Global Media Network
BT is another telco using satellite to help fill gaps and offer customers a more global, all-encompassing solution, and satellite plays a role in BT’s strategy. “BT has specifically invested a great deal in having a fiber capability, which is called GMN, or Global Media Network, and although BT’s business traditionally over the years has been U.K.-centric, BT expanded its offering across the world using MPLS services,” says Harry Formosa, general manager, client management, media & broadcast, BT Wholesale. “The global media network has rolled out to around 40 locations globally, so India through to Singapore, the United States, Europe and all the major content conurbations, Hollywood, Bollywood, etc. In terms of BT Media & Broadcast investment, over the last two to five years, this has been on video enabled capability,” he says.
BT recently closed a deal with Israeli company RRSat to bring a satellite component to this network. “The basic deal structure with RRSat is a reciprocal agreement where both parties have agreed committed spends to one another. On that basis, they have access to our GMN network, and we have access to their satellite networks and their playout capabilities. That augments each others core strength in the market place,” Formosa says. “We can sell end-to-end services. They can sell end-to-end services. It gives us a wider footprint, without the need to physically invest or try and build that capability.”
Formosa says the deal with RRSat could open up new markets for BT, including potential deals with the U.S. military. “We are also looking for RRSat to work with us in terms of growing the business. We are also looking at developing other applications to enhance our customer offerings. For example, we have ongoing discussions with Xtar to develop a file transfer application and a high-value video type solution into small manpacks and small dishes. It is not something that is new in terms of technology, but it is pulling the right components together to make it very usable and add value to the user. It is currently at a trial stage,” he says.
Overcoming Geography Issues in Asia
Bharti is one of India’s biggest wireless operators, with more than 100 million subscribers, and also has nearly 3.5 million customers for its DTH services. As well as using satellite to attack the consumer market, Bharti also uses satellite in the business market to improve connections in rural parts of India. “Satellite services constitute an essential and strategic component of our telecom portfolio,” says Ajay Chitkara, CEO global data business, Bharti Airtel. “It enables us to service all the three critical segments: enterprise, small and medium businesses and [small office/home office] users. We use satellite to extend connectivity and VSAT solutions to our customers. We use satellite for delivering TDM/TDMA technology in Ku-band. We also provide SCPC services in C-band. We also cater to the broadcast needs of media customers in countries like Bangladesh, Africa and the Middle East using satellite. We offer VPN and Internet services in different flavors varying from pooled bandwidth to bandwidth on demand. With the evolving technology, customers have more options available.”
Optus, which is owned by SingTel, is one of Australia’s major telco’s and also owns its own satellites to serve a population spread across a large landmass. “The capabilities of satellite are key to our business. We offer our customers communications solutions that offer freedom and mobility. The unique benefit of a satellite service is that it removes terrestrial boundaries and offers customers the flexibility to move their service anywhere within the country or even offshore,” says Paul Sheridan, director of satellite, Optus. “This can be the delivery of services to remote mobile towers, providing links to remote locations or an extension to cellular services. Satellite also provides disaster recovery services and connections for our key terrestrial paths. From the satellite side, we leverage this technology to determine whether we need to co-locate satellite with where we are building exchanges, because these are major trunks that connect those sites. A perfect example of that is a site we recently built in Hume, Canberra. It is the primary connection for our latest satellite — D3. For the terrestrial side of the business, it is a major exchange for the Canberra area.”
The Australian government has implemented the Australian Broadband Guarantee (ABG) policy, an effort to provide broadband access to all citizens and one that subsidizes the purchase of satellite equipment by rural users. “Recently, the government allocated more funding, so the program will continue. That will address the delivery of these new technologies,” says Sheridan, and Optus has looked to bring higher quality services to users beyond the basic requirements of the ABG. “We have also recently launched Optus Premium Satellite, a satellite Internet service that will bring ADSL like speeds to customers in remote and regional areas. It is about six times faster than the speeds available via Australian Broadband Guarantee satellite services,” he says.
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