[Satellite TODAY 06-07-13] Regional FSS operators are becoming more ambitious as they look to keep pace with the big global players such as Intelsat, SES and Eutelsat. In the July edition of Via Satellite, we talk to a number of regional FSS CTOs about how they are investing in new technology to keep their satellite plans on track. Antonio Abad, CTO, Hispasat, Zoubair Kachri, CTO, Es’hailSat, Dionisio Tun, CTO, Satmex, Paiboon Panuwattanawong, CTO, Thaicom, and Martin Gee, CTO, Yahsat, all participated in this technology roundtable.

 

     Thaicom has long been an innovator in the Asia Pacific. Its Ipstar program, which is now almost a decade old, was one of the major satellite programs of the last 10 years, particularly in using satellites to bring broadband services to customers. And the company continues to be keen to invest in new technology.

 

      “There are a number of technologies that we are closely following up which include new coding and modulation, error correction, [and] digital compression, all of which will help increase the information rate for a given raw bandwidth/spectrum,” Panuwattanawong comments. “For the satellite, we are interested in adjustable bandwidth system, flexible TWTA output power with optimal efficiency in all the output range, ground-command beam forming/phase array antenna, electronically suppressed side lobes/beam steering, etc.”

 

     While Thaicom is an established player in the Asia Pacific, new operators are also beginning to emerge. One to watch will be Qatar-based Es’hailSat, an operator that is set to launch a number of new satellites over the coming years. In the CTO roundtable featured in Via Satellite’s July issue Kachri, talks about how the company will look to invest in new technology going forward.

 

      “We are currently developing Ka-band missions and systems to increase the usage of this band in the MENA region for TV, backhauling/trunking and Internet services. For the future, we are focusing on the space segment anti-jamming solutions. For the ground segment, we are concentrating on the adoption of the standardized Carrier ID and the enhancements to the DVB-S2 standard, which will bring along more efficient bandwidth usage,” Kachri says.

 

     As for Yahsat, Gee says the key technologies affecting its business are in two fundamental areas: the space segment and the ground segment.

 

      “For the space segment, and hence satellites, we look forward to both an increase in the possible launch services, cost/performance … the progress with electric propulsion systems, and payload technology developments allows for more efficient satellite systems. For the ground segment, we look forward to next generation of Ka-band terminal systems and the associated enhanced services,” Gee says.

 

One of the key challenges facing these regional operators is access to space. While global operators can often lock down multi-launch service agreements, for regional operators it is more difficult. Reliable access to space is vital, particularly in light of recent failures.

 

      “With the recent Proton and Sea Launch failures, start-up operators like Es’hailSat will have tremendous difficulties in selecting a launcher for their satellites,” Kachri says of the current state of the market. “Qatar as a country is waiting for Es’hailSat to expand quickly but safely. We are very happy to see proton’s successful return to flight, and we are also looking forward to see SpaceX achieving successfully the planned GEO launches for 2013. With the establishment of SpaceX in the next few years, I expect that the market will have enough capacity to launch GEO satellites. Arianespace is also helping to ease any bottleneck that may occur for the small satellite launches by offering Soyuz launches from Kourou.