3G Connected ATM's in India from Cisco

Networking giant Cisco is offering a new technology to help reduce the cost of deploying Automated Teller Machine's in remote regions in India. The 'Connected ATM Solution' makes use of 3G and CMDA networks, instead of the usual VSAT and CMDA options. 

According to Sanjay Kharade, Cisco India and SAARC Senior Vice President, the use of cellular technology provides for a more secure back-up solution in remote sites while bringing down the costs. VSAT powered ATM's cost between 30,000 to 40,000 rupee as compared to the 15,000-20,000 rupee per site for machines relying on 3G and CMDA connectivity.

The cellular technology also provides more bandwidth allowing for more mobile applications to be installed. They are also easier to deploy.

Kharade is hopeful in the next two years Cisco will be powering at least 2o to 30 percent of the new ATM deployments. 

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L-3 GCS will build VSAT units for US special forces

L-3 Communications will be developing and supplying a special VSAT satcom unit based on L-3's Hawkeye III product for American special forces.

L-3's subsidiary, L-3 GCS, received a five-year contract potentially worth $500 million from the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM.) Through the Special Operations Forces Deployable Node-Family of Terminals (SDN-Lite FoT) program, L-3 GCS will provide tactically-deployed Special Operations Forces (SOF) users with the capability to communicate with anyone in the world clearly and securely.

To this end, L-3 GCS will develop and build Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) satellite systems that special forces operatives can carry with them into the most remote and hostile regions in the world.

“L-3 GCS will begin delivering tri-band Hawkeye™ III Lite 1.2-meter terminals and quad-band 2.0-meter terminals later this year," announced  Bob Jacobson, president of L-3 GCS. He added that the company is currently improving its engineering and production capabilities to meet the requirements and objectives of USSOCOM's commandos.

L-3 GCS supplies deployable satellite communications solutions and turnkey systems to military and civilian customers alike. The L-3 subsidiary offer a complete line of satellite communications products including satellite phones and airtime, quick-deploy VSAT terminals, and vehicular communications system.

VSAT History

The concept of the geostationary orbit was originated by Russian theorist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, an Imperial Russian and Soviet rocket scientist and pioneer of the astronautic theory. He wrote articles in space travel at the turn of the century. 

In the 1920s, Hermann Oberth and Herman Potocnik, aka Herman Noordung, described an orbit at an altitude of 35,900 kilometers. Its orbital period, or the time for it to make one complete orbit about another object, exactly matched the Earth’s rotational period, making it appear to hover a fixed point on the Earth’s equator. 

Arthur C. Clarke contributed to the understanding of satellites through an article published in Wireless World in October 1945 titled “Extra-Terrestrial Relays: Can Rocket Stations Give Worldwide Radio Coverage?” In this article, Clarke not only determines the orbital characteristics/elements, or the parameters required to uniquely identify a specific orbit, necessary for a geostationary orbit, but also discusses the frequencies and power needed for communications. 

Live satellite communications was developed in the sixties by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), named Syncom 1-3. It is transmitted live coverage of the 1964 Olympics in Japan to viewers in the United States and Europe. Soon after, on April 6, 1965, the first commercial satellite was launched into space, Intelsat I, nicknamed Early Bird. 

The first commercial VSATs were C band (6 GHz) receive-only systems by Equatorial Communications using spread spectrum technology. More than 30,000 60 cm antenna systems were sold in the early 1980s. Equatorial later developed a C band (4/6 GHz) two-way system using 1 m x 0.5 m antennas and sold about 10,000 units in 1984-85. 

In 1985, Schlumberger Oilfield Research co-developed the world’s first Ku band (12-14 GHz) VSATs with Hughes Aerospace to provide portable network connectivity for the oil field drilling and exploration units. Ku Band VSATs make up the vast majority of sites in use today for data or telephony applications. The largest VSAT network (more than 12,000 sites) was developed by Spacenet and MCI for the US Postal Service.

See: SDI is No "Star Wars"

Space Systems/Loral SES-5 satellite successfully launches, maneuvers

After a successful July 9 launch, the SES-5 satellite is now performing post-launch maneuvers that will place it in its proper orbit, according to its builder, Space Systems/Loral.

A Proton Breeze M vehicle from International Launch Services (ILS) lofted SES-5 from the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan. Deployment of solar panel arrays went according to schedule, and the satellite has begun maneuvering into geosynchronous orbit with its main thruster.

The complex SES-5 is a multi-mission commercial satellite that will deliver high-speed broadband services to Europe and Africa. Its primary purpose is to provide high performance Direct-to-Home (DTH) services, broadband, maritime communications, GSM backhaul, and VSAT applications.

To ensure flexible operations, SES-5 carries 36 active Ku-band transponders, 24 C-band transponders, and Ka-band uplink capability. In addition, it has two Ku-band beams (one each for the Nordic-Baltic region and the Sub-Saharan African region) as well as two C-band beams that provide global and hemispheric coverage using up to 24 active C-band transponders.

Alongside its commercial capabilities, SES-5 also features an L-band navigation payload courtesy of the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service. Built upon European Commission requirements, the EGNOS payload will support existing satellite positioning services. The EGNOS payload will also provide users around the globe with expanded navigation signals that have become important for safety critical aviation and maritime applications.

Based on SS/L's robust 1300 multi-mission platform, the successfully-launched SES-5 will be the 71st satellite of its class in orbit.

03b, Harris CapRock create marine VSAT broadband solution for Royal Caribbean

O3b Networks and Harris CapRock Communications have entered into a partnership to create and service a new, advanced satellite broadband solution for the world's biggest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas.

O3b will combine the capabilities of its fleet of Medium-Earth-Orbit (MEO) satellites with Harris CapRock's expertise in integrating maritime VSAT systems to create the O3B Maritime broadband solution for Royal Caribbean. This new broadband service will drastically enhance Internet connectivity aboard Oasis of the Seas and its more than 8,000 passengers, staff, and crew members.

Harris CapRock will serve as 03b Maritime's systems integrator for Oasis of the Seas. In addition to deploying the stabilized VSAT antenna systems on Oasis of the Seas, Harris Caprock will fully manage the system to ensure that the cruise ship receives bandwidth whose quality matches that of high-capacity fiber systems.

O3b and Harris Caprock expect that O3b Maritime will enter service next summer. In addition to cruise ships, O3b and Harris CapRock also predict that maritime VSAT service providers will offer their state-of-the-art broadband solution to super yachts and similar vessels in seas and oceans aside from the Caribbean.

Diego Paldao and NewSat

Diego Paldao, NewSat Senior Director-Americas, had his first time working for the satellite industry, 14 years ago, when UUNet provides IP transit services where his team worked closely with satellite operators to provide connectivity via satellite for places that lacks in adequate or stable fibre connectivity.

Paldao also joined global teleport operator Verestar following his work with UUNet. Verestar then was ultimately acquired by SES where he also had various positions, supporting enterprise and government clients based in North America.

At last, Palda joined NewSat, an Australian satellite specialist, in January, contributing to the vision and the realization of the vision to launch the continent’s first commercial satellite fleet.

NewSat is to date the largest independent satellite communications provider in Australia. Its satellites, VSATs and teleports provide coverage to 75% of the Earth’s surface. Its CEO Adrian Ballintine and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen founded the company in 1987 where it started as a multimedia business which survived the dotcom crash to evolve into a fully-fledged satellite communications company. Most of their customers are located in Australia, the Middle east and Africa.

See: NewSat's VSATS

NewSat's Diego Paldao is Happy with the Company

Diego Paldao, NewSat Senior Director-Americas, talks about the company. To date, NewSat is the largest independent satellite communications provider in Australia. Its satellites, VSATs and teleports provide coverage to 75% of the Earth’s surface.

He said that it excites him to join the company since their teleport business is growing rapidly, expanding across different sectors and extending into the satellite operator arena along the Jabiru Satellite Program. The company now owns and operates two teleports, one in Perth (Western Australia) and one in Adelaide (South Australia).

Their teleports’ infrastructure provides an offering different from other teleports. Both teleports provide superior lookangles into the MENA region and are recognized as highly secure Global Access Points which supports certified classified networks. These teleports are also recognized as a finalist (Top 3) at the 2012 World Teleport Awards.

On the other hand, NewSat’s Jabiru Satellite program is also developing well. The fleet of GEO satellites shall deliver Ka band coverage all over the world starting with Jabiru-1. This is through the utilization of the latest Ka band technology. It will now provide “raw” capability and flexible payloads via a range of multi-spot, regional and steerable beams. The construction for Jabiru-1 started last year and is planned to be launched at the second half of 2014.

See: NewSat's VSATs