About the BSN-UK
Why Join the BSN-UK
Events
Events Calendar
Our Most Recent Event
Goonhilly Earth Station – Still Vibrant After All These Years - 20 February 2019
The BSN’s networking agenda got off to a flying start for 2019 with an event sponsored by Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd. Anver Anderson, GES Director of Sales, explained to the assembled members that even though Goonhilly Earth Station was one of the world’s first teleports (transmitting the first transatlantic TV signals back in the early 1960s), it’s still at the cutting edge of space-based telecommunications.
GES is involved in a range of projects for near space, LEO, MEO and GEO satellite communications as well as Deep Space, forthcoming Moon and Mars missions as well as radio astronomy. All this at a time when a renewed interest in space exploration and cube-sats is attracting so much investment from both government and industry.
In addition to the standard teleport services of uplink transmission and downlink feeds, TT&C, ranging and monitoring services, Goonhilly Earth Station is also introducing a brand new Data Centre facility with extensive connectivity to local and international fibre loops. In fact the SEA-ME-WE-3 international cable network has a node inside GES, connecting through the Middle East to South East Asia and Australia as well.
Significantly, the team at Goonhilly has doubled in size during the last year and with so many projects developing in the coming years, the team is set to grow further. Goonhilly is already a partner with the UK’s new rocket launch centres at Newquay – and more recently Shetland – to provide support to the UK’s ambitions of being a centre of excellence for launch services.
Goonhilly is led by CEO Ian Jones, who along with his Board of Directors, has dared to dream of how Goonhilly can take its place alongside the next generation of space communications and explorers. Having saved the site from becoming a wind farm back in 2004, Ian and his team have established training courses and projects that have kept some 400 school pupils, 150 university students and 4 PhD students enthused about their own future – as well as that of the space industry.
This event was immediately preceded by the BSN's AGM.
The evening was another resounding success, with nearly half of the BSN membership attending, and our thanks to Goonhilly Earth Station for hosting such an enjoyable evening.
Click here to see details of BSN's past events
Membership
The Board
Jonathan Higgins
Chair
Jonathan is the founder & Managing Director of BeaconSeek Ltd, a firm established in 2000 involved in design, project management, integration, 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 delivering news for the BBC. 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 also occasionally runs training courses on various aspects of satellite communications, from beginner to advanced level.
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.
Neil Neusten
Treasurer
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 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.
Martin Coleman
Martin has run his Colem enterprise since 1992 and was Executive Director, the Satcoms Innovation Group (SIG) until December 2019. He is now a member of SIG’s Advisory Board. Starting his career in 1970 with the UK’s General Post Office (now BT), for over 50 years he has been (and and still is) involved with many areas of the communications business, particularly space.
Since 2011 (as founder of the Interference Reduction Group), Martin has played a leading role in reducing radio frequency interference (RFI). He regularly addresses the industry on the management of spectrum and space, including space debris, and facilitates workshops both live and online.
Colem is an Events, Technology and Management provider. Before Colem, Martin worked in BT’s (GPO) London international switching centres, moving on to satellite projects for Madley, Goonhilly and other UK sites.
Annemarie Meijer
Annemarie has more than 30 years’ experience in the broadcast industry, having worked for SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation),
ZDF German Television (based in Johannesburg), Globecast Africa & Europe (based in Kenya for a few years) and, latterly, Intelsat Africa and Europe (based in London).
Her experience includes facility marketing, working as a news producer and on the deployment of broadcast facilities for both breaking news and scheduled events. She has worked extensively throughout Africa, including news assignments on Mandela-related stories from his release to his inauguration and deployment in conflict areas such as DRC, as well as managing planned events such as CHOGM confereces, Olympics and European Championships.
She has worked with some of the leading broadcasters in a commercial role to provide satellite connectivity for their distribution or contribution to their content.
