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Our Most Recent Event – 31 July 2018
Telesat – From HTS to LEO
The mid-year gathering of the Broadcasting & Satellite Networking group (BSN), focusing on the topic ‘From HTS to LEO’, was generously hosted by Telesat in a very hospitable Westminster location.
With the recent successful launch of Telesat’s Telstar 19 VANTAGE satellite, providing new HTS Ku and Ka- band capacity across the Americas and Atlantic, BSN members heard from Telesat’s Gordon Grant, Manager International Sales Engineering, regarding the company’s future strategies and new constellations.
Describing the capabilities of Telesat’s new geostationary T19V satellite at 63°W, Mr. Grant highlighted its Ka-band HTS spot beam capacity that covers South America, the Caribbean, North Atlantic and Northern Canada. The satellite’s Ku-band coverages include HTS spot beams over Brazil and the Andean region, along with regional beams over Brazil and the North Atlantic.
For the future, Telesat is now developing an advanced LEO constellation with capacity and performance that could transform global communications. Mr. Grant explained that the system’s design will enable Telesat to offer customers, both in commercial and government markets, with an unsurpassed combination of capacity, speed, security, resiliency and low cost with latency that is as good or better than the most advanced terrestrial networks. Telesat LEO has the potential to become a core component in satisfying many of the world’s most challenging communications requirements such as: accelerating 5G expansion; ending the digital divide with fiber-like high speed services into rural and remote communities; and setting new levels of broadband performance on land, sea and in the air.
Telesat is uniquely positioned to deliver the world’s most advanced and capable LEO constellation given the company’s deep technical expertise, strong track record of innovation, senior spectrum rights, and industry-leading customer service and support. Mobility will be a key market, particularly commercial aviation that is forecasted to see broadband access revenues grow from about $800 million today to over $9 billion by 2028. In the maritime sector, demand is expected increase a hundredfold, with cruise ship offerings increasing from 10Mbps to 1Gbps to meet customer demand.
Telesat’s Phase 1 LEO satellite was launched January 2018 into a sun synchronous orbit of 1000km with customer testing scheduled later this year. Telesat is now working with leading satellite manufacturers to finalize the design of its constellation that will initially consist of approximately 120 state-of-the-art satellites providing full global coverage. Under the MEF 3.0 umbrella, the network will provide a ‘plug-and-play’ approach for equipment and service delivering ease of access for Telesat’s present and future customers.
The evening was a resounding success, with nearly half of the BSN membership attending, and our thanks to Telesat for hosting such an enjoyable evening.
Membership
The Board
Jonathan Higgins
Chair
Jonathan is the Managing Director of BeaconSeek Ltd, a firm largely involved in design, project management, integration, training, and commissioning of satellite ground systems. Previously Jonathan was Head of BBC News Location Facilities Unit, operating fast-response satellite uplinks and terrestrial microwave links in the UK and around the world. As a Chartered Engineer he is an active Member of the Institution of Engineering & Technology (IET), and is also the author of Satellite Newsgathering, the seminal book on the subject published by Focal Press, and Introduction to SNG & ENG Microwave. He runs training courses on various aspects of satellite communications, from beginner to advanced levels.
Anver Anderson
Secretary
Anver has over 30 years strategic marketing business development, planning experience in the telecommunications and broadcast industry (including working for BT, Inmarsat, Vyvx, VT Merlin Communications and Europe*Star), and has worked with many of the world’s leading broadcasters, teleports, satellite operators, satellite service providers and equipment manufacturers.
Andrew Stimson
Treasurer
Andrew has worked in the satellite industry for his whole career, starting with Hawker Siddeley Dynamics, Cable and Wireless and then for 31 years with Intelsat in a number of senior positions in the USA, UK , Bermuda and Luxembourg. He has also served on the boards of the World Teleport Association (WTA) and the Global VSAT Forum (GVF). He retired in 2010 but remains active in the industry as a volunteer, currently also serving on the IET Satellite Systems and Applications Network Committee.
Martin Jarrold
Martin has been the Global VSAT Forum (GVF) Chief of International Programme Development since June 2001. His responsibilities include development of the profile of the Forum within the satellite communications industry, including delivery of programmes focused on extending the understanding of, and promoting the use of, satellite-based communications in various key end-user vertical markets.
Martin is also Co-Chairman of the GVF Maritime Satcom Forum, and frequent contributor to various telecommunications and other industry publications. He chairs and contributes to a wide variety of telecommunications conferences, symposia, and workshops around the world. Formerly Commissioning Editor and Head of Research for Space Business International magazine.
Neil Neusten
Neil has more than 30 years experience in the broadcast industry having worked for Worldwide Television News, Vyvx, Associated Press and NTL Broadcast as well as a number of SNG service providers. Neil’s experience covers operations, planning, commercial and strategic use of satellite and communications links along with the deployment of new technologies to improve services. Working both in the UK and internationally, Neil’s experience encompasses both the use of fibre-only and combined satellite / fibre networks on a global basis. This includes the setting up of planned events such as the Olympics (Winter and Summer) and ad-hoc events for sports and breaking news.
Martin Coleman
Martin is Executive Director, the Satellite Interference Reduction Group (IRG). Since taking on the position in 2011, Martin has been active in spearheading a number of significant initiatives, including a campaign to introduce Carrier ID across all SCPC/MCPC transmissions from the 2012 Olympics through to being implementation ready by 1st January 2015. Martin regularly addresses the industry on the subject of satellite interference, at global industry events, on an individual basis, and facilitates IRGs workshops. Martin has his own company, Colem, a services, design and project management consultancy since 1992, developing Network Management Systems (NMS) since 1997. Prior to setting up Colem, Martin worked for BT as an engineer in charge of various BT projects for Madley, Goonhilly and other ground stations within the UK as well as working at BT’s London international switching centres.
Anna Guégan
Anna is a Manager of Policy and Market Access with Access Partnership, providing detailed global regulatory reviews and licensing solutions to deliver market access for clients. She works in French, Dutch, English, Mandarin and Spanish. Anna has a Master of Science degree in Political Sciences from Vrije Universiteit (VU University), Amsterdam and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Contemporary and Chinese Studies from INALCO, Paris. She has several years of experience in research, diplomacy and ICT policy in Europe and Asia. Since she joined Access Partnership in 2012, she has gained comprehensive experience in regulation for satellites and spectrum technologies (earth, space, aero), cloud services and telecom operator authorisations around the world, in particular in Africa, Central, South and Southeast Asia, and Europe.