

the Yonder mobile satellite network

as it expands into markets in need

of global connections in the Middle

East and Asia,” said Tom Choi, CEO of

ABS. “We are very excited about this

strategic collaboration with ViaSat.”

William Wade, president and CEO, AsiaSat

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Cover story

MovinG towArDS tHe DiGitAl oilfielD

As he explores the technology-centric solutions that will help the oil and gas industry leverage limited resources to optimise facility performance, Kevin Thorley, CEO, Hermes Datacomms, gives Supriya Srinivas an overview of the challenges he faces


It has been only a few days since Sirte

and the rest of Libya was declared

free and Hermes Datacomms had

this piece of breaking news on its

website: “Hermes Datacomms is

fully operational in Libya”. It brings

into sharp focus the inherent risks

in operating in a region that is in

political turmoil. However, Libya, in

the past couple of months, is just

an extreme version of another day

in the office for a company that has

operations in Iraq and Afghanistan,

among other places. Considering the

mission critical nature of providing

ICT solutions for upstream oil and gas

operations, the task of companies

such as Hermes Datacomms Middle

East is as demanding in war-torn Libya

as it is in the oil-rigs across Russia,

Turkmenistan or in the UAE.

For the man heading the

company’s operations in the MENA

region, Kevin Thorley, CEO, it is

tendering for a job that is one of the

most demanding of operations – a

sure sign of an industry in flux. He

acknowledges that his company’s role

in providing communication solutions

for the oil and gas industry is getting

more complex.

“The oil and gas companies are

not just looking for a VSAT provider,

they are looking for a company

that offers an integrated solution.

We are now working with partners

to make sure we deliver turnkey

projects that would involve fibre

and last mile access, in addition to

VSAT services, fixed, mobile and

microwave services. Our approach

is to manage and control all aspects

of the network, end-to-end, including

licensing and logistics at both ends

of the satellite link.”

Towards integrated solutions

The digital oilfield is to the oil

and gas industry what ‘cloud’ is

to the IT world. The digital oilfield

demands variables that include

reliability, integration, security,

scalability, openness and control.

From forging strategic partnerships

to incorporating sophisticated

monitoring technology, companies

such as Hermes Datacomms are alive

to the challenge. Thorley says, “We

expanded our Middle East office with

a dedicated team of engineers and a

24/7 help desk. From an office of just

two persons in 2008, we have now

grown to 22. We see tremendous

growth in Iraq and across the region

for the next five to ten years.”

Iraq is probably not the most

dangerous place on earth today, but a

drive to the rig-site involves donning a

bullet-proof jacket and being escorted

by a convoy of three cars with armed

guards that would cost $4,000 a

day to hire. As companies such

as Hermes Datacomms move into

more remote areas, the challenge to

service a rig-site that costs upwards of

$500,000 a day to rent, and ensuring

zero failure in critical communication

links, grows in significance. Thorley

says,“Highly reliable and accessible

communication networks are critical

for our clients to realise the value of

their investment. Our customers are

looking for real-time data transfer

based on which they schedule their

operations. First of all, our network is

tested to operate in extreme weather

conditions. Our engineers then use

proprietory monitoring tools that

allow them to identify any degraded

performance and to maintain the

integrity of the network without our

clients even realising any change in

the system.”

Intrinsic to Thorley’s mission to

“With more remote monitoring of the rig sites, and the need to connect anywhere, anytime, we are seeing an increase in the need for solutions such as video conferencing that can consume a lot of bandwidth capacity”

Kevin Thorley, CEO, Hermes Datacomms

Established in 1991, Hermes provides managed communications solutions to the oil and gas industry. With more than 400 VSAT installations and Earthstations in the UK, Denmark, Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, UAE, Singapore, Australia and USA, the company offers coverage in 88% of the world’s oil reserves and 92% of the world’s gas reserves. Customers within the oil and gas industry, include Maersk, Parker Drilling, PSN, KBR, BP, Eni, Fluor and Petronas, among others.

About Hermes Datacomms

Deficit of oil and gas staff by 20301.7


Cover story

offer complete solutions to the oil and

gas industry are the partnerships the

company is forging with local Iraqi

companies and with others such as

the recognised leader in RF products,

Comtech EF Data, the company that

launched Vipersat at the recently

held IBC 2011. Also present at the

launch of Comtech’s CDM-800, a

Hermes Datacomms’ spokesman

said, “Comtech EF Data’s Advanced

VSAT Solutions portfolio provides

high-performance satellite-based

communication solutions for a diverse

range of applications, including mobile

backhaul with RAN optimisation, IP

trunking and backhaul, maritime and

offshore networks, corporate and

enterprise networks and emergency

and disaster recovery”.

The value-added services will

only expand as companies such

as Hermes Datacomms transition

to becoming an integrated service

provider to the oil and gas sector.

Challenges of bandwidth

Apart from the obvious challenges

of extreme weather conditions,

remoteness of sites and the odd

chance of your life being in danger,

the big challenge Thorley faces is the

availability of bandwidth.

He says, “Bandwidth is scarce. At

the moment we could do with a lot

more. It is important to educate our

customers that we need to procure

space from different providers. In the

UK, we have our teleport with eight

dishes in Shrewsbury, UK, looking at a

number of different satellites , ensuring

a steady coverage. We mainly work

out of our teleport in the UK. In this

region we work with Telcos such as

du, Etisalat and satellite providers

such as Gazprom, among others, for

bandwidth capacity. Companies such

as du and Etisalat help us with licences

in their area of coverage.”

Similarly, Hermes Datacomms

has formed a partnership with KB

Impuls Hellas in July 2011, a satellite

communications company based

in Athens, Greece, that will be

servicing a client’s remote office in

Turkmenistan, among its first projects.

“To provide reliable and cost effective

Place of Performance: Rumailah Iraq Date and Duration: 2010 - ongoing

BACKGROUND BP was starting operations and required WAN connectivity at short notice to meet their operational requirements. BP came to Hermes to design and manage a fully meshed, dedicated bandwidth network over 21 sites in Iraq.

PROJECT The project consisted of 21 sites across Rumailah including; life support camps,

de-gassing stations and rigs. The network required internet, data and voice capabilities over a fully meshed VSAT network.

SOLUTIONS / SERVICES • Developed a solution to provide BP with a VSAT network to meet their internet and data requirements. • Agreed strict SLA’s to ensure maximum uptime of the VSAT link. • 24/7 network monitoring and point of contact for any network queries or requests.

• Inclusion of Out-of-Band management to allow for remote diagnosis and remote repair (if feasible) of the network. • Assigned an account manager to provide advice and support as and when required. • Monthly reports showing link usage and recommendations whilst providing information on priority fault tickets. • Arranged logistics for equipment and personnel. • Trained and mentored local BP staff on the use of VSAT equipment including installation and repairs to reduce additional costs.

Client: BP

Kevin Thorley on his way to an oil rig


communication solutions we are

working through partners where

necessary to enable us to offer

licensing and engineering resources,”

Thorley explained.

While companies such as

Hermes Datacomms typically have

agreements with a number of service

providers, the problem is not so much

coverage as the huge increase in the

volume of data commercial satellites

are handling. The technology is

there, but there is only so much VSAT

capacity available.

The headline grabbing HDTV

and 3D TV channels, and any

mode of data transmission, need

more bandwidth than the oil and

gas industry.

Thorley explains, “There is only

a fixed number of satellites at any

one time and the cost of capacity is

going up. It is tricky environment, but

as a long-time service provider to

the industry where we have forged

close, time-tested partnerships with

our clients, we are well-positioned

to cater to the bandwidth needs

of the oil and gas industry. Having

bandwidth in reserve has helped

when in April 2011, BP required WAN

connectivity at short notice for 21 sites

across Rumailah, Iraq (see box titled -

Client: BP). We designed and installed a

solution that provided internet, data and

voice capabilities over a fully meshed

VSAT network across the 21 sites within

15 days.”

The digital oilfield has also

invariably crossed into the realm of

the ‘Cloud’ with companies in the oil

and gas sector moving increasingly to

a centralised computing topology, a

‘Cloud’ model, accessing data centres

from all around the globe.

Seamless connections between

head office and site

In addition to the cloud-based

managed network services, Thorley

says, “Among the typical requirements

are basic VSAT – that allows for

communication between the field and

headquarters. The head office could

be in the UK or in the US or even in

Dubai. We offer seamless solutions

such as four-digit dialing, so that a

field office would be an extension of

your Houston office.”

While real-time data must be

transmitted quickly and efficiently

around the world from increasingly

remote locations, the personnel

challenges oil and gas companies

face compound the task for service

providers. That includes an ageing

workforce that is less likely to be

onsite and the safety, security and

morale concerns of the crew onsite.

When you consider the day rent

for an oil rig, the communications

infrastructure costs are a small fraction

of the overall outlay. But service

providers will tell you, communications’

solutions offer the opportunity to

deliver disproportionately high returns

against cost.

Thorley says, “With more remote

monitoring of the rig sites, and the

need to connect anywhere anytime,

we are seeing an increase in the

need for solutions such as video

conferencing that can consume a

lot of bandwidth. Moreover, there is

an increase in HSE requirements, so

there is more CCTV on rigs and in

addition, crew on vessels wants to

browse the internet, use Skype and

conduct online banking operations.

So you need bandwidth for activities

While real-time data must be transmitted quickly and efficiently around the world from increasingly remote locations, the personnel challenges oil and gas companies face compound the task for service providers

Digital oilfield investments by industry till 20131


Cover story

not specific to the industry. Given the

multiple demands, we find it crucial

to keep the client informed about the

use of their communication facilities.

From a business point of view, they

are in a position to ensure the efficient

use of their communication channels.”

Thorley’s team typically works with

three different layers of companies

involved in an oil rig site ranging

from the oil companies and drilling

companies to the support companies

that would involve transport, food

and so on.

The company works with multiple

satellite operators ranging from

Gazprom and Eutelsat to Intelsat and

RSCC. Thorley says, “The satellite

operators we work with understand

the critical nature of our operations

and our need to offer complete

redundancy to our customers.”

In addition, there are the physical

challenges of placing a VSAT dish on

an oil rig given the space constraints

and the potential for obstruction from

other equipment. On the issues of

operational challenges, Thorley says,

“We have the regular rig moves. In a

month, we would have 20 such moves

and our team is always on hand to

ensure that our equipment is realigned

to ensure continuity of service.”

The impact of the oil and gas

sector in the MENA region on the

operations of a company such as

Hermes Datacomms is clearly evident.

Ranked in the top 100 among Britain’s

fastest growing technology-related

companies with a 45.25% growth,

Thorley believes the MENA region has

played a significant role. He says, “As

people demand more remote control

of operations from the head office,

the need for bandwidth is increasing.

Also the company’s use of “meshing

technology”, where multiple sites can

share the same satellite frequency,

has helped sales to grow 45% a

year. Oil fields need a lot of data and

reliable connections, so by targeting

more difficult places in the world and

offering a service comparable to that

in the easier-to-reach places - that’s

how we grow our business. They can

have the same service in Libya or

Iraq that they can in London. It’s about

offering services in tricky places“.

A sample set of technologies that define the digital oilfield:

• Remote real-time facility monitoring and controlThe off-site control of facility process systems through the networking of SCADA (systems control and data analysis) and its transfer to onshore control rooms, enabling field data capture, set point control, and valve/pump manipulation.

• Real-time drillingThe collection and integration of real-time drilling data such as RPM, circulation solids, downhole pressures captured through MWD, and remotely steerable down-hole tools.

• Real-time production surveillanceThe utilisation of advanced alarm systems to trigger analysis of important production integrity trends to help optimise and

maintain installed capacity levels.

• Intelligent wellsSurface-controlled, down-hole equipment, enabled by fiber-optic sensors, allows for continuous monitoring of conditions and response.

• 4-d visualisation and modelingSuccessive 3-D seismic surveys track fluid movements, allowing for additional insight into production enhancement and redirecting enhanced recovery mechanisms.

• Remote communications technologyOff-site facilities with real-time visual, voice, and data communication with the field allow more rapid, analytical responses by a mix of off-site and on-site staff.

• Integrated asset modelsApplications that model complete

production system performance from the producing horizon, through the well-bore, through the production facility, and onto the export/sales point across disparate data sources and multisite work teams.

• Workflow and knowledge management systemsRobust historical data and document-management solutions that allow assets and functions to quickly execute workflows and routines by calling up complete historical analyses quickly and accurately.

• Production volume management systemsStandardised production data and production allocations, allowing more efficient real-time production decisions that result in reduced deferment and improved operational integrity.

Information courtesy: www.Booz.com

PRO

Your gateway to the Middle East. ABS brings you unrivaled capacity to satisfy your broadcasting and connectivity needs.

Extend your reach with ABS, contact us at: [email protected] meet with our ABS representatives at IBC 2011, Amsterdam.

Expand your Business to the with ABSMiddle East

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Saudi Arabia

Ku BandSouthern Beam

Ku BandFSS Afghanistan

Ka BandMiddle East & North Africa

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DTH & CATV

Services include:

Scheduled 2013

Broadcasting

Contribution FeedsPlayout, Encryption & Turnaround

Telecommunications & DataCellular & Internet BackhaulVNOSCPC & VSAT Networks


It is difficult to talk profits and

balance sheets when the

information that is coming in is

monitoring a nuclear plant in crises

or a country-wide flood situation

that has uprooted millions. And

when the information also helps

us understand what tomorrow

will bring in terms of changing

coastlines and forests, you cannot

put a price tag on the services.

“Helping during disasters

such as the Japanese tsunami

or the floods in Pakistan for the

UN, or supporting research on

coastlines and the like, will always

take priority over any commercial

considerations for us,” asserts

Salem Humaid Al Marri, director of

the space programme department

of Dubai-based, The Emirates

Institution for Advanced Science

and Technology (EIAST).

The issue of commercial

applications came up almost

immediately because Ahmed al

Mansoori, the director general

of EIAST has been quoted in the

local press saying: “While the

first satellite was for knowledge

explorinG tHe coMMerciAl potentiAl of eArtH oBServAtion SAtelliteSApart from the mandate of building Emirati scientific expertise, Dubai’s earth observation satellites will explore commercial opportunities, says Salem Humaid Al Marri, director of the EIAST space programme

SatOperators

A 3D image of Al Ain taken by DubaiSat-1, the first remote sensing satellite owned by the UAE – image shows Al Ain City with Jebel Al Hafeet


transfer, this second satellite

will be looked at as more of a

commercial [venture].” To be

launched in the fourth quarter of

2012, DubaiSat-2 will be capable

of an increase in the speed

of the data download from 30

Mbit / second, as is the case

in DubaiSat-1, up to 160 Mbit /

second, in addition to increasing

the amount of data acquired by

the satellite per day from 12,000

square metres to 17,000 square

metres. With these technical

improvements, the weight of the

satellite is now 300 kgs and its

size is two metres in height and 1.5

metres wide.

The orbital height of the

satellite has been modified to 600

kms above the earth’s surface

compared to 690 kms, which is

the current orbit of DubaiSat-1.

The orbit has also been changed

from an ascending orbit (South

to North) to a descending orbit

(North to South), which will allow

both satellites to work well in

constellation as well as give better

coverage over the UAE area.

Customised imaging

Of the commercial potential, Al

Marri says, “The satellite will have

a panchromatic resolution of 1m

and a multispectral resolution in

of 4m in four spectral bands (red,

green, blue and near infrared). This

Salem Humaid Al Marri, director of the space programme department, EIAST

“Helping during disasters such as the Japanese tsunami or the floods in Pakistan for the UN or supporting research on coastlines, will always take priority over any commercial considerations for us”

Number of earth observation satellites from Russia by 201520


SatOperators

would enhance the quality of the

images for various applications

including environmental projects,

urban planning, infrastructure,

telecommunications, electricity

and the oil and gas sectors, among

others. We don’t just provide

images. We work on the different

frequency bands in the image and

produce products based on client

needs. With an adjustment in how

we use the different frequency

bands, for instance, you can

detect if there is a higher level of

chloroform in the plants. Once we

know what the clients are looking

for, we can make the necessary

adjustments and provide the right

sort of image.”

Globally, al Marri sees demand

from South America and the Far

East. “Countries such as Brazil

take images from many earth

observation satellites because

of the constant cloud cover

over the country that makes the

task of image capturing from

space, challenging. The same

with countries in the Far East.

Regionally, we have forged an

understanding with the Central

Informatics Organisation in

Bahrain. They would earlier

take images from other satellite

agencies just as our government

organisations did. We are

now informing them about the

advantages of using us, given the

quick turnaround time in terms of

response to their image needs.”

Developed at the cost of under

$50 million, Al Marri says it will

be one of the best performing

satellites in space in the 300kg

category, Al Marri explains, “Other

than resolution and number of

images we can download, there

are technology demonstrators

on board. We have a propulsion

subsystem which allows us to

move the satellite in orbit – we

can go higher or lower or we

can maintain orbit if the satellite

stays up there for longer. This was

jointly developed by the Japanese

Space Agency (JAXA), the Korea

Advanced Institute for Science and

Technology (KAIST) and our team.”

Improved ground facilities

With two satellites in orbit next

year, Al Marri’ s team is working

on expanding the ground facilities

with an antenna in Norway making

14 contacts every day. This is in

addition to the two contacts the

ground station in Dubai makes

and an antenna in South Korea

is expected to be commissioned

soon, doubling the capability of

download. Commenting on the

plans under way, Al Marri says, “As

we expand our distribution base

globally we are looking at more

partners and more efficient ways

of downloading images wherein

partners would download directly,

a certain number of images, to

save on time and cost.”

The economics of an earth

observation satellite is difficult to

quantify and is open to debate

but a national space programme

such as the one launched by

EIAST in 2006 has non-monetary

compulsions and here they have

made tangible strides. DubaiSat-2

represents not just the doubling of

Emirati engineers from eight to 16

and counting, but a collaborative

effort by the Emiratis with S.Korean

engineers that has risen from

30% for DubaiSat-1 to 50% for

DubaiSat-2.

“We want to become a satellite

manufacturer,” says al Marri. And

this is not mere rhetoric. The

specifications for DubaiSat-3 are

already being put together by

EIAST and there is every possibility

that the fourth satellite will be

developed in the EIAST premises

on the outskirts of Dubai.

DubaiSat-1DubaiSat-1 is the UAE’s first earth observation satellite.

DubaiSat-2The DubaiSat-2 project is a joint development programme between EIAST and SatrecI of South Korea, in which 16 UAE engineers have been working on the design, development, testing and manufacturing of

the satellite. DubaiSat-2 will be launched on board a Dnepr Rocket through the Moscow-based International Space Company Kosmotras (ISCK) from Yasny Cosmodrome in Russia by the fourth quarter of 2012. DubaiSat-2 is an electro-optical earth observation satellite system with a Ground Sampling Distance (GSD) of 1m at 600km sun-synchronous orbit.

The Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST)The Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST) is a Dubai Government Department established in 2006 to promote scientific innovation and advanced technology in the UAE.

PRO


SatNations

Nigeria Nigeria justifies its space programme

by using space technologies and

their applications to address socio-

economic challenges and further

national development.

International cooperation

To acquire its satellites, Nigeria used

partnerships with Chinese and British

companies that include training

programmes for Nigerians in satellite

manufacture and operations. Nigeria

is a prominent player in intra-African

space collaboration.

Development path

While strategic partnerships have

been key to the success of its space

programme, Nigeria does not have the

domestic capability to build or launch

satellites and will most likely continue

using partnerships to further develop

its programme in the near term.

South Africa South Africa focuses on using

satellite applications for national

development (e.g., improving water

management, diversifying exports).

South Africa is the only African

country to have built a satellite

indigenously.

International cooperation

South Africa is a prominent player in

intra-African space collaboration, as

well as a notably active participant in

the international space community.

Development path

South Africa’s homegrown satellite

manufacturing capabilities set it

apart from other African nations;

government support has been key to

the industry’s success.

Regional coordination mechanisms

African space projects have typically

involved non-African partners or have

been run by a single African country.

Recently, two purely intra-African

initiatives have emerged.

• African Resources and

Environmental Management

Satellite Constellation (ARMC)

Nigeria, South Africa, Algeria and

Kenya form ARMC; they aim to

develop African-made satellites to

address regional needs and build

up regional capabilities. Although

no hardware exists yet, ARMC has

brought together key African space

nations with top-down support from

the highest levels of government,

critical for programme sustainability.

• African Leadership Conference on

Space Science and Technology for

Sustainable Development (ALC)

ALC is a regional forum for

African decision-makers and

space professionals to exchange

information in a non-technical, high-

level manner that emphasises the

benefits of space technology for

Africa’s sustainable development.

Shared challenges

A key driver of regional space

initiatives in Africa has been the

application of satellites to address

common challenges facing

developing countries, such as

managing scarce resource and large

populations that are dispersed over

vast and underdeveloped territories.

Finding political and public support for

investing limited resources in space

projects challenges African space

bodies that are just beginning to find

their footing.

eMerGinG SpAce nAtionS in AfricAAn overview of the development paths undertaken by Nigeria and South Africa

Extract from a Secure

World Foundation (SWF)

event report: Analysing the

development paths of emerging

space nations: Opportunities

or Challenge for Space

Sustainability? Participants:

Megan Ansdell, Booz Allen &

Hamilton, Laura Delgado Lopez,

Institute for Global Environmental

Strategies, Daniel Hendrickson,

Aerospace Industries Association

PRO


eMpower tHe oilfielD: tHe MSS AlternAtive

Renowned for their voice solutions, mobile satellite service (MSS) providers are staking their claim as a primary provider in the burgeoning data sector in oil and gas. Amine El Ammari, regional manager, Thuraya, outlines the strategy and challenges ahead

SatMobile

Why do you believe MSS solutions

are not generally the primary service

providers in the oil and gas sector?

As providers of voice solutions, we are

already entrenched in the oil and gas

sector. We are now telling the industry

that our solutions can be a primary

provider of communications’ solutions

in remote rig-sites given the compact

size of our equipment, our satellite

coverage and the sheer simplicity of

operations. From video conferencing

to HSE requirements, MSS solutions

are as good as VSAT solutions.

In areas of oil exploration, mid-

stream monitoring of assets or in risky

areas of operation, MSS solutions

have an edge because of the mobility

it gives operators and compact, low

visibility nature of the equipment. At

present, MSS solutions are being

used as backup support for existing

VSAT installations. There are a

number of reasons why the oil and

gas industry opts for VSAT solutions.

Firstly because they have been in use

for a long time, so there is the element

of familiarity which also brings in a

degree of being conservative with

choice of communications’ solutions.

Usually within the oil and gas

companies, it is the IT department that

makes decisions on what solutions to

deploy and most of the IT personnel

have some VSAT grounding because

of their academic background and the

long history of VSAT.

In oil and gas operations, what

inherent advantages do MSS

solutions have?

The difference between VSAT and

our solutions is that the former entails

a lot more equipment to be installed.

With MSS solutions, you are talking

about simple solutions that can be

installed in no time.

The VSAT solutions are more

prevalent because of the so-called

cost advantage the client thinks

he is getting. However, there are a

number of hidden costs in terms of

periodic maintenance of equipment

and so on. What we are telling the

market is that our solutions are

similar but with the added benefit of

being mobile in nature. We offer all

the data requirements – even HSE

requirements and video conferencing

to real-time monitoring of operations

– all within an A5-sized device. No

installation is required. In just a matter

of few minutes, you are ready to

operate. In an offshore rig situation

with a moving platform combined

with wind and weather conditions,

you would need an antenna. On

land, this is not required and you

would be connected even as you

are moving to the site in your car.

Moreover, our service partners are

connected to our gateway and they

can monitor the network for any

degradation in service.

Going forward, what are your plans

to persuade the oil and gas industry

to think in terms of MSS as their

primary communications’ solutions?

Firstly, we have specific segments

within the company that address

various vertical markets including

oil and gas. Secondly, what is

encouraging for us is the growth rate

for MSS that is around 11% annually for

the total market with the data segment

around 25%. So there is great

potential for growth . What is more, in

the oil and gas sites, most of the time

you don’t need more than 128kbps,

while our system offers 420kbps.

Through roadshows and

partnering with our service providers

at major industry-specific events, we

are highlighting our solutions that

cover the data segment as well. We

are underlying the creative pricing

offer that caters to the needs of every

vertical market so that they don’t

overpay for a solution. Also we are

educating the industry about the

congestion-free characteristics of the

device and the network. Our system

allows us to dynamically allocate extra

bandwidth if needed. For instance

if there are multiple IPs in one area,

the system recognises that there

is more need for bandwidth , so it

automatically allocates bandwidth to

this hotspot . In addition, our provision

of asymmetric streaming is helpful.

For instance in an oil rig that does not

require video conferencing facilities

and only needs to send files, we offer

the appropriate asymmetric bandwidth

solution. All in all, we believe we are

well-placed to service the growing

data needs of the digital oilfield.

Amine El Ammari, regional manager, Thuraya

Thuraya Telecommunications Company is a mobile satellite service provider of voice, data, maritime, rural telephony, fleet management and other telecommunication solutions in remote areas. It provides mobile satellite communications to over 140 countries around the world. Thuraya’s EnergyComms support the monitoring of remote crews, sites and equipment.

About Thuraya

PRO

Annual growth rate for the MSS sector11



SatBroadcast

There is no denying that satellite

interference is a problem for all

satellite broadcasters. Live feeds in

particular are a problem, as there

is no going back once a viewer

has missed an important moment,

such as a winning goal. Whether

live or not, viewers simply won’t put

up with the effects of interference

on their viewing experience, and

will either watch the programming

on another channel, if available, or

simply watch something else.

In fact the exact scenario we are

trying to avoid, I’m told, happened

during the last soccer World Cup.

We have to try and avoid this

kind of thing happening again. Of

course, we are always at risk of

those determined to deliberately

undermine transmissions at such

events, usually for political ends

only, a trend not easily averted,

but it is not the biggest cause of

interference.

What has been done?

Up until now, very little, and

certainly not enough has been

done throughout the industry,

but we are finally starting

to gain traction. One of the

biggest problems we had is a

misunderstanding of the cause

of interference. We simply didn’t

believe it possible that we, as an

industry, were the cause of our

own problems. WBU-ISOG started

out setting up the Rogue Carrier

Working Group (RCWG) to combat

deliberate attacks on satellites.

In 2007 and 2008, in a bid to

get to the crux of the problem, the

former Satellite Users Interference

Reduction Group (SUIRG, now

sIRG), collected data from satellite

operators to get a clearer picture

of exactly what was happening

and the results were astounding.

It became apparent that in fact

only 0.03% of interference was

deliberate. Of the rest, half was

caused by VSATs not working

properly, and the other half by

equipment failure and human error.

Once we dug deeper into this

and discovered these statistics,

there naturally was a shift of

focus. In February 2011, there

was a meeting of more than thirty

broadcasters to discuss what

broadcasters could be doing to

help mitigate interference. The

immediate result of that was the

founding of a new group, Radio

Frequency Interference – End

Users Initiative (RFI-EUI). Our

aim is to essentially give voice

to customers, clients, and all end

users of satellite capacity regarding

radio frequency interference.

We are working to involve

broadcasters worldwide in the

fight against interference, yet we

are also composed of equipment

manufacturers, industry groups,

satellite system operators, and

media companies across the

globe. To me this is key; satellite

interference cannot be solved by

one group or one set of companies

alone, we need to work together,

both with other organisations,

such as the Satellite Interference

Reduction Group (sIRG) and the

Global VSAT Forum (GVF), as well

as other companies involved right

through the chain. And we are

beginning to see the effect of this

close collaboration and effort on

the part of all involved.

Setting up the groups

Once set up, the first task for

BroADcASterS tAcKle SAtellite interferenceDespite recent breakthroughs, challenges remain in identifying, preventing, mitigating and stopping satellite interference writes Dick Tauber, VP CNN News Group and co-chair RFI-EUI

Dick Tauber, VP transmission systems & new technology, CNN News Group WBU-ISOG Chairman / co-chair RFI-EUI


RFI-EUI was to establish working

groups to focus on different areas

of interference. Other organisations

working to combat interference

have their own working groups

already, and it is very clear to all

of us, that whilst we all have our

specialist areas and focus, we need

to work together to reach our goal,

rather than doubling up on effort.

We don’t just have

broadcasters in our groups,

we have a wide cross-section

of the industry and we have

representatives from all of the

other groups. We certainly would

welcome others, who want to try

to get resolution on this problem.

RFI-EUI decided on three

groups: Carrier Identification (ID),

Best Practices, Documentation

and Technology, and Training and

Certification.

Carrier ID

One of the major issues in the

fight against satellite interference

is the lack of carrier identification.

If carriers are not identified, when

interference occurs, it is very

difficult to determine where the

problem has come from. Therefore,

by introducing Carrier Identification,

in the form of an embedded code

containing critical information

etc, across all transmissions,

interference can be mitigated much

more quickly, This will significantly

reduce the time taken to track

and correct those day-to-day

interference issues that do crop up.

As with everything relating to

satellite interference, for carrier ID

to be successful, it relies on the

support of the entire industry. As

broadcasters, our role is twofold.

Firstly, we need to be lobbying the

satellite operators to not only have

the ability to handle carrier ID, but

also get to the point where it is

eventually a requirement. Eutelsat

and SES have both announced

that carrier ID will be integrated

into transmission parameters for all

SNG transmissions and new DVB

Of the total – only 0.03% of interference was deliberate. Of the rest, half was caused by VSATs not working properly, and the other half by equipment failure and human error

of satellite interference incidents are accidental90


SatBroadcast

broadcasts in time for the London

Olympics. Now we, as the end

users, should be lobbying SNG

and truck operators to persuade

them to follow suit, as well as other

satellite companies.

The other role for the

broadcasters in the roll-out of

carrier ID is to ensure that we

are transmitting an ID with our

company’s signals. This means

ensuring our equipment is setup to

handle this and that when we buy

new equipment, we need to be

asking the question of whether it has

carrier ID technology integrated.

An important milestone was

reached at IBC 2011, with six

modem manufacturers working

together to have a new carrier

ID technology adopted as a

specification by the DVB Forum. It

has been accepted as a working

topic and will now move to the next

stage of the process. The system

put forward has been developed

by Comtech EF data, but the

technology group will probably

examine other alternatives before

issuing a standard. The technology

being included in the proposed

specification contains the Carrier

ID information within a separate

spread spectrum carrier. It is visible

to operators, without the need to

interrupt the original feed, saving

valuable airtime for broadcasters,

when interference occurs, by

enabling operators to identify and

stop the interference quickly and

effectively, since they can see the

carrier ID of both signals.

Best practices, documentation and

technology

We also need to be working as an

industry to establish best practices

and to ensure everyone throughout

the industry sees the benefit of

doing things in a consistent and

universally acceptable way. As an

example, one thing we still have

problems with and have had for a

few years, is auto-deploy systems.

A few manufacturers, including ND

SatCom, On-Call Communications

and Sematron have taken great

care and pride in ensuring that

their systems would not function

if the parameters are not followed

correctly. This is very key in an

auto-deploy system so that it only

deploys when everything is exactly

as it should be. Accuracy is the key

word here, not time!

By documenting best practices,

it means that everyone can share

and learn from those experiences

that others put forward and we can

move ahead as an industry together.

There is new and innovative

technology coming along, which

can help drastically reduce

interference, and the task now is to

share that knowledge effectively.

Training and certification

Training and certification is

another key area where we can

drastically change the landscape

of the satellite industry. Naturally, if

equipment installers and operators

don’t have the appropriate

training, mistakes can occur all

too easily and that’s when you

get interference. We really need

to get to a point whereby training

is required and broadcasters and

satellite operators only use certified

installers and operators.

This is also the case for SNG

truck operators. Right now, they

can simply turn up and use the

satellite with no credentials,

other than the driving licence

they need to drive the truck.

We urgently need a training and

certification system to ensure their

professional credentials.

The Global VSAT Forum

(GVF) already runs a whole host

of great training courses for

satellite equipment installers and

operators and has had nearly

4,000 people from across the

globe already undertake various

courses and modules.

Moving forward

We as an industry have

made a number of important

breakthroughs recently. The

announcements from Eutelsat

and SES should have the knock-

on effect of encouraging other

satellite operators to make similar

steps. The DVB spec for the

new carrier ID technology will

enable manufacturers to ensure

a standard approach and one

that allows operators to mitigate

interference, without interrupting

the feed of those on the correct

satellite space.

What is very clear is that to

achieve our long-term goals,

we need to work together as an

industry. The RFI-EUI represents

the broadcasters, but we

established the group to work in

concert and in conjunction with

the satellite operators to identify,

mitigate, and prevent – ultimately

to stop – satellite interference.

Eutelsat and SES have both announced that carrier ID will be integrated into transmission parameters for all SNG transmissions and new DVB broadcasts in time for the London Olympics

PRO

BroadcastPro Middle East’s inaugural Summit will be hosted on November 23, 2011, in association with the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU), an IBC award winner, and the most innovative and dynamic pan-Arab organisation involved in establishing and maintaining best practices in the field of broadcasting.

The Summit has been designed by professionals for professionals.www.broadcastprome.com/summitandawards2011

Innovation and excellence must be acknowledged and rewarded to encourage further innovation and excellence. The ASBU BroadcastPro Middle East Awards have been designed to reward excellence among individuals and end-user companies who have deployed winning or innovative technologies or made significant contributions to the local broadcast industry.We will have several award categories that include contributions in fields across the broadcast workflow, from production and post production to traditional broadcast and new media platforms.

Last date for nominations: November 10, 2011.

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SUMMIT Discuss. Debate. Disseminate

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SatTeleport

cAtcHinG up witH future tv: tHe cHAllenGeS for tHe teleportM. Brett Belinsky, chairman of the World Teleport Association examines how technology changes in the TV business will affect content delivery providers, in particular, teleport operators, in an interview with SatellitePro

As per your report titled ‘Future

TV and the Teleport’, media and

entertainment contributed 49% of

the revenues for teleport operators

in 2009. Would you say that future

TV is crucial to future earnings of

teleport operators?

I think it will be the key source of

income in the foreseeable future.

But it will largely depend on the

individual make-up of services

at a teleport level. Linear TV isn’t

going to vanish nor are traditional

FTA viewers suddenly going to

start paying for VOD or other new

services. Strangely enough, as the

world embraces IP, I could envisage

a number of teleport operators that

have built their traditional business

on satellite data communications,

suddenly moving into TV to

embrace the convergence.

Experts believe that satellite

operators can be more creative

with their offer and capture

markets across the Middle East

that are not served by fibre

– do you believe that there is

potential here?

Yes, without a doubt. I personally

believe the satellite operators need

to be creative with their solutions. I

can’t speak for them, but know they

are very engaged when it comes

to this subject and I regularly talk to

them on their thinking. But creative

thinking revolves around playing

in the ‘Direct to Home’ market of

broadcast and IP content to the

home as well as the backhaul

segment, the ‘middle mile’. Splitting

the last mile between the mobile

network operators in rural areas and

terrestrial Telco services for urban

areas, is key.

Consumption of streaming can

be addressed by satellite operators


by augmenting broadcast offerings

to include streaming services in

addition to the traditional DTH

services. On the two-way front,

satellite operators are moving

to multi-beam Ka-band satellite

configurations to be able to provide

cost effective solutions to end

users. Such multi-beam Ka-band

solutions will either be dedicated

satellites or Ka payloads piggy-

backing on traditional FSS satellites.

In terms of consumption of

streaming, two-way services may

be rising rapidly, but in fact in

the Middle East and North Africa

(MENA) internet penetration would

appear to still be relatively low and

it seems that DTH penetration will

remain relatively high and influential

for some years because of this.

Other, more affluent parts of

Middle East certainly have high

internet/fibre penetration and in

these markets satellite remains a

logical complement, but it will not

compete with fibre for two-way

streamed services. That said,

new, innovative services using

Ka Band and different orbits are

being launched which aim to

compete with fibre and satellite has

successfully fought off most of these

threats so far and will continue to

evolve as the dominant and most

cost-effective medium for delivering

broadcast video.

Devices like PVR, Push VOD,

and whatever comes next is part of

this effort as well as being devices

which please consumers.

I would add that it is not just the

world going two-way and streaming

but the world becoming IP centric.

Increasingly, video will be delivered

to the user over IP. High throughput

and low latency are going to

become more and more important

and satellite operators / teleport

service providers will need to have

a mix of solutions that allow them to

efficiently carry IP delivered video.

In the emerging markets, there is a

clear trend towards mobile devices

(phones, tablets, PCs) and this is

what I refer to as mobile video.

This will likely not be delivered

over satellite directly to the mobile

device but rather to the tower as

mobile infrastructure develops

towards 3G and LTE (Etisalat

just announced LTE deployment

throughout the Middle East).

The most likely place for

satellite and ground service

operators to play in this space is

in the backhaul networks which

are becoming buried by data

(which is mainly video). Bandwidth

demand is increasing across the

board and viewing habits are also

changing both on the high end (HD,

Ultra-HD, 3D) and probably more

dramatically on the low end (You

Tube, Mobile TV) with delivery to

handheld devices through mobile

networks. Efficient caching and

high performance networking

capabilities will be important as well

as the right satellite solution, based

on the specific demand.

You have mentioned that the

course of change will be gradual

in coming. As against large,

visible changes, will we be seeing

changes in increments?

Yes. But it’s not so much the

speed of change, but for me

the nature of how services will

evolve. The relationships between

teleports, Telcos, broadcasters

and content owners will change,

along with how services are

procured and delivered. This for

me is where the course of change

will be most notable.

When we talk of the potential of

addressing the TV demands of

750,000 Filipino sailors at sea,

you are referring to niche markets

and that requires both insight and

nimbleness. How nimble in your

view are teleport operators?

In the new normal, only the nimble

will survive. It’s really clear to me

that it’s tough out there, and that

all the smaller niche players have

had no option but to adapt in these

tough times.

There are fantastic examples of

how traditional teleports in places

M.Brett Belinsky, chairman of the World Teleport Association and strategy director, Arqiva Broadcast & Media

“Increasingly, video will be delivered to the user over IP. High throughput and low latency are going to become more and more important and satellite operators / teleport service providers will need to have a mix of solutions that allow them to efficiently carry IP delivered video”

Revenues for teleport operators from media and entertainment in 200949


SatInterview

like Singapore have evolved to

embrace new services like crew

morale and communication, and

in general the marine, oil and gas

market has seen phenomenal take

up of new services. But I remember

(not so long ago) hearing how

VSAT operators didn’t ever see

or perceive a blend of video and

internet in what they called core

services to remote regions.

Interactivity is a key element of

future TV, wherein satellite TV

providers have to work towards

a return path. How challenging is

this and what does this entail?

Right now, interactivity is about

search, discovery, request and

confirmation, and a typical PSTN

line to a broadband connection

normally suffices but this will change

over time.

Ka band is seen as a natural

evolution due to the high throughput

nature and capabilities but I am not

clear whether the business model

has proven itself. I could envisage

a scenario where a DTH operator

will offer a service on a satellite

using both payloads for a hybrid

service, invisible to the overall viewer

experience. But this would mean box

and dish swops on a massive scale

for those platforms that already have

an audience base.

In developed markets, there’s

an ever increasing push for

broadband penetration and I would

see this being the complimentary

enhancement to traditional DTH.

The emerging markets are seeing

proliferated growth in DTH operators,

but the extent to which Ka and Ku will

co-exist isn’t clear or defined.

You see an opportunity in

Occasional-Use satellite services,

such as the sports events, disasters

and even the Arab spring. Is it

viable to invest for contingencies?

This is a tough one and it’s

expensive. You would be surprised

to learn how many major networks

and broadcasters have procured

and retained services in South

Africa, in anticipation of the health

retardation of Nelson Mandela.

There’s also a host of innovative

new services coming to market, that

will allow rapid deployment of OU

services, but the cost effectiveness

will be driven by scale and adoption

so it may be awhile.

Also, it’s interesting to see the

number of reports back from the

field being delivered over a mobile

handset – when there is action on

the ground the quality of the feed

isn’t necessarily as important as

getting the images to the news

desk for broadcast. The Arab Spring

is a case in point.

The report is optimistic for teleport

operators who you believe will

savour the challenge of catering to

future TV. There is a need to invest

in a new generation of services

including connected TV. What are

these new services?

Teleport operators’ core business is

taking content from content owners

and delivering it elsewhere. In a

way this role in the value chain

isn’t going to change, it’s more a

case of there being more options

in terms of where the content may

need to be delivered. As well as

delivering onto a linear distribution

platform, be it DTT, DTH or cable

head end, that content will need

to get to catch-up players, smart

phones and tablets so these will

be some of the new services that

content owners require. The cost

will depend where the investment is

required depending on the strategy.

It could mean a move into CDN type

delivery as well as satellite, or it

could be expanding existing media

management services.

SatInterview

The traditional business of linear television – “appointment TV” as it is sometimes dismissed by the young – is morphing. Viewers are catching up on missed shows through the Internet, typically from the broadcaster’s own Web site. They are hooking up computers to their big-screen TVs and using them to watch video streaming and download

content from services like Netflix, Lovefilm and Apple TV. IPTVproviders are increasingly erasing the distinction between TV and Internet, and the new generation of connected TVs (also known as over-the-top or OTT) allows Internet content to co-exist with linear or downloaded programming. The smartphone and the tablet are becoming video

portals, with ever-faster mobile connections replacing the cable or satellite link.

The WTA’s new report forecasts how teleport operators and other service providers may gain or lose from the interactive TV revolution. Future TV and the Teleport is available at https://worldteleport.site-ym.com

What is future TV?

PRO


KA-BAnD leADS tHe wAy – pArt iiIn the second part of our series, Serge Van Herck, CEO of Newtec, explains how Ka-band high throughput satellites will influence the value chain and its specific impact on IP and voice trunking

The roll-out of large Ka-band

consumer access networks

will take years as there will be

an inevitable ramp up period

necessary to acquire the hundreds

of thousands of new consumers.

It could take as long as five

years for the filling rate of the

transponders to reach the point

of a positive return on investment

for the satellite operators, yet the

capacity will be available from day

one, and since many operators

will be launching Ka satellites

at approximately the same time,

the excess capacity will have an

impact for several years.

Many professional satellite

services have reached the point

where it becomes impossible to

stay profitable and competitive

against fibre or other terrestrial

technologies. Because Ka-

band capacity will be both

much cheaper and much more

abundant, it will be seen as a life-

saver opportunity by many satellite

services providers.

There is therefore a common

interest for satellite operators

and services’ providers to rapidly

develop new services using the

new Ka satellite capacity. But this

evolution will not be as straight

forward as changing the RF part

of the transmission chain. The

operation of services utilising

Ka-band requires a very specific

ground infrastructure and also has

an impact on the value chain for

operating this infrastructure.

How will Ka-band affect the

value chain?

A Ka-band communication system

is an integrated, closed network

configuration, very different from

the transparent pipe provided

by Ku- or C-band satellites. Most

Ka-band satellites use spot beams,

which means that each antenna

on the satellite transmits to a

relatively small geographical area

on the ground (typically a few

hundred kilometres in radius).

This allows transmissions with

higher power levels than with

wide beams, because the power is

concentrated on a smaller area.

SatTrends


However, this therefore means

that to be able to communicate

beyond the scope of the spot

beam as is required with many

applications including broadband

access services, it is necessary

for the other end of the satellite

link to be situated outside of

this beam. For obvious practical

reasons, access to several spot

beams is concentrated into a

single transmission/reception

location called a gateway and

communication with a station in

the spot beam is only possible

through the gateway. In other

words, satellite communication

using a spot beam satellite

utilises a star configuration, and

communication between two

remote stations in two different

spot beams needs to transit

through the gateway.

Because the operation of the

gateway includes the careful

management of power levels and

frequencies among the feeds,

spot beams and against fading,

it is very likely that most satellite

operators will want to operate

the gateways themselves. An

alternative scenario is for the

satellite operator to outsource

the operation of its entire

gateways to larger independent

teleport operators. Hence

the impact on the value chain

of the satellite business: Ka

capacity will no longer be sold

by satellite operators as naked

capacity, but rather as managed

services. For broadband access

networks, the operation of the

service by the satellite operator

can go very deep in the value

chain: the market will see some

service operators becoming

their own satellite operators,

while some satellite operators

will venture into the service

provider business. Fortunately for

independent service operators,

the integration does not need

to be as pronounced for all

applications. The role of teleports

will however be very different

during the era of spot beam Ka-

band services.

What will the impacts be on IP

and voice trunking?

Satellite trunking is certainly

one of the main challenges in

the satellite communications

industry. There is a constant battle

between the increasing demand

for bandwidth, limited capacity

availability and high pressure

on prices. The availability of Ka

capacity could solve all of these

problems at once, if the specific

nature of its ground segment

infrastructure can adapt to the

application.

The star configuration of

the Ka network fits nicely with

the requirements of point-to-

multipoint trunking networks,

provided there is a backbone

access at the gateway, and/or if

gateways are inter-connected

via fibre (if the trunking network

spans across multiple gateways).

Here also, the trunking network

could be implemented by hosting

high speed equipment in the

gateway or by providing access

to a shared platform operated by

the satellite or network operator.

Unless one of the end-points

is at the gateway, Ka-band

networks are less suitable for

point-to-point trunking links,

since the connection can only be

established by a double satellite

hop via the gateway, or via two

separate gateways connected by

fibre.

The main challenge in

implementing high speed

communication links on a Ka

system will be to cope with

fading while maintaining sufficient

availability and throughput for

this kind of services. Some of

the techniques used to counter

fading can result in making the

throughput vary over time. Since

most IP trunking customers are

used to buy fixed-rate capacity,

the shift to Ka-band could require

some changes in the business

model of trunking services, such

as the introduction of committed

and best effort capacity in the

service contracts.

In our January 2012 issue,

Serge Van Herck will explore

the impact of Ka-band on video

contribution and distribution.

Total revenue for L-, Ku- and Ka-band equipment in 2020866

PRO

Serge Van Herck, CEO, Newtec

“Ka capacity will no longer be sold by satellite operators as naked capacity, but rather as managed services”


SatSolutions

“SAtellite cApAcity iS An extreMely vAluABle reSource”Capacity management is crucial for satellite operators with multi-site operations says, Ahsun Murad, president of Optimal Satcom in an interview with SatellitePro

You have just signed an agreement

with Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS).

What is the nature and scope of

the agreement?

We are fortunate to have been

selected by ABS to be a small

but important part of its strategic

transformation from a regional

satellite operator to one with a broad

presence across Africa, the Middle

East, and Asia. We are providing

ABS with a capacity management

system based on ECM and Complan.

The system will be installed at

several sites around the world, and

used by ABS to manage its growing

fleet of satellites.

As part of the project, we are

working closely with ABS personnel

to transition from their legacy tools,

spreadsheets and databases to an

integrated ECM database, and to

implement automated interfaces for

some of their other systems. ECM

is designed for multi-site operations

and its system of networked and

replicated databases will allow ABS

personnel to work from anywhere

and collaborate together as part of a

single team with a unified workflow.

Why do you believe capacity

management is so critical and who

are the ideal clients?

Satellite capacity is an extremely

valuable resource. Satellite operators

have about 12-15 years to recover

the cost of construction, launch, and

operation cost of a satellite. For

satellite service providers, leasing

satellite capacity usually represents

their single-largest cost by far. The

first benefit of ECM is the efficient

utilisation of this valuable satellite

resource facilitated by providing

functions to enable users to see

their entire system usage, to easily

identify unused resources, and to

find capacity for new services. The

second benefit of ECM comes

from its increased operational

efficiency. The implementation of

an enterprise-level system such as

ECM is a transformational step in an

organisation – it changes how the

company operates internally, and

how it interfaces with its customers

– and the increased operational

efficiency from such a system

has a significant impact on the

company’s bottomline.

What is your assessment of the

commercial Satcom market over the

next few years?

Our close working relationship with

satellite operators, many of the

largest satellite service providers,

and large Satcom users within the

U.S. Government gives us a unique

perspective on the market. The

industry has a number of satellites

coming online over the next two to

three years, systems such as YahSat,

QatarSat, new Arabsat launches, and

even non-conventional systems such

as O3b and high-throughput Ka-Band

satellites. These are in response to

demand for capacity from emerging

regions – Africa and Asia – as well

as an extreme shortage of capacity

in the Middle East, driven by the

U.S. and NATO military presence. As

the U.S. reduces its military footprint

in Afghanistan, its use of military

capacity is likely to go down. A slow-

down in launch bookings as reported

by the major satellite launch providers

is also an early sign that the satellite

industry is preparing for a surplus of

Ahsun Murad, president, Optimal Satcom


14 Number of Ka-band subscribers in 2020

capacity and responding by slowing

down satellite construction.

It is likely that there may be a

short-term excess of capacity in a

couple of years, but a long-term

surplus is unlikely. The experience

in post-war Iraq has been that the

net demand for satellite capacity

continues to rise – fueled by

infrastructure reconstruction

activities and increases in end-user

consumption. A short-term excess

of capacity would probably be good

for the industry which has been

running at unprecedented fill rates

for the last few years. Sustained

fill rates higher than about 80% are

great for the bottomline, but result

in reduced operational flexibility;

reduced system reliability, as satellite

operators lose their ability to provide

backup capacity; and a disincentive

towards customer support and value-

added services.

The extremely high rates that

some operators charge for premium

capacity has also had a detrimental

effect on service providers as they

have to compete heavily for scarce

satellite capacity in certain regions.

This increases end-user costs

and limits the ability to respond

to customer needs. A short-term

excess of satellite capacity coupled

with strong underlying fundamentals

that support a longer-term sustained

growth in demand may be just what

the satellite industry needs to make a

course correction at this time.

What is Enterprise Capacity Manager?The Enterprise Capacity Manager (ECM) is a software system designed for use by satellite operators, satellite service

providers and other large users of satellite capacity. It integrates all the different functions that our customers need to perform in the operations of their satellite capacity management business – pre-

sales proposal and quotation development, transmission engineering, operations, cost and revenue tracking, invoicing, customer support, and management reporting – into a single system.

PRO


SatEvents

ict MeetS ASiA’S oil AnD GAS inDuStry At AnnuAl eventAt the ‘GVF’s annual conference, the industry and ICT experts will redefine the digital oilfield for efficient and cost-effective exploration and production activities, writes Martin Jarrold of the Global Vsat Forum (GVF)

Economic stagnation and

financial uncertainty across

U.S. and European markets, the

continuing significant political

unrest manifest in the Arab Spring,

the litany of manmade conflicts

and natural disasters across the

globe (including serious flooding

in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos,

and the Philippines), concerns

over hydrocarbon-based energy

supplies, consumption, prices, and

climate change impact, are justified

news headline-grabbers.

But, over that longer-term, all

is not doom and gloom, at least

as far as one of the key industry

building blocks of a number of

Asia’s economies is concerned.

During a recent World Economic

Forum (WEF), the President of

Indonesia described Asia as the

“continent of the future”, and its

pan-national growth rate has

placed the continent securely at the

heart of the global economy. With

economic growth there has been

a parallel resurgence in the oil and

gas industry – most clearly evident

in the South-Eastern region where

a proliferation of joint ventures and

mergers and acquisitions have been

indicative of the region’s scaling-

up on expertise and technology to

better meet its future energy needs.

In one national example

alone, in Malaysia, South East

Asia’s regional energy security

framework is being consolidated

with joint ventures facilitating

expertise and technology upgrades

that are taking place between

foreign and local partners. Similar

developments and trends are

evident in relation to the oil (and

gas) resources of the Philippines,

Cambodia, Brunei, Thailand, Laos,

and elsewhere in the region,

signalling a coming of age of South

East Asia’s oil and gas industry.

However, in regard to this

regional resurgence in the oil and

gas industry, certain key questions

must be answered, specifically:

• Is the regional O&G industry

optimising its production and

exploration activities?

• How can upstream domestic

production be enhanced?

• What technologies are needed

for enhanced oil recovery?

The answers to these key

questions are within the realms

of multiple disciplines and

perspectives, but must include


reference to the fact that mission

critical operational success in

the upstream E&P environment

is dependent on access to the

most efficient information and

communications technologies (ICTs),

and to the wealth of sophisticated

applications these technologies

bring to the disposal of the teams

of geologists, geophysicists, drilling

engineers, seismic data analysts,

etc., who locate new oil and gas

reserves and get them out of the

ground and from beneath the ocean

floor through the collection of

massive amounts of disparate data

in multiple formats (including GPS,

acoustic, compass and other sensor

data) and using the information for

predictive analysis.

ICT networks’ disproportionate

role in cost-reduction

Communications solutions

represent a small fraction of energy

companies’ total CAPEX and OPEX,

yet well-managed ICT networks

play a disproportionately great

role in reducing expenditures not

only in exploration, drilling, and

production, but in every other area

of operations. Such E&P cost-cutting

will be essential as oil and gas

consumption increases in South

East Asia, driving the search for new

supplies that will extend the region’s

proven hydrocarbon resources.

Through the use of ICT, widely

spread and remotely located

experts can see oil and gas field

data as it is collected in real

time and can determine the size

and potential value of a payload

before any actual drilling begins,

a capability that can significantly

reduce the amount of time and

other resources wasted on

drilling sites that don’t have a

strong yield potential. In the

upstream in South East and East

Asia specifically, exploration for

new hydrocarbon reserves has

moved increasingly to dangerous,

difficult (and otherwise very

expensive) environments, where

the extreme physical conditions

of a hostile climate and multiple

geographic/topographic obstacles

are as equally challenging as

the investment imperatives that

must be faced in the remote

deployment of drilling equipment.

Sophisticated ICT solutions

not only make E&P activities more

efficient and cost-effective, but are

also an ideal fit for streamlining

supply chain management and

refining processes, leveraging off

information gathering from all data

points along the supply chain, from

production to delivery to the petrol

pump. With reliable information

sharing and collaboration between

points on the supply chain, analysts,

operators, and managers can

optimise their communications and

get product where it needs to be,

when it needs to be there.

GVF Annual Oil & Gas Communications South East Asia Conference:Redefining the Digital Oilfield – Onshore, Offshore, Deep & Ultra-Deepwater 2011Dates: 22-23 November 2011 Venue: Crowne Plaza Mutiara Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaWebsite: www.uk-emp.co.uk/13th.O&GSEA.2011Contact: Martin Jarrold [email protected], or Paul Stahl [email protected]

About the event

“Communications solutions represent a small fraction of energy companies’ total CAPEX and OPEX, yet well-managed ICT networks play a disproportionately great role in reducing expenditures not only in exploration, drilling, and production, but in every other area of operations”

Martin Jarrold, chief of International Programme Development, GVF

PRO


SatEvents

Vote for the 2011 MENA Satellite PlayerBroadcastPro Middle East’s

inaugural Summit and Awards 2011 is

our annual flagship event featuring

extensive networking opportunities,

seminars and awards presentations

by key industry and government

leaders, it is one of the few annual

events where the industry can come

together to celebrate its success

and promote its future. BroadcastPro

Middle East’s Awards are at the heart

of the industry calendar, shining a

light on the region’s most acclaimed

products and the talent that made

it all possible. A judging panel

comprising industry heavyweights

will come together to review the top

entries across key categories.

Nominate your candidate in the

satellite industry

Any satellite player that has been

involved in a recent deployment

in or for the Middle East can be

nominated for this award. The only

condition is that your installation

must be beneficial to the Arab world.

Who should apply: Satellite

companies, satellite solutions’

providers or any organisation

working towards the above goal can

apply. Submission should include

complete details/case study of

your project/satellite deployment

or what you have done to achieve

the above stated goal. Period under

consideration is post August 2010.

Event details

Date: 23 November 2011

Venue: Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai

Website: www.broadcastprome.

com/summitandawards2011/

GlobAl MIlSATcoM 2011

(London)

The 13th annual Global MilSatCom

conference will host an array of

international speakers from the

Satcom arena. With 350 industry

delegates slated to attend, the

event will showcase a wide range

of international military speakers.

Delegates can network with the

key European and NATO players

and take this opportunity to learn

from these knowledgable experts.

Also, Global MilSatCom will provide

delegates with speakers from

South Africa, USA, UAE, Canada

and the South American region,

to cover all the key international

countries that lead the way in

military satellite communications.

Event details

Dates: 29 Nov to 1 Dec 2011

Venue: Millennium Conference

Centre, London, UK

Website: www.globalmilsatcom.com

MIlcoM 2011

Milcom 2011 celebrates the

30th anniversary of the premier

international conference for military

communications. “Networks …

Attaining the Value” gathers the

leading minds of government,

military, industry and academia in an

interactive forum to further explore,

define and leverage the benefits,

networks bring to today’s and

tomorrow’s challenges.

Milcom 2011 gives industry

the opportunity to promote

communications’ technologies to

commanders from all branches of the

armed forces, department of defense,

and the heads of multi-national forces

from around the globe.

Event details

Dates: 7 – 10 November 2011

Venue: Baltimore Convention

Centre, Baltimore

Website: www.milcom.org


In a section of Gitex 2011 that hosted the likes of du, Etisalat, Yahsat, Thuraya and TRA, among others, the stands did not lack the oomph factor. The SatellitePro team had the opportunity to sit down with some of the emerging and leading names in the satellite industry, the telcos and others. Here are extracts from some of our conversations. The full-length interviews will be featured online at www.broadcastprome.com

“The MENA region is a big growth

area for the company. In fact the

surge in usage seen earlier this year

was driven directly by events that

took place across the region. We

have an office that is based here as

well as a large number of distributors

and service providers. We saw a

huge demand for news – the news

agencies were broadcasting 24/7

and they were using our services.

Similarly, we also saw the NGO region

focused on serving the region and

governments using our services to

provide security. The big question

was: how do we manage in an

unpredictable environment? We

have plans in place that will help us

respond effectively to such situations

and intrinsic to that is having the right

individuals in place to take the key

decisions,” says Drew Brandy, director,

land mobile business, Inmarsat.

Meeting exhibitors at Gulfcomms 2011

Bringing broadband to Africa

“The broadband service, YahClick, will

be launched as part of the second

satellite, Y1B, in the first quarter of

next year. We will be offering bundled

broadband services to the end user

who could be in places such as

Tanzania, Kenya or places across the

Middle East. The end user needs to

buy a small dish that is 70cms in size

and they will have access to true

broadband services.

“We have a robust business

model wherein we work with services

partners that are local companies with

licenses to operate in that region.

They will be involved in customer-

facing activities including installation,

customer service and billing. There

will be no initial investment or

operating cost from their side. The

objective is to ensure that our prices

are competitive for the end user who

will enjoy reliable service directly into

his office or home in a region that

at best, gets 85% connectivity even

in the major cities,” says Shawkat

Ahmed, CCO, Yahsat.

The downstream oil and gas industry

“There was a surge in satellite capacity usage”

“We work through distributors

in Europe who interface with

more than 5,500 petrol stations

across the continent. We offer full

bandwidth services for electronic

payment, stock control of petroleum

products and inventory in the

shops. Increasingly, these stations

are unmanned so the operations

are M2M. We connect with over 30

satellites over the region, so we work

with a number of satellite operators.

Here at Gitex we are looking at the

upstream oil and gas market. We

have operations on land-based oil

rigs in Algeria. We are also looking at

implementing our Scada solutions in

this region,” says Laurent Devinast,

sales director, GE Satcom.

Laurent Devinast (R), sales director and Navin Michael, solutions engineering consultant, GE Satcom

Drew Brandy, director, land mobile business, Inmarsat

Shawkat Ahmed, CCO, Yahsat

Increase in Ku-band satellite capacity usage in the next 10 years400


SatGuest

“we Kept AlternAtinG frequencieS”Commenting on the recent interference problems in Libya, Egypt and other parts of the Arab world, Mohamed Al Shahi, senior director, broadcasting, du, commends the performance of his teleport team at Samacom

On transmission during the Arab spring

We had to face interference during

the crises in Libya, Egypt and

other parts of the Arab world, but

we worked closely with Eutelsat,

Nilesat and other satellite operators

to combat the problem. We kept

shifting frequencies. If one channel

was down, we would shift the

channel to a new frequency. We

had a great working experience

with MBC and Al Arabiya. When

the interference was on Al Arabiya,

we were broadcasting on three

different frequencies. Fortunately,

there is no interference now and I

give full credit to my technical and

commercial teams at Samacom that

worked on it 24/7.

Overall no services were

interrupted. We could do that because

we have capacity in reserve and we

plan ahead. It was hectic – we had

no idea where the next interference

would come from – but it was

important to us and our broadcasting

partners, that no channel was down

for more than a day.

We hope to put together a

disaster management plan. There

is talk among satellite operators

to dedicate a transponder in case

there is a disaster. Nothing has been

decided as yet.

On why customers would approach

du Broadcast Services

I would say the answer is in three

parts. Firstly it is quality of services.

With a dedicated technical team

in our NOC, and specific account

managers on call, we ensure a high

quality of service. Secondly, we have

variety of platforms to operate from

ranging from Arabsat, Nilesat, Intelsat,

Eutelsat and now we hope to work

with Yahsat. And thirdly, we offer

competitive prices. This is important

considering the competition we face

from similar companies in Jordan,

Bahrain, Egypt and so on.

On Samacom’s recent achievements

We uplink more than 220 TV channels

out of our teleport. Samacom is

considered among the top teleports

in the Middle East and ranked among

the top 15 worldwide. We were ranked

11 by the World Teleport Association in

2010 in terms of revenue generated,

customer base and capacity usage,

among other criteria. We have almost

85 per cent of the marketshare in

the UAE. That includes customers

in Dubai Media City, Abu Dhabi’s

2Four54 and so on. We also offer

VSAT services for companies such

as Bloomberg by way of redundancy

service for their fibre links to the UK.

With 30 different antennae at our

Jebel Ali-based teleport, we have

state-of-the-art facilities.

On the relationship with satellite

operators and future plans

They are our partners. We work

closely with satellite operators

to provide uplink facilities to our

broadcasting partners. From a

capacity perspective, there was a

shortage till a year ago. But now we

have Yahsat with its 28 transponders

dedicated to broadcast. In addition,

Eutelsat has just activated services

on the Atlantic Bird 7 boosting

Nilesat’s coverage. There are other

satellites in the pipeline. Earlier, more

than 90% of our customers were

based in the UAE, but over the past

two years we have successfully

diversified our customer base. Now

almost 50% of my customers are

based outside the UAE. And with

satellite TV growing, we are working

closely with Yahsat, which has great

plans for the future.

Mohamed Al Shahi, senior director, broadcasting, du

PRO

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