satellitepro me april 2014

ISSUE 28 | APRIL 2014

CABSAT WRAP-UP

HEAD-TURNING TECH

Special coverage of this year’s successful event

Solutions showcase for NAB 2014

YAHCLICK’S BOOM

PAY-TV ON THE RISE

Service boosts developments in Africa, Middle East and Asia

Experts outline the market’s robust growth trajectory

Move for a new satellite is already underway, with others in the pipeline

Qatar initiatesfleet expansion

PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ

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Taking you above and beyond

First choice for satellite homesEutelsat is one of the world’s leading and most experienced operators

of communications satellites. We provide capacity on 36 satellites to clientsthat include broadcasters and broadcasting associations, pay-TV operators, video,

data and internet service providers, enterprises and government agencies.

Leading DTH broadcasting in the MENA regionThe Eutelsat-Nilesat 7/8° West position is the first choice for multi-channel

viewing with an audience of over 50 million satellite homes. 1,050 TV channels of which over 190 are international and 80 are in High Definition

broadcasting from this neighbourhood.

www.eutelsat.com

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Dan

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Life is, indeed, an intricate tapestry, with every one of us being a stitch in the colourful mass. Yet you can still simplify life to the point that there are just two types of people: those who are technical and those who aren’t. For the most part, everyone in these categories gets on with

it and the cogs spinning the loom of life continue working. But from time to time, the wheels come off. Occasionally, the technical need to “converse” with the non-technical – enter the break down.

Often, when these two engage in dialogue, it’s just awkward, with both parties wanting the exchange to end as swiftly as possible. The technical attempts to deliver information while the non-technical responds by nodding, as if in a state of understanding. But nothing is understood, the necessaries were not received and the whole act bears little more than frustration infused with boredom.

For those on the tech side who want to help the non-technical, doesn’t this make your lives more challenging? This is surely the case for many service providers trying to help end users understand they can increase efficiencies through smart upgrades and adjustments. However, just as you notice the end user’s eyes glaze over from boring technical jargon, so do they see dollar signs flash in the eyes of the service provider. How much worse does this make the situation? Not only do they not understand what the solutions do, but they’re also convinced the motive is only to break the bank.

In truth, many of these end users need satcoms as much as the service providers need clients. Therefore, education is required. There needs to be an informative platform to bridge the gap between them and industry players. How else can we prevent the glazed-eye syndrome? How else can we break the I-just-see-dollar-signs problem?

Adrienne HarebottleEditor

EDITORIAL

Glazed eyes and dollar signs

In this edition:

“Satellite reception continues to grow, accounting for nine out of ten TV homes while HDTV is rapidly gaining traction with one third of TV homes now equipped”Claudia Vaccarone, Head of Market Research and Customer Experience at EutelsatPage 24

“In Nigeria, it’s common for cellular users to have four handsets, each on a different network, seeking a reliable connection”Masood M Sharif Mahmood, CEO of YahsatPage 18

“CABSAT 2014 was very successful. We demonstrated our SOTM solution outside the event and managed to collect more than 20 serious leads for our services and products”Ahmed Hassan, CEO of Wiseband Page 24

“The rapid deployment of satellite equipment gave first responders access to timely information on the ground to support emergency response activities”Dr Cosmas Zavazava, of the ITUPage 40

© Copyright 2014 CPI. All rights reserved. While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this

magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

Group Chairman and Founder Dominic De Sousa

Group CEONadeem Hood

Group COOGina O’Hara

Publishing DirectorRaz Islam

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EditorAdrienne Harebottle

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Sandip [email protected]

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Senior Sales ManagerRodi Hennawi

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DESIGNArt DirectorSimon Cobon

Deputy Art DirectorJohn Marsland

PHOTOGRAPHYJay Colina

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CIRCULATIONDatabase Manager

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CONTENTS Issue 28 | April 2014

SatLead

10Qatar comes into its ownWith a satellite already in orbit, Es’hailSat is pushing ahead with its fleet expansion plans

News

4Partnerships New satellites, capacity hikes in Africa, 5G in the Middle East and interesting rumours...

Empowering communities Yahsat’s CEO reveals how YahClick has connected Africa, the Middle East and Central and South West Asia

SatBroadband

18

30ME pay-TV is on the riseExperts project double-digit growth until the end of 2017

SatBroadcast Analysis

Save the date A collection of the details of some of the must-attend industry events

SatEvent

SatEvents

24Conversations at CABSATTalking to some of the industry’s key players reveals that Africa hasn’t lost any of its allure

SatTech

34Solutions spectacle A showcase of some of the hottest solutions that will be on display at this year’s NAB show

30

40

10

18

SatGuest

40Enabling first responders A look at the ITU’s role in enabling the emergency teams on call after the crisis in the Philippines

33

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4 | SatellitePro | April 2014

SatNews

www.eiast.ae

www.arabsat.com www.ce-tel.com

ARABSAT ISSUES RFP FOR FOUR NEW SATELLITESArabsat has released a request for proposal (RFP) for the procurement of four new satellites. They are to be designated HS3, HS4, ARB6E and ARB6A.

The new sixth-generation satellites, which will be positioned at three orbital locations with coverage over Middle-Eastern, African, Asian and European markets, will have high-power direct-to-home (DTH) payloads in Ku band and Ka-band spot-beam capacities.

The HS3 and HS4 satellites will likely replace Hellas-Sat’s current HS2 satellite at the 39-degrees-East orbital slot. The two new satellites’ additional capacities in Ku- and Ka-band payloads will bring customers greater flexibilities, according to Arabsat. Additionally, HS4 will provide Arabsat with prime Ku-band capacity over Europe and the Mediterranean, complementing its existing in-orbit capacity.

The current Hellas-Sat 2 covers Eastern Europe, part of the Middle East and South Africa.

The ARB6E and ARB6A satellites will provide in-orbit back-up capacity for Arabsat’s customers in addition to accommodating rises in demand for capacity and services over the Middle-east, Africa and Asia.

The satellites will be launched in 2016 and 2017.

EIAST, SATREC INITIATIVE PARTNER FOR DISTRIBUTION OF DUBAI SAT-2 PRODUCTS The Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST) has signed a contract with Satrec Initiative for the global promotion and distribution of Dubai Sat-2’s products and services to customers worldwide.

The agreement further strengthens the existing co-operation between the two parties, who collaborated in the Dubai Sat-1 and Dubai Sat-2 projects. Currently, the organisations are working on the first Arab-made satellite KhalifaSat, which will be launched into outer space by 2017. Emirati engineers are currently involved in the planning and designing of the KhalifaSat satellite.

This latest agreement was signed by Yousuf Al Shaibani, Director General of EIAST, and Dong-Sung Park, Satrec’s General Manager. Senior managers and officials from both sides were present to witness the signing.

Arabsat and CETel Group have agreed to further

co-operation, a move that will enable CETel to expand its existing solutions portfolio by providing new services on Arabsat 5C in extended C band.

Jointly, Arabsat and CETel will deploy an additional 9.3m antenna at the CETel teleport facilities near Cologne/Bonn, which are pointed towards Arabsat 5C at 20 degrees East. The infrastructure expansion will enable CETel to provide additional individual solutions that reportedly meet high demands for cost-effective pricing, reliability and bandwidth.

This co-operation for new services is part of Arabsat’s and CETel’s long-standing partnership to provide solutions for satellite-based communications worldwide.

“We are proud to once again

partner with Arabsat to extend our portfolio. The increasing demand for satellite capacity and internet connectivity with high bandwidths, not only in the Middle East but also in Africa, clearly shows the need for cost-effective communications solutions. CETel is able to provide such solutions worldwide and the new services on Arabsat 5C in extended C band fit perfectly for our customers,” said Martin Terlunen, Managing Director of CETel Germany.

Khalid Balkheyour, President and CEO of Arabsat, added: “CETel is a trusted and distinguished partner for Arabsat. This is why we decided to co-operate with them to increase our global presence with services on extended C band. Our customers trust CETel’s experience and value their high-quality services and solutions.”

Arabsat, CETel team up for new extended C-band services

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GVF, AIBU address effective use of broadcasting solutions

Key officials of the Arabic and Islamic Broadcasting Union (AIBU) met with representatives of the Global VSAT Forum (GVF) to begin coordinating on initiatives that facilitate effective use

of state-of-the-art broadcasting solutions.The two-day conference was chaired by Riaz Lamak, Director of GVF Validation and Benchmarking,

and Fehmida Lamak, a GVF-Certified Examiner, in Beirut, Lebanon. The programme was compiled with inputs from GVF members including COMSYS, Mahdi Bagh Computers and Satprof among others.

“This will open doors for logical expansion into the satellite communication business for the broadcasting fraternity, as well as knowledge of best practices to optimise performances,” said Yaser Al-Sayegh, Vice-President of AIBU.

The conference was hosted by the Union Centre for Media Training in Beirut. Participants included more than 50 representatives of 22 Arab and international media outlets, which discussed the challenges they face and how satellite communications can be applied to address their requirements.

April 2014 | SatellitePro | 5

www.yahsat.aewww.thuraya.com

www.alruya.ly

www.ses.com

www.signalhorn.com

www.gvf.org

THURAYA SIGNS NEW SERVICE PARTNERSHIP WITH TALIAThuraya has entered into a partnership with Talia, a top-tier provider of data communications and voice services. Headquartered in the UK, Talia owns and operates a teleport facility in Germany and offers satcoms solutions.

Talia’s customers across various sectors, especially oil and gas, will now have access to Thuraya’s portfolio of mobile satellite solutions.

“Talia’s experience in providing end-to-end satellite solutions for oil and gas customers is complementary to ours and will enable us to better serve our customers in this important sector across Thuraya’s satellite footprint. We are well-positioned to offer VSAT back-up solutions with our Thuraya IP+ or broadband terminals with flexible rate plans for high or low volume usage,” said Bilal El Hamoui, Vice-President of Distribution at Thuraya.

SITE VISIT: YAHSAT RECEIVES GUESTS AT GATEWAY IN ABU DHABI

SES INKS CAPACITY DEAL WITH LIBYA-BASED ALRUYA SES has signed a capacity deal with Alruya, a Libya-based systems integrator and VSAT operator, to deliver connectivity to oil and gas fields in the country. Alruya will utilise capacity on SES’s NSS-7 satellite at 20 degrees West to provide high-speed internet access and VoIP services over its VSAT network to corporate customers’ offsite oil and gas locations in Libya.

“In a vast country such as Libya, which has harsh terrain and limited infrastructure, satellite is seen as the most reliable form of connectivity – and demand for data connectivity is on the increase. We are honoured that Alruya has decided to work with us and we will continue to work closely with them to understand their needs and provide them the capacity they need to grow their expanding business,” said Hussein Oteifa, General Manager Middle East at SES.

SIGNALHORN JOINS EUROPEAN SECURITY ROUND TABLESignalhorn has become the newest member of the European Security Round Table (ESRT), a leading forum for the crucial debates on current and future direction of European security and defence policy.

ESRT membership is comprised of representatives from a range of EU institutions, national governments, business, academia and the research sector.

“As a neutral platform between the EU Institutions, NATO and other relevant parties for discussions on European security and defence issues, the ESRT will allow Signalhorn to have a voice on matters involving secure communications, with which it is well acquainted,” said Robert Kubbernus, Signalhorn’s President and CEO. “We look forward to engaging with the ESRT on a wide variety of issues, including the role of satellite communications enterprises in critical security and defence infrastructure issues.”

Yahsat held a private event in the end of February to show selected guests its Abu Dhabi-based gateway. On the site tour, visitors were taken to see the satellite operator’s antennae farm, comercial customer network operations centre, spacecraft control centre and YahClick network operations centre after receiving a corporate presentation.

At each station, staff explained the workflows performed at the facilities and answered any technical questions related to the operations.

The gateway site visit followed the MilSatCom MEA event, at which Yahsat gave the opening address. The event was held at the Amwaj Rotana hotel in Dubai from February 24 to 25, 2014.



Intrasky is utilising Ka-band capacity on the Eutelsat 8 West C satellite operated by Eutelsat together with Newtec’s latest technology to enhance internet connectivity

services in the Levant area. Intrasky will occupy a 72MHz transponder on the satellite with a 250Mbps link for a leading

ISP in the region that is seeking to supplement stretched download capacity on fibre and ensure continuity of service.

Intrasky has chosen the Newtec MDM6000 satellite modem with high bandwidth optimisation, which is able to manage multiple services including data, video and internet access.

“Demand for IP backhaul is increasing year on year, driven by more video consumption through the internet and a relentless surge in the use of data services via smartphones,” said Jean-François Leprince-Ringuet, CCO of Eutelsat.

“The combination of Eutelsat’s Ka-band capacity and Newtec’s technology positions us to offer flexible and reliable internet connectivity solutions, challenging the perception that fibre is the automatic route to highly competitive point-to-point links.”

Intrasky to boost connectivity in Lebanon with Eutelsat capacity

RUMOUR: FACEBOOK TO OFFER DRONE-POWERED INTERNETFacebook is allegedly in talks to acquire Titan Aerospace, a drone manufacturer, to step up its plans to provide internet access to the billions of people residing in unserved or underserved parts of the world. This is according to reports in technology blog TechCrunch, which cited anonymous sources as saying that the popular social network is seeking to buy Titan for around USD 60 million.

Titan produces solar-powered drones that are capable of flying for a stretch of five years without having to land. The manufacturer claims that not only are the drones able to perform most of the functions of a satellite, but they also cost less to produce.

Facebook spokesman Tucker Bounds has refused to verify these details, saying that the company does not comment on rumours or speculation. Representatives from Titan have not responded to requests for comment.

According to the report, Facebook is to use the drones to provide internet access to the underserved parts of the world, commencing with Africa. Such a move would be in accordance with the Internet.org initiative, which plans to connect the 5 billion people who are not already online.

www.lockheedmartin.com www.titanaerospace.com

www.eutelsat.comwww.newtec.eu www.intrasky.com

Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services (LMCLS), a Lockheed Martin subsidiary, has introduced a 100% space launch vehicle “refund or reflight” programme, to protect customers in the event of a total launch vehicle malfunction. The programme also provides partial refunds for partial malfunctions, and applies to all future LMCLS non-US government contracts.

The refund or reflight programme will be a standard component in all future LMCLS launch service contracts, meaning customers will not need to negotiate and acquire space insurance for the Atlas launch vehicle on their own.

“This programme demonstrates Lockheed Martin’s confidence in the Atlas launch vehicle, while saving customers costs and hassle. It also streamlines the launch process, allowing customers to focus on the success of their payloads,” said Robert R. Cleave, President and Chairman of the board of LMCLS

AL KASS TV SIGNS AGREEMENT TO JOIN DU’S BROADCAST ECOSYSTEM FOR STREAMING SERVICESTelecoms service provider du has announced that Qatar-based Al Kass TV, the government broadcaster of free-to-air channels, has signed an agreement with the company for streaming services through Akamai Technologies.

Live streaming of the TV channels will be delivered over the Akamai Intelligent platform. Through the partnership, Al Kass TV services will be available on any connected device, including mobiles and PCs, meeting customers’ demands to access TV content online with 24/7 high-quality channel streaming.

“Expanding our reach to the maximum number of viewers is important for us and du, in partnership with Akamai, allows us to do this. We chose to work with du and Akamai because of the high quality and reliability of the streaming services they provide, which will offer our viewers the optimal experience across multiple devices,” said Essa Al- Hitmi, General Manager of Al Kass.

LMCLS TO OFFER 100% “REFUND OR REFLIGHT” LAUNCH DEAL

www.alkass.netwww.du.ae www.akamai.com



Arabsat grants Telesat exclusive use of payload on Hellas-Sat 4

Arabsat and Telesat Canada have signed a strategic commercial agreement, granting Telesat the

exclusive use of a lifetime Ku-band payload on the new Hellas-Sat 4 satellite. The high-powered Ku-band payload will provide coverage of Europe and the Mediterranean.

The new satellite’s request for proposal (RFP) went to market this March as part of Arabsat’s RFP for its sixth-generation satellites. The RFP incorporated the design and manufacture of four new satellites.

Hellas-Sat 4 is expected to be launched in 2017 and will be located at 39 degrees East.

“Telesat has enjoyed a longstanding and strategic relationship with Arabsat and has the highest regard for its commercial and operational capabilities. This latest agreement will provide Telesat with prime Ku-band capacity over Europe and the Mediterranean that complements well our existing in-orbit capacity. We are pleased to be able to partner with Arabsat on this initiative and to expand Telesat’s capabilities in this important region,” said Dan Goldberg, Telesat’s President and CEO.

www.eutelsat.com

www.broadpeak.tv

BROADPEAK, EUTELSAT PARTNER TO OPTIMISE DELIVERY OF OTT Broadpeak, a provider of content delivery network (CDN) technologies and video-on-demand (VOD) servers, has teamed with Eutelsat to improve the delivery of over-the-top (OTT) multiscreen services.

Utilising Broadpeak’s nanoCDN and Eutelsat’s “smart LNB” technologies, operators can cost-effectively deliver high-quality live TV channels over satellite to millions of subscriber devices, including TVs, PCs, smartphones and tablets, using the same bandwidth.

“Relying on the power of multicast, operators can cost-effectively deliver high-quality live TV channels over Eutelsat satellites to an endless number of subscribers anywhere, anytime, and on any device,” commented Jacques Le Mancq, CEO at Broadpeak.

www.intelsat.com

www.globecommsystems.com

www.airbusdefenceandspace.com

www.arabsat.com

www.telesat.com

INTELSAT, AIRBUS DEFENSE AND SPACE SIGN NEW MARITIME DEAL Intelsat has entered into a new agreement with Airbus Defense and Space, bridging maritime VSAT services to Intelsat’s high-throughput satellite EpicNG platform. The new deal will provide global high-throughput satcom services with secure access to Intelsat’s global Ku-band satellite capacity and terrestrially managed network, IntelsatOne.

From March 2014, Airbus Defense and Space will extend the usage of these new high-performance solutions in its services portfolio, which is upgradable to the new Intelsat EpicNG platform.

This agreement is part of Airbus Defense and Space’s newly launched AuroraGlobal, a suite of new high-throughput satcom services.

GLOBECOMM, FUTURE CARE PARTNER FOR MARITIME TELEMEDICINE SOLUTION Globecomm Maritime has formed a strategic relationship with Future Care to create Future Care Live, a video-enabled telemedicine solution integrated into Globecomm’s Access Chat service. It combines the Future Care’s “Caring for the Crew” programme with live video streaming software to provide medical care to commercial shipping and marine personnel during emergency illness or injury at sea, as well as to respond to routine healthcare needs.

Future Care Live creates a “virtual ER”, allowing the simultaneous remote participation of physicians, hospital treatment staff, Future Care case manager, shipowner representatives and family members while the patient is onboard ship.

“Telemedicine is a truly shared benefit and in ways not imaginable a few short years ago. Seafarers will benefit from the virtual presence of Future Care’s network physicians and other medical professionals while the shipowner will save in medical costs, time lost and avoidance of deviation,” said Christina DeSimone, President and CEO of Future Care.



As part of a multi-million dollar

investment in its satellite business, Liquid Telecom is the first operator to build a satellite hub at Teraco’s vendor-neutral Earth station in South Africa.

This hub enables Liquid Telecom to route traffic in Africa rather than backhauling it via Europe as many operators need to do. By keeping the data in Africa, Liquid Telecom has reduced latency and increased connectivity speeds.

Liquid Telecom has built Africa’s largest single fibre network, which spans more than 17,000km from Uganda to Cape Town. The expansion of its pan-African satellite business complements the fibre enabling Liquid Telecom to provide high-speed, cost-effective broadband services to more remote areas where it is not commercially viable to lay fibre.

“Our fibre and satellite networks enable us to meet the ever-increasing demand for connectivity across Africa. Teraco is the most connected point in southern Africa and our investment in the Earth station and the expansion of our satellite capabilities reflects our commitment to building Africa’s digital future,” commented Nic Rudnick, CEO of Liquid Telecom.

TELEKOM MALAYSIA, ETISALAT FORM ALLIANCE FOR SMARTHUBEtisalat has formed an alliance with Telekom Malaysia allowing the operator to extend its international services to a number of countries in the Middle East and Africa.

Telekom Malaysia will leverage a multi-functional network node at Etisalat’s SmartHub data centre in the emirate of Fujairah. Telekom Malaysia will use the facility to provide content, internet exchange, internetwork packet exchange and high-speed data services to countries within Etisalat’s footprint. These include Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, Nigeria and Tanzania.

“[This] further strengthens our point of presence in the Middle East, thus enabling Telekom Malaysia to create a value proposition as one of the key players in the Middle East region,” said Rozaimy Rahman, Telekom Malaysia’s Executive Vice-President of Global and Wholesale.

COBHAM SATCOM TO LAUNCH NEW MOBILE PRODUCTS Cobham Satcom, an Inmarsat Global Xpress (GX) partner, has announced two new maritime terminals and three new land mobile terminals for Inmarsat’s new satellite network.

The Sailor 100 GX, with a 103cm reflector dish, is aimed at Cobham and Inmarsat’s core global shipping customers. The Sailor 60 GX, with a 65cm reflector dish, enables GX’s high bandwidth connectivity on smaller vessels.

The first terminals will be available in the summer.

For land-mobile users, Cobham is introducing the Explorer 3075GX, which features a manual point positioner, the Explorer 5075GX, which is an auto-deploy fly-away VSAT solution, and the Explorer 7100GX, which is an antenna for drive-away solutions.

“The strategy was simplify the maritime VSAT procurement process so it was a natural step to employ it for the launch of GX,” said Jens Ewerling, Global Business Manager of Maritime VSAT at Cobham Satcom.

www.tm.com.my

ETISALAT, HUAWEI SIGN DEAL TO DEVELOP 5G IN REGION Etisalat Group and Huawei, a global ICT solutions provider, have signed a new agreement that will see the two companies deepen their co-operation in pioneering telecom broadband services over the next five years across the region. Etisalat and Huawei will co-operate in the development of 5G mobile broadband.

A joint team will be set up to conduct the trial of 5G services, which will be the first of their kind seen in the Middle East.

“The 5G mobile network aims to tremendously improve user experience with never-seen-before speed and capacity. The superfast 5G mobile network will enable new possibilities and offers a seamless communication experience,” said Hatem Bamatraf, CTO at Etisalat Group.

ES’HAILSAT, ARQIVA PARTNER TO DELIVER AL JAZEERA Arqiva has been contracted to deliver satellite services for Al Jazeera in the Middle East. Under the deal, Arqiva will support Es’hailSat to distribute Al Jazeera Media Network channels, transmitting via two of the Es’hailSat transponders available.

Es’hailSat’s first transponder for Al Jazeera was launched in December 2013, with a second added in Q2 of 2014.

Arqiva will provide teleport services from its UK sites to transmit content from Al Jazeera for satellite distribution across the Middle East.

“It’s a strategically important market and we will be looking to deepen our presence over the next 18 months. This co-operation with Es’hailSat reinforces our commitment to the region,” said Barrie Woolston, Arqiva’s Commercial Director of Satellite and Media.

www.etisalat.ae

www.cobham.comwww.liquidtelecom.com

Liquid Telecom expands African operation with satellite hub

www.arqiva.com

www.eshailsat.qa



SatLead

The Es’hail 1 satellite’s entry into service on December 18 last year has enabled Qatar to fulfil its goals of providing independent, high-quality services to broadcasters and other stakeholders in Qatar and the MENA region. But the satellite does more than this for the state. It is the personification of Qatar’s wish to enter into a contemporary realm of self-reliance and sustainability.

“Es’hail 1 marks another major step on the path from a primarily hydrocarbon economy to a modern, balanced economy that is self-sustaining and can grow in the long term,” says Ali Al Kuwari, CEO of Es’hailSat.

The bird is jointly owned by Qatari satellite operator Es’hailSat and international player Eutelsat. The Es’hail 1/EUTELSAT 25B satellite was launched on August 29, 2013, and reached its geostationary orbit at 25.5 degrees East on September 10 of the same year. Eutelsat announced the satellite’s entry into commercial service on October 29, 2013, while Es’hailSat’s start of commercial service was on December 18 to coincide with Qatar National Day.

“This means that now we really are a satellite operator, providing services to customers and looking after their day-to-

With its own bird in the sky, Es’hailSat has become a “real satellite operator”. Adrienne Harebottle looks at how the Qatari company is keenly pushing ahead with its fleet expansion plans, and how these advancements will enable self-reliance and sustainability

QATAR COMES INTO ITS OWN

day needs. It’s the foundation on which we can build our satellite fleet and our company to be a major player, first in the region and then potentially globally,” explains Al Kuwari.

Es’hail 1/EUTELSAT 25B was designed to serve broadcasters, businesses and public agencies in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia via capacity in the Ku and Ka bands. It was designed and manufactured by Space Systems/Loral (SSL) for the two satellite operators. To date, Es’hailSat has seen strong and steady demand for capacity, says Al Kuwari, pointing to HD broadcast as a major driver of this robust uptake.

“I am very happy to say that Es’hail 1 is already almost completely sold out, with Al Jazeera taking a significant part of the capacity for HD broadcast of its premium sports and news channels. This is one of the reasons that we’re pushing ahead with Es’hail 2 so quickly.

“Our two satellites Es’hail 1 and Es’hail 2 will primarily be TV broadcasting satellites operated at the 25.5 degrees East and 26 degrees East TV broadcasting hotspots. Although, they will both carry out a number of other missions as well.”

10-17 Sat_Qatar_APR14_Edited.indd 10 3/30/14 10:14 AM


Fleet expansion plansEs’hailSat has just released a request for proposal for Es’hail 2, the second satellite. In order to keep up high-quality delivery of services, the company needs to work towards a larger fleet, says Al Kuwari, adding that 2014 will be a busy year for Es’hailSat. Not only will the satellite operator be progressing with its development plans, but it will also be playing a significant role in boosting the state’s home-grown manpower capabilities, by providing its Qatari employees with further technological know-how and experience.

After partnering with Eutelsat for its first satellite, Es’hailSat is now ready to take on an autonomous role for its second satellite.

“It’s probably fair to say that before 2010, no Qataris had ever worked in the satellite operator sector, so there wasn’t a pool of experienced people we could recruit to run the [Es’hail 1] project. Consequently, the quickest way to get into service was to partner with an established satellite operator who could help us with the procurement process. Our first satellite is like an apartment block, with various apartments owned by different people but sharing the same location and the same physical structure. We call our part of the satellite Es’hail 1 and Eutelsat calls their slightly smaller part EUTELSAT 25B.

“As well as procuring the Es’hail 2 satellite, the launch and the launch

The Es’hail 1 satellite going through the compact antenna test range (CATR) process in

preparation for its lift-off on August 29, 2013

“[The commercial service of Es’hail 1] is the foundation on which we can build our satellite fleet and our company to be a major player, first in the region and then potentially globally”ALI AL KUWARI, CEO of Es’hailSat


MENA NETS FZE

Building Jafza 15, Unit 15-419, Jebel Ali Free Zone, POB 261670, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Office: +971-4-887 6606, Fax: +971-4-8876605

Email: [email protected]

www.menanets.com

System Integrators and Ground Operators Regional Resellers and Authorized Distributors

Installation, Maintenance, Training and TurnkeyVoice - Video - Data - Internet - GSM Backhaul - Broadcast

Mena nets provides 4 activities to the Mena region:i. System integration where we design and provide solutions over satelliteii. Supply hardware as resellers and authorized distributors of many manufacturers like ASC Signal, Skyware Global, Cobham, Xicom/Comtech, Anacom, Codan/CPI, NJR, SMW, iDirect, Thomson, etc.iii. Ground operations which includes installation, technical support, maintenance repairs, etciv. Training and consulting such as the GVF HOST.

these 4 activities are delivered through 6 product lines:i. Earth station antennae (3.5 meter to 9.4 meter) from ASC Signalii. VSAT antennae (75 cm to 2.4 meter) form Skyware Globaliii. Mobile satcom (on the move and on the pause) from Cobhamiv. Outdoor electronics: TWTs, BUCs, LNBs, Feeds, etc from Xicom/Comtech, NJR, Anacom, Codan/CPI, SMW, etcv. Indoor electronics: broadcast encoders, decoders, multiplexers, video servers, power supplies, combiners, splitters, routers, satellite modems, redundancy con-trollers etc from Thomson, Paradise/Teledyne, iDirect hubs/modems and others.vi. Installation, maintenance, support, logistics and training (GVF) and turnkey solutions involving system integration of all activities and prod-uct lines to provide customers with a complete end-to-end product. The objective is simple: meets customer needs with the latest technologies at the best price/quality mix delivered through experience.

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insurance ourselves, we will need to build the satellite control centre at a dedicated site north of Doha. The satellite will be flown from there by our own Qatari staff, and the same facility will be used to transmit TV channels and other traffic to the satellite, again managed by our own Qatari staff. This is a key part of our vision to provide a secure, independent satellite system to meet the needs of Qatari stakeholders and others in the future.”

Es’hailSat has been satiating its appetite for knowledge in every way possible, explains Al Kuwari. The operator is committed to raising a team of diligent employees with keen expertise. Its plan is to set the path for the company’s future leaders.

The company has been involved in student sponsorship plans, which see Qatari scholars with interests in engineering go on to attain training from a reputable university with strong ties to satellite communications, says Al Kuwari.

“When we started out there wasn’t a pool of experienced people that we could employ, so we had to build a team from scratch. If there are few Qataris with experience in the satellite operator sector, then we have to train and develop them ourselves, and we use every opportunity.

“Four of our young graduate engineers were based at SSL and followed our satellite through every stage of the production process, actively participating wherever possible. They also followed a dedicated training course in the wider aspects of satellite communications and had the opportunity whilst living in California to visit NASA and other US institutions. Now that they’re back in Doha and fully integrated within our company, they’ve brought their attained skills to our new projects. Such was the success of this programme that we plan to repeat this on our second satellite procurement.

“Additionally, we’ve sponsored a number of Qatari school leavers who planned to go on to engineering degrees to attend a very specific course at Surrey University in the United Kingdom. Surrey University has a strong heritage in satellite communications and offers engineering degree courses specifically in satellite communications.



ES’HAIL 1 IN THE SPOTLIGHTSpace Systems/Loral (SSL) designed and manufactured the Es’hail 1/EUTELSAT 25B satellite, which is jointly owned by Qatari satellite operator Es’hailSat and international operator Eutelsat. John Celli, President of SSL, highlights the satellite’s technical capabilities and discusses the beneficial tie-up between the organisations

Es’hail 1/ EUTELSAT 25B is a very advanced satellite with its own tailored requirements, says John Celli, President of SSL. There were more than a million man-hours that went into building and testing the satellite, he says.

“Because satellites are expected to provide service in orbit for 15 years or more at 36,000km above the equator, they require many months of very careful testing before they are launched. But for us, this is standard procedure,” says Celli.

“SSL has been building satellites for more than 50 years and we specialise in large, complex multi-mission satellites, such as Es’hail 1/EUTELSAT 25B. There are 74 SSL-built satellites providing service in orbit today and last summer, we reached the milestone of 2,000 satellite years in orbit.”

Es’hail 1/EUTELSAT 25B has both Ku- and Ka-band payloads as well as four spot beam antennas and four deployable reflectors, adds Celli.

“It is a complex and highly sophisticated satellite and features SSL’s most advanced command and telemetry capabilities. It is based on the highly reliable SSL 1300 platform, which provides the flexibility to support a broad range of applications and technology advances.”

While the satellite’s Ku band will be used mostly for video services, its Ka-band capacity will open new business opportunities for both Eutelsat and Es’hailSat, explains Celli, adding that the building of the satellite presented an internship opportunity for Es’hailSat engineers.

“The spacecraft’s multi-mission architecture enables both companies to respond to demand for the fastest-growing applications in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia, including professional video exchange, enterprise communications and government services.

“In addition to building Es’hail 1, SSL provided an intensive satellite engineering internship and helped train four engineers to become the Qatar’s first satellite operator engineers. The interns graduated from the rigorous training programme in 2013 after spending two years at our manufacturing facility in Palo Alto, California. Under SSL’s guidance, they followed the Es’hail 1 satellite through design, manufacture, test and launch. Now these young engineers bring hands-on experience and expertise to their roles which will benefit Es’hailSat and Qatar for many years to come,” says Celli.


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For many years, it hosted the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) summer school on satellite communications – IET is the largest multidisciplinary professional engineering institution in the world and their summer school is highly respected.

“Surrey University also builds small satellites and has spun-out their satellite manufacturing activities into a separate company, Surrey Satellite Technology Limited, which is a respected provider of small satellites with customers around the world. So we also look forward to these young Qataris returning to Qatar and taking up positions with Es’hailSat.

“These steps are part of our wider programme to develop our future leaders. We need to ensure not only that we have highly qualified and motivated staff to support our business today, but that in the future, when I’m enjoying my retirement, it will be a Qatari with many years’ experience who will be sitting in my office. But hopefully my retirement is not quite ready yet.”

Al Kuwari explains that having expertise in satellite operations is important to the state, while experience and know-how in space technology is a highly niche specialisation, something that only a handful of companies around the world have. Having satellite ownership and operational experience plays a vital role to greater self-reliance and, therefore, sustainability, he says.

“Space technology and the ability to build a satellite come from just a handful of companies globally, led by established businesses in Europe and the United States. Other countries including Russia, China, Japan and India have capabilities as well, which is good for competition. It’s similar to the motor industry; we don’t need to design and build cars here in Qatar in order to have and drive cars. Nor do we need to design and build satellites ourselves if there are other established companies who can do that better or more cheaply.

“The important part is to own and operate the satellite, so that we can provide independent, high-quality services to broadcasters and other stakeholders in Qatar, the MENA region and beyond. And that’s the area where we have already built the capability and self-reliance.

“Launching a satellite takes a lot of effort. I’m proud of the work that our staff has put in and the capabilities that have been built-up in our organisation. Launching a satellite is a long job; even once the preparatory work is done, it takes three years from placing a contract to having a satellite in orbit. The moment of launch is a significant milestone, not only because it marks the moment when the dream becomes a reality, but also because it means that one of the major risks – the launch itself – is behind us.” PRO

A photo of Es’hail 1, the Qatar Satellite Company’s first bird, taken before it was launched on August 29, 2013

“If there are few Qataris with experience in the satellite operator sector, then we have to train and develop them ourselves, and we use every opportunity”ALI AL KUWARI, CEO of Es’hailSat



SatBroadband

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Emerging markets in Africa and the Middle East, for example, endure the challenge of having communities spread out into very remote locations. Often, the distances between these groups of people are extensive while the terrain can also be rugged and difficult to travel. Adding to this is the lack of connectivity; these typically fibre-free areas are usually either underserved or unserved altogether.

This situation poses a major obstacle for students living in these more isolated areas, who want access to broader education. While educational institutions in larger, developed cities provide an ample range of courses and subjects, those based in remote locations cannot feasibly access these. Satellite internet, therefore, can play a major role in enabling quality access to academic resources, research and development tools, says Masood M. Sharif Mahmood, CEO of Yahsat.

With this in mind, and in a bid to support local and regional development, the Abu Dhabi-based satellite operator launched YahClick, a broadband satellite internet service. Connecting users across the Middle East, Africa, and Central and South West Asia, YahClick was launched in September

The YahClick service received strong uptake from users across numerous market verticals, and within one year from launch, around 30,000 terminals were deployed. SatellitePro talks to Masood M. Sharif Mahmood, Yahsat’s CEO, about the role the service has played in connecting Africa, the Middle East, and Central and South West Asia

EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES

2012. Not only does it virtually place rural students in urban classrooms, but it enables remote-based businesses to have a place in the booming digital world, adds Mahmood.

“The YahClick service was designed with a specific mission in mind: to provide high-speed, reliable internet connectivity to individuals, companies, communities and countries, no matter how challenging or demanding the environment,” he says.

YahClick can bolster the current development seen in the Middle East and Central and South West Asia regions, which are undergoing a period of sustained economic growth, explains Mahmood. Within these regions, there is also a strong focus on helping the creation of a knowledge-based economy through enhanced access to education, research and collaboration tools, he says, adding that these are all driving forces of economic success. However, investment needed in infrastructure can be a burden and has the potential to slow development.

“Yahsat believes that satellite internet broadband provides a viable way to empower communities and governments lacking traditional infrastructure. Unlike terrestrial internet, satellite broadband



is easy to roll-out since the initial CAPEX-intensive investment has been made and is significantly more reliable with high uptime availability compared to some terrestrial internet services. Additionally, satellite internet is not bound by geography, meaning urban, rural and remote areas can enjoy equally reliable access.”

The company has ensured flexibility with its offerings so that a broader range of users can be accommodated, while various budgets can be met, says Mahmood. This means the service can be used for an array of applications spanning education and the environment, with just about everything else in between.

“With high-speed services of up to 15Mbps and cost-effective service offerings starting from as low as USD 20, satellite solutions can also be tailored to suit a variety of audiences and individual needs. Since service launch in 2012, YahClick has provided multiple examples of connectivity in remote locations to benefit various communities, government entities and businesses large and small.

“For example, in the UAE, Yahsat installed two YahClick terminals in the workers’ village based on Sir Bani Yas Island, a protected wildlife reserve just off the Abu Dhabi mainland. The initiative provided

individuals working on the remote island with much-needed connectivity to family, friends and the wider community at a speed of 5Mbps and 10Mbps. Prior to YahClick’s deployment, the island didn’t enjoy broadband connectivity, and internet access was limited to basic dial-up access, limiting worker interaction with the community at large.

“Education is a tool that everyone should be equipped with and YahClick is making this possible across multiple regions. The service has been accepted as part of education programmes in three countries across the region, where institutions have realised that YahClick can help deliver education solutions to a wider audience.

“In Kenya, YahClick has enabled students and teachers to connect with individuals based in the United States, empowering them to further their education system by providing access to a wider range of skills and content. This is a prime example of how the ICT sector can help provide better access to education, in turn helping communities grow and develop. For a country to be increasingly competitive in today’s global economy, it must improve their education system; satellite broadband internet helps provide these opportunities.”

SecurityThe service proved its reliability and practicability during Nairobi’s security turmoil in September 2013, when it was used by the BBC for live transmission of the hostage situation. The Westgate Shopping Centre was sieged by a group of armed insurgents, who took a number of shoppers hostage. The attack resulted in the deaths of dozens of civilians of various nationalities.

“The BBC required speedy, live transmission throughout the crisis and requested YahClick to be installed onsite outside the shopping centre. The connection enabled the BBC to keep Kenya as well as the whole world updated on the situation, and report live from the site without needing to return to an office to send the footage,” says Mahmood.

The police force in South Africa is also using YahClick in the fight against traffic crimes, explains Mahmood.

“Satellite broadband is easy to roll-out since the initial CAPEX-intensive investment has been made and it’s significantly more reliable with high uptime availability compared to some terrestrial internet services”MASOOD M. SHARIF MAHMOOD, CEO of Yahsat

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“Consider Nigeria for instance. It is common for cellular users to have four handsets, each on a different network, seeking a reliable connection. Add data or broadband internet access to these GSM networks, and the experience becomes even more exasperating”

“YahClick now enables traffic wardens to set-up monitoring stations across the country, even in remote locations. The traffic department can now deploy mobile traffic management services and applications across the country, where fingerprint scanning as an identification technique can be used on offenders. Previously, the traffic department found it difficult to deliver the mobile service via GSM/3G technology due to unreliable connection in remote areas.”

Additionally, various governments across the Middle East are utilising YahClick to deliver connectivity across the country.

“For example, in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development and the Ministry of Education are utilising YahClick in more than 45 locations and 100 connections across the country, allowing

them to implement consumer-friendly, reliable and, most importantly, affordable broadband solutions.

“With such strong and imminent access to the broadband arena, students and colleagues alike are provided with a platform to remain aware in the challenging and ever-changing global business world. YahClick provides growing and sustainable networking opportunities for both educational and business enterprises.”

Also in Afghanistan, international organisations such as the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are utilising YahClick in their offices so that employees can connect with counterparts and teams in remote locations. YahClick provides UNOPS and UNDP the reliable and secure connection they need out in the remote and mountainous regions of Afghanistan, says Mahmood.

Happy at home Vox Telecom, a YahClick service partner, has rolled out YahClick in South Africa to reach business as well as home subscribers. In Limpopo, the country’s northernmost province, weak and inconsistent dial-up connections have been replaced, says Mahmood. Now, the unreachable are reachable, he says, adding that subscribers can download large amounts of data without disruption, while having access to video and teleconferencing capabilities for the first time.

“YahClick is enabling remote households to cost effectively communicate with their families all over the world. It also allows businesses to connect more efficiently

through faster access to the internet and email and the use of video conferencing, all without the need to wait for actual infrastructure which could be costly and time consuming to implement.

“YahClick is fast becoming a sought-after solution, especially across the African continent,” says Mahsood, pointing to the congestion straining cellular network users, who face coverage face interruptions, downtime or slow speeds.

“Consider Nigeria for instance. It is common for cellular users to have four handsets, each on a different network, seeking a reliable connection. This can become very frustrating. Add data or broadband internet access to these GSM networks, and the experience becomes even more exasperating. This is where YahClick fits the profile to provide reliable and high-speed connection in unserved and underserved areas.”

Demand for satellite solutionsWith approximately 30,000 YahClick terminals on the ground within the first year since launch, Yahsat attributes the successful deployment in key markets to the increased need for satellite internet solutions in the region. According to the satellite operator, this increased demand is from numerous market verticals, saying that early subscribers to YahClick include a mix of energy, construction, agri-based verticals, SME, education and individual users needing a more reliable internet connection delivered with higher speeds.

“Since launch, YahClick has been rolled out in 12 countries, namely Angola, South Africa, Tanzania, Afghanistan, Yemen, South Sudan, Iraq, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Turkey and the UAE, with YahClick set to be fully operational in most of its coverage area throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Central and South West Asia in 2014.

“Through the development of the satellite communication industry, emerging economies will reap huge benefits. From individual users, corporations, governments, healthcare and the public sector, enhanced connectivity means communities can evolve in their own right and become a driving force in their nation’s future,” says Mahmood. PRO

YahClick’s eye in the skyThe YahClick service is delivered via Y1B, Yahsat’s second satellite, which will provide connectivity to the region over the next 15 years.

Y1B is, reportedly, the first satellite in the region to offer internet connectivity through Ka-band, multi-spot beams. According to its operator, it has wider reach while offering reduced costs due to the use of smaller antennae.


T: +971 44529993F: +97144584662

Grosvenor Business Tower / Tecom | Dubai/ U.A.E.

[email protected]

Fix & Mobile SatelliteService Provider

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BROADCASTING

BroadbandINTERNET via Satellite

MVSAT

Satellite Segment

New TV hotspot over the region

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SatEvent

Ahmed Hassan,Wiseband CEO

Bilal El Hamoui, Vice-President of Distribution at Thuraya

Claudia Vaccarone, Head of Market Research and Customer Experience at Eutelsat

Jean-Philippe Gillet,Vice-President of EMEA at Intelsat

Mohamed Sadek, O3b Network’s Managing Director for the Middle East and Central Asia

Safia Rana, Head of Sales and Marketing at ViewSat

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CABSAT 2014 showed that content is king. This year’s edition brought together more than 900 exhibitors, who showcased the biggest brands and latest technology. In addition to the impressive showcase, the event’s conferences provided valuable discussions and seminars on the leading trends and pulses of the industry. One of the head-turning highlights was the session with British film editor Mark Sanger, who won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing for his work on Gravity. With compelling new features and more than 76 hours of content, CABSAT 2014 proved again why it’s touted as the primary content management and technology event in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.

Having expanded over eight halls this year, the line-up of exhibitors included a generous range of nationalities. Satellite Pro caught up with an array of regional and international industry players to discover their views on the country pavilions, product offerings and how CABSAT 2014 met their expectations.

By gathering the key decision-making executives from across the Middle East and Africa, CABSAT was an efficient and concentrated platform for networking, says

This year’s show was a busy event, with myriad exhibits and exciting unveilings. Speaking to a host of regional and international industry players who attended CABSAT 2014 revealed the event’s success and the strong pull that the African market has

CONVERSATIONS AT CABSAT

Claudia Vaccarone, Head of Market Research and Customer Experience at Eutelsat. The event provided an opportunity for the international satellite operator to deepen its knowledge of the trends that are shaping markets for broadcasting and broadband services, she says.

“In terms of range and quality of visitors, the show surpassed our expectations. Prior to the show, we put a lot of effort into advising participants on what we would be showing, giving them ample opportunity to schedule a meeting with the appropriate Eutelsat experts in Dubai, with a particular emphasis on upcoming satellites and on innovation,” says Vaccarone.

“The show is a must-attend venue for companies and agencies operating in the Middle East and is progressively attracting visitors from across Africa. We look forward to seeing a continuing upward trend of attendance from Africa.”

During CABSAT, Eutelsat unveiled a new consumer solution for broadcast and IP-based services that combines satellite and mobile networks for a low-cost and easy to implement suite of digital services. The satellite operator also revealed the results of its new in-depth survey on TV reception



“Our exhibit outside brilliantly demonstrated our SOTM solutions – even someone at a coffee shop nearby was able to connect to the WiFi and make a Skype call with video. We managed to get more than 20 serious leads for our services”AHMED HASSAN, CEO of Wiseband

modes and trends across the Middle East and North Africa.

“The survey’s three main messages we presented are that satellite reception continues to grow, accounting today for nine out of ten TV homes, the Eutelsat-Nilesat 7/8 degrees West neighbourhood is confirmed as the first choice for multi-channel viewing with an audience of 51.5 million homes, and that HDTV is rapidly gaining traction with one third of TV homes now equipped,” says Vaccarone.

“Cabsat was also a prime opportunity for us to display our latest innovations and technology solutions for the broadcast and broadband industry. They include the ‘smart LNB’, a low-cost device that bundles direct-to-home reception of TV channels with a narrowband satellite return channel for short transmissions of IP packets. Leveraging its ability to provide a return link for digital rights management, a live demo showed for the first time how encrypted content can be securely viewed in the home on fixed and mobile screens, enabling users beyond terrestrial networks to have a full connected TV experience by satellite.”

Bilal El Hamoui, Vice-President of

Distribution at Thuraya, echoed the event’s ability to attract key industry players, offering a single platform to meet satellites users from numerous vertical markets. While it proved to be an ideal venue to meet the company’s service partners as well as industry colleagues and customers, the line-up of attendees would be even better, says Bilal, if CABSAT didn’t clash with Satellite 2014, which took place in Washington DC during the same time.

“CABSAT has always been a key event that attracts a broad range of satellite users from across the Middle East region. It brings together a mix of satellite systems integrators, broadcasters and other enterprise users of satellite services. But it was unfortunate that this year’s event conflicted with the Satellite 2014 show in Washington, as this resulted in many senior-level executives being unable to attend CABSAT. Hopefully this will change for next year,” he says.

At CABSAT, Thuraya announced its partnership with Talia, a UK-based provider of satellite data communications and voice services in the Middle East and Africa.

“Talia has a strong customer base across the MEA region and in a variety of market sectors, including oil and gas. Talia’s customers will now have access to Thuraya’s portfolio of mobile satellite products and solutions, which will further complement their existing VSAT services. We are well-positioned to offer VSAT back-up solutions with our Thuraya IP+ or broadband terminals with flexible rate plans for high or low volume usage,” says El Hamoui.

Wiseband CEO Ahmed Hassan received a very strong response to the live demonstration of satcoms-on-the-move (SOTM), he says. Wiseband has partnered with Saudi-based service provider ICCES and during CABSAT, the companies placed a vehicle outside which provided undisrupted, high-speed, low-latency connectivity.

“CABSAT definitely met our expectations. Our exhibit outside brilliantly demonstrated our SOTM solutions – even someone sitting in a coffee shop nearby was able to connect to the WiFi and make a Skype call with video. We managed to get more than 20 serious leads for our services and products.

“We were happy with the range and

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level of CABSAT visitors; all of them are professionals from the broadcast and VSAT markets, and from departments in big organisations within the Middle East,” explains Hassan.

For ViewSat, a specialist in free-to-air satellite TV and playout services, exhibiting at CABSAT was also beneficial. According to Safia Rana, the company’s Head of Sales and Marketing, the event not only provided a sound opportunity to meet industry players, but to discover the latest in innovation.

“As ever, CABSAT was a really great event for us. We were able to meet with a range of relevant contacts, including multiple new and established customers, all whilst keeping up to date with the most exciting business and technological advancements in our industry,” says Rana.

While ViewSat was able to establish new relations with “valuable contacts” from the Middle East and Africa, the company would like to see more visitors and exhibitors from Africa, says Rana.

“We are still in the initial stages of any new partnerships but we’ve gained a range of valuable contacts from the MENA region and two strong leads from Africa during the event. Generally, the standard of visitors was high, but we would always like to see more African channels and customers attending the event.”

Calling for visitors from Central Asia, O3b’s Mohamed Sadek says that CABSAT did more than meet his expectations.

“CABSAT not only met my expectations but exceeded them. We met all our customers and partners, and in addition, we got many new leads,” says O3b Network’s

Managing Director for the Middle East and Central Asia.

“While we were very happy, it would have been even greater to see more from visitors and exhibitors from Central Asia. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan; these countries are covered by O3b from our office in the UAE,” says Sadek.

Intelsat used the event to raise greater awareness of Epic, its next generation satellite. According to Jean-Philippe Gillet, the satellite operator’s Vice-President for EMEA, this year’s edition proved successful.

“We are very pleased to have attended CABSAT. It’s a great place for us to meet our customers from the Middle East and North Africa. This year, we really focused on our next-generation satellite, Epic, which provides high-throughput in the Ku and C bands. The first satellite, called the IS33, to be launched over the region will be in 2016. We are demonstrating to our customers the ability for this satellite to provide more throughput and cover a wide range of services both for networks and media,” says Gillet.

Visitors from Africa held significant allure for SES, explains Stéphane Goebel, Vice-President of Global Sales and Head of Sales for Africa and the Middle East at SES. CABSAT is a crucial event to attend, he says, as its offers prospects from numerous markets, but most significantly from Africa.

“We were at CABSAT not just because it’s a regional topic, but because, clearly, it’s an international show. Prospects from around the world are present, but most specifically from Africa, hence it’s a very important show,” says Goebel. PRO



SatEvents

Content Delivery HubShowing how to deliver content anytime, anywhere, this new zone focused on multiscreen streamed and consumed content platforms and solutions. With turnkey pod exhibitions and an open-air presentation theatre, international solution providers showcased the technologies that facilitate the delivery of content in over-the-top formats to connected devices over IP networks.

It proved to be an ideal platform to support the wide emergence of digital broadcasting, says Andrew Pert, CABSAT’s Show Director. He adds that this new feature attracted 24 regional and international exhibitors, and while it earned itself a very positive response from attendees, he expects to see an even bigger turnout next year.

“On the back of universally positive feedback to this year’s first Content Delivery Hub feature, we anticipate trebling the number of exhibiting companies at next year’s zone, which will roll-out across a dedicated hall,” says Pert.

Global Meetings Programme The idea was to provide a one-to-one matchmaking programme that enabled exhibitors and pre-registered visitors to maximise their participation at CABSAT. Fully realised, the programme facilitated more than 400 pre-arranged, high-level meetings, proving to be a successful mechanism for users to target a senior community of industry players.

The programme included access to the online business matchmaking tool and up to three pre-scheduled 25-minute meetings. To offer a bespoke service, the programme also provided a personalised call from the matchmaking organising team in order to accommodate exact meeting requirements.

The programme’s lounge was conveniently located on the exhibition floor, giving access to a networking lounge and private meeting areas. PRO

It’s all about the contentDuring the three-day event, 76 hours of tailored show content was delivered

• 20 hours on the CABSAT conference in partnership with the NAB Show and CABSAT Connect

• 18 hours and 20 minutes from the Content Delivery Hub

• 6 hours and 40 minutes from the Filmi Seminars

• 8 hours from the Global VSAT Forum summit

• 23 hours form the Global Meetings Programme

Content Studio Hub This new feature was presented by CABSAT and Oasis Enterprises to provide live feeds, social media updates and on-site interviews with international and global conference speakers, exhibitors and attendees. All the content was streamed throughout the three-day show via CABSAT TV, the new mechanism designed to promote all on-site content.

Oasis Enterprises provided Cabsat TV with AV and lighting equipment. Media interviews were filmed using the JVC cameras JVC GY-HM790E and GY-HM750E, a combination that was very well suited for the occasion, explains Basel Al Aref, GM at Oasis Enterprises.

“The GY-HM790’s design offers flexibility for studio applications, and as it can be used as a shoulder-mount camcorder, it delivers outstanding ENG and sports production performance,” says Al Aref.

“The GY-HM750E offers the industry’s fastest shoot-to-edit workflow by recording native HD or SD footage in ready-to-edit file formats on low-cost SDHC memory cards.”

It is the biggest content management and technology event in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, and this year, for its 20th edition, CABSAT proved once again why it remains a must-attend extravaganza. Going above and beyond, the show hiked up its appeal even further, adding these new features to its renowned agenda

FINE FEATURES

Andrew Pert, Show Director of CABSAT

Basel Al Aref, General Manager at Oasis Enterprises

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SatBroadcast Analysis

Middle East satellite pay-TV subscriptions are set to increase to 18.8 million by the end of 2017, says Arab Advisors Group, a provider of research, analysis and forecasts of Arab communications, media and technology markets. In the recent report, the group’s analysts also project that total market revenues will hit USD 2.5 billion.

This steady-paced, double-digit growth forecast is based on analyses on five satellite pay-tv providers in the MENA region, namely OSN, beIN Sports (formerly known as Al-Jazeera Sports), Abu Dhabi Sports, Al-Majd and MyHD.

“The Arab Advisors Group expects the pay-TV market to continue to have steady-paced growth for the years from 2014 to 2017. [We] project pay-TV’s total market subscriber base to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12%, totalling 18.8 million subscribers by end of 2017. We estimate total market revenues to grow at a CAGR of 11%, totalling USD 2.5 billion,” says Mai Al-Zeir, Arab Advisors Group’s Senior Research Analyst.

Diversity of content is a main driver behind this projected growth, explains Al-Zeir. Fuelled by the traits of our digital world, where consumers not only want but increasingly expect content anytime,

Subscriptions are set to grow at a double-digit rate to reach 18.8 million and fetch USD2.5 billion by 2017, say the experts. Adrienne Harebottle finds out how this market fares against the free-to-air giant dominating the arena

MIDDLE EAST PAY-TV ISON THE RISE

anywhere, viewers want a generous range of content choices. This, adds Al-Zeir, is in addition to pay-TV’s other pull factors including HDTV, catch-up TV and video-on-demand. All these features are transforming the TV viewing experience, says Al-Zeir, adding that localised and regionalised content is another significant factor. Pay-TV is favourable as it provides channels in various languages, including Tagalog, Spanish and Hindi, and this seems less prevalent on free-to-air (FTA) channels, explains Al-Zeir.

The features of pay-TV enable customised viewing that can be tailored to suite certain patterns, and while this has led to strong interest, most of the MENA region is still presently watching FTA channels, adds Al-Zeir.

What is also significant here is the chosen delivery mode – viewers are watching via satellite, and growth in satellite reception is expected to continue. According to an extensive survey conducted by Eutelsat, 92% of TV homes were equipped for satellite in 2013, a significant increase from 2010, which had 67%. As HD is gaining strong traction, expected to be followed by 4K, satellite will see sustained growth in the region, says Michel de Rosen, Eutelsat Chairman and CEO.

“The Arab Advisors Group expects pay-TV’s total market subscriber base to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 12%, totalling 18.8 million subscribers by end of 2017. We estimate total market revenues to grow at 11%, totalling USD 2.5 billion” MAI AL-ZEIR, Arab Advisors Group’s Senior Research Analyst

Michel de Rosen, Chairman and CEO, Eutelsat

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“Our new survey confirms the exceptional dynamics of the video market in the Middle East and North Africa and the key role played by satellites that now reach into more than nine out of ten homes in the region. This result reflects longstanding partnerships between Eutelsat, Gulfsat, Nilesat, Noorsat, Viewsat and anchor media groups, including Al Jazeera, MBC and OSN that are experiencing strong commercial success and are well placed for further expansion in the region.

“The survey also confirms the leadership of the Eutelsat-Nilesat 7/8 West neighbourhood whose audience of more than 50 million homes can receive an unequalled line-up of 1,050 Arabic and international channels. Going forward, we believe that the move to higher quality afforded by HD and, for the future, 4K will further consolidate satellite as a core infrastructure in the region,” says de Rosen

Survey findings According to the survey, which is the most extensive study conducted to date, MENA

satellite TV continues to expand, with satellite being the first choice for multi-channel viewing. Out of a population base of 77.1 million TV homes across 15 countries, more than 92% favour satellite reception for pay-TV FTA viewing.

The number of homes receiving analogue terrestrial TV slumped from 18.2 million in 2010 to 4.1 million in 2013, confirming satellite as the most popular route to digital switchover. IPTV has gained some ground in the Gulf with 0.7 million households exclusively IPTV-equipped.

The Eutelsat-Nilesat 7/8 degrees West neighbourhood has further anchored its leading position, with an audience of 51.5 million homes. On a like for like basis, 63% growth was recorded in the 10 countries included in the 2010 and 2013 studies. Viewer attraction to the 7/8 degrees West neighbourhood is driven by a strong channel line-up, which grew by 50% over the period to 1,050 Arabic and international channels. Excluding Iran, where Eutelsat’s HOT BIRD satellites are the primary video neighbourhood, the Eutelsat-Nilesat 7/8

degrees West position enjoys an average penetration rate of over 90% of MENA satellite homes.

The number of homes equipped with an HD Ready or Full HD display has crossed 20 million, accounting for 29% of TV homes in the region. Penetration of HD consumer equipment in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Jordan is above 50%. Of the 41.3 million homes not equipped for HDTV, 50% intend to buy an HD display within the next 12 months.

FTA remains by far the most widespread reception mode across the region, accounting for 94% of satellite homes in 2013, up from 90% in 2010.

The MENA region is an FTA market, says Al-Zeir, but pay-TV has room for growth and with this, new operators will likely join the arena. Actions to tackle piracy, which eats away the revenues of both satellite operators and broadcasters, will help secure pay-TV’s strongly expanding position in the market. While technological changes will serve as a catalyst in pay-TV expansion, the entry of new players will change the dynamics of the market in the region, says Al-Zeir. PRO

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SatEvents

Showcasing leading technology and addressing industry pulses through debate, these are some of the events that should not be missed

SAVE THE DATE

Providing a networking opportunity, the event is an essential forum to discuss, debate and exchange knowledge that can increase communications and connectivity for military and security service mission planners.

International Satellite Navigation ForumWhen: April 23 to 24Location: Expocentre Fairgrounds in Moscow, RussiaThe eighth International Satellite Navigation Forum will be co-located with the International Exhibition for Navigation Systems, Technologies and Services (Navitech). Focusing on the commercial use of satellite navigation technologies and the Russian navigation system GLONASS, this annual event will cover in-vehicle navigation and information systems; navigation technologies for land development, survey, design and construction; automotive and personal navigation, equipment and LBS services; and professional navigation equipment, modules and components.

SatCom 2014 AfricaDate: May 19 to 21Location: Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South AfricaSatCom Africa is a paramount platform for

thought leaders and innovators to showcase their solutions to Africa’s satellite, telecoms and broadcast community. The exhibition will highlight some of the continent’s most innovative solutions while providing an ideal opportunity for customers to evaluate, buy and ultimately improve their business.

The coinciding conference is the place for Africa’s satellite and telecommunications community to discuss capacity and connectivity challenges and opportunities. The event will also host free conferences to ensure that attendees can gain know-how and understanding to improve their business in 2014.

CommunicAsia 2014Date: June 17 to 20Location: Marina Bay Sands, SingaporeRecognised by industry professionals as a must-attend event, CommunicAsia will address the entire information and communications technology ecosystem, covering all points from 4G/LTE, AR and innovations, content security management, FTTx, mobile apps, mobile broadband, RF and cables, and telecom systems. Coinciding the event, will be SatComm2014, a satellite-related event that provides a special platform to address the various trends and pulses of the industry.

See ourspecial NAB technology showcase

on p34

NAB 2014Date: April 5 to 10Location: Las Vegas Convention Center, Nevada, United statesThe NAB Show is the largest electronic media event in the world. It covers filmed entertainment and the development, management and delivery of content across all mediums. Touted as a never-to-be missed show, it attracts more than 93,000 attendees from 156 countries and boasts more than 1,550 exhibitors. Providing one of the best platforms for digital media and entertainment, NAB will showcase the leading solutions that transcend broadcasting limitations to deliver content to new devices in innovative ways.

MilSatCom Middle EastDate: April 6Location: St Regis hotel, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, UAEThe crucial aspects that define the future of military communication via satellites are being addressed through three sessions at this year’s Milsatcom Middle East. It is one of the foremost military events and brings together regional commanders from all sections of the defence and security forces, departments of interior, national security agencies and other government entities.

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www.absatellite.comwww.absatellite.com

In OperationIn Operation

Up to 89 transponders on C, Ku and Ka-Band, ABS-2 will deliver increased

capacity to the Middle East, Africa, Asia Paci�c and CIS countries.

Contact ABS for more information at: [email protected]


SatTech

SOLUTIONS

SPECTACLE NAB is famous for many things: valuable sessions, conferences and workshops, numerous

attractions and specialist-focused areas, and all the fun and hype that goes hand in hand with arguably the most important industry event in the world. But don’t forget about the solutions

showcase – with a plethora of the planet’s great innovators attending this year’s show, you can expect a celebration of head-turning technology. Satellite Pro pays homage to this innovation

with a product highlight section, listing some of the solutions on display at NAB 2014, running from April 5 to 10 at the Las Vegas Convention Centre in Nevada, the United States


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Deliver content around the globe

Globecast is showcasing its over-the-top (OTT) managed services, playout solutions and Globecast XN, a suite of solutions enabling quick delivery of content to new markets around the world.

OTT managed services: From content preparation to delivery, Globecast offers end-to-end solutions such as OTT Live, Live to VoD and VoD – including monetisation tools – to help broadcasters maximise their content.

Playout: Through a combination of global resources, cutting-edge facilities and expert staff located on five continents, Globecast delivers scalable playout solutions that align with broadcasters’ strategies and budgets. Globecast technical centres offer a range of tailored broadcast management services such as global media logistics, content management and regionalisation of content.

Globecast XN: Using the public internet, this solution can be quickly deployed in a short timeframe to deliver live channels to IPTV and OTT platforms, allow content providers to expand into new markets while limiting risk, reduce backup link costs, bring feeds from event sites to broadcasters, and quickly set up a last-mile solution where dedicated fibre is not available.

Smart synchronisation

Digigram has released a new network time protocol (NTP) feature for its IQOYA LINK, IQOYA LINK/LE, and IQOYA SERV/LINK IP audio codecs. This feature facilitates audio synchronisation via an NTP server, enabling a seamless audio experience for on-the-go listeners receiving signals from a series of different transmitters in a multiple-frequency FM network. It also resolves audio delay caused when adjacent transmitters receive signals from different sources, such as satellite and terrestrial IP links.

Each IQOYA unit can be upgraded via a simple firmware update to activate the optional NTP feature. The Digigram encoder can then make the associated decoder play out the audio at the same presentation time. Playback on the decoder can be delayed up to two seconds for unframed audio formats (PCM, Eapt-X) and six seconds for framed audio formats (MPEG layer 2 and 3, AAC). The smart synchronisation on the incoming IP audio stream ensures a constant delay between the decoder and the encoder.

Product debut: meet PackeTV

Visionary Solutions Inc (VSI) is launching PackeTV, a modular, end-to-end IP video network and asset management solution that enables secure, scheduled and on-demand delivery of live and recorded video for enterprise, entertainment, education, healthcare, IT and broadcast markets. It enables the easy and cost-effective delivery of high-quality HD and SD, MPEG-2/H.264 video content to TVs, set-top boxes, PCs, tablets, smartphones and other IP-connected devices across a wide range of networks including LAN, WAN, WiFi, cellular and public internet.

Through an intuitive, web-based user interface, administrators can dynamically create and manage video assets for distribution across any type of network. Video assets are fully protected via AES 256/128-bit encryption, and access can be controlled right down to the individual user and group level through seamless integration with Microsoft Active Directory.

Visit Globecast at

boothSU2706

Digigram is exhibiting at

boothC2849

Discover Visionary

Solutions at booth

SU8602


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It’s all in the management

Tedial is demonstrating its media asset management (MAM), hierarchical storage management, business process management, transcoding operations and media distribution. In addition to MAM, Tedial’s platform enables workflow orchestration, BPM, third-party storage and infrastructure control.

The company specialises in multi-site deployments including operations such as ingest, production, archive, post production, play-out, and distribution that are located at multiple sites. Tedial’s solutions are designed implementing IT and SMPTE standards for faster, higher feature-supporting integrations and longer life cycles, combining manual and automatic workflows.

Archimedia shows off enhanced playerArchimedia Technology is exhibiting its Master Player v1.7, the new version that boasts high-performance features, the ability to handle compressed audio and added support for more formats. It has extended support for the DPX format to the largest RGB, 16 bit and 4K sizes, and added support of Grass Valley’s GXF wrapper. Avid’s DNxHD format was already supported when wrapped in MXF, but now it’s also supported wrapped in Apple’s MOV, enabling a mix of operating systems in a single workflow.

Version 1.7 has performance enhancements to address UHD and 4K cinema in DPX, TIFF and JPEG2000, and can play these smoothly in real time without any impact on quality. A new pre-caching feature enables the player to open and read very large DPX and TIFF file sequences fast enough to present a smooth viewing experience.

Previous versions played only uncompressed master audio, however, v1.7 now plays formats with compressed audio such as AAC, AC3, MP2 and MP3.

Artel Video Systems, Embrionix up the flexibility Artel Video Systems has integrated the Embrionix SFP (emSFP) solution into its DigiLink media transport platform. Taking advantage of DigiLink’s external removable SFP and modular design, users have the flexibility to change, on-the-fly, from optical to a variety of electrical I/Os and converters SFPs available from Embrionix, including HD-BNCs, HDMI to SDI converters, SDI to HDMI converters, CVBS converters and MADI interfaces. This enables users to take advantage of Artel’s flexible, modular design and integrated routing to transport media over optical and IP networks in a simple platform.

A new approach to quality of experience At NAB, Bridge Technologies is focusing on Objective QoE, its solution for precision quality of experience monitoring. Objective QoE implements a new approach based on a range of criteria specific to digital media operations.

A key component of the system is that the VB288 delivers visual content extraction, status displays and alerts to a virtual videowall display that can be viewed through any web browser. Running on a standard high-specification server, the VB288 powers monitoring and analysis of large numbers of HD H.264 and H.265/HEVC channels. Is can display these in multiple browser windows, for instant verification of Objective QoE alerts generated by the system in addition to events generated through other Bridge Technologies products like the VBC Controller Server.

Discover Bridge

Technologies’solutions at booth

SU3106Visit Tedial at booth N5711

Archimedia is exhibiting at booth C2453H

Visit Artel Video

Systems at booth SU5902


www.CommunicAsia.com

The 25th International Communications and Information Technology Exhibition & Conference

www.goto-enterpriseIT.com

The 11th International Information Technology Exhibition & Conference for the Enterprise

Over 1,300 international exhibitors will be showcasing their latest innovative solutions at Asia’s largest info-communications technology event. Exciting events are line-up exclusively for you…

Register your visit to the exhibition at www.CommunicAsia.com/pre-registration before 6 June 2014!

17-20 June 2014 Basement 2, Level 1 & 3Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

Held concurrently with:Incorporating:Organised by: Worldwide Associate:

Scan QR Code for the list of exhibitors

Network & Source from leading international exhibitors Agilent Technologies, Benchmark Broadcast Systems, Enersys Power, Eltek Power, GlobeCast Asia, Hughes Network Systems, Irdeto, Kaonmedia, NovelSat, O3b Networks, Phicomm, RAD Data, REVE Systems, Tata Communications, Technicolor and many others.

Huge congregation of Satellite Companies from around the world

Learn about the latest satellite services / technologies from the impressive showcase of

exhibitors such as APT Satellite, Asia Broadcast Satellite, iDirect, Intelsat, KNS, MEASAT Global, SES, THAICOM Public Company and many others at Level 1.

Witness innovative products and solutions Entire ICT ecosystem from Cloud and Virtualisation, IPTV, Multi-Screen Technology, Over-The-Top (OTT), Satellite Communications and many others will be showcased on the exhibition floor.

CommunicAsia2014 Summit – Where the world of communications meet Gain insights from 200+ of the world’s brightest mind in communications technology who will be tackling key issues and sharing their case studies with you at CommunicAsia2014 Summit.

Myanmar Connect Sneak peek into the Myanmar’s ICT market from its leading data communication services provider at Myanmar Connect on the 18 June.

Scan the QR Code for more information.

Experience different levels of Connectivity with 3 thematic

clusters –

Exhibitors will be presenting interesting product demonstrations, new product / solution launches or thought-provoking presentations related to the NXT Clusters at Studio NXT.

CE14AdW207xH270.indd 1 19/3/14 5:06 PMAD_TEMPLATE.indd 1 3/26/14 10:14 AM


Providing HD channel support

Appear TV is introducing its High-Channel Density, Multi Format SD/HD Transcoder Module for its modular headend system. Developed for broadcast and IP networks, this hardware provides users with support for HD and SD channels. It performs any-to-any format transcodes, supporting four HD or up to 16 SD channels per module, as well as associated audio channels.

The modular nature of the Appear TV headend allows multiple transcoder modules to be operated from one 4RU XC5000 chassis, with the capacity to support 64 HD or up to 256 SD channels per frame. The module is part of Appear TV’s modular headend concept, which allows users to select from the different Appear TV modules covering the various distribution formats and processes to create a solution custom-tailored to their needs. In addition, all Appear TV modules can work with other third-party devices, making the integration with existing headend equipment seamless.

A new transmitter is born

WorldCast Systems is launching the Ecreso FM 250 W Transmitter, a compact, professional system designed for low-power FM broadcasting. It features a direct-to-channel digital modulator, ensuring a high-quality listening experience and reliability. A sixth-generation Mosfet in the integrated amplifier provides efficiency of up to 74%, enabling the broadcaster to minimise operational costs.

Other key functionality includes management by TCP/IP and SNMP, auto failover, an FSK Identifier and integrated functions such as a stereo encoder, FM limiter and RDS encoder.

The Advanced Metering Interface, or AMI, provides a real-time dashboard, showing exactly how the transmitter is performing. The results from on-board instrumentation are delivered in a clear panel, indicating analysis of the RF Spectrum, Audio Spectrum, MPX Spectrum and Peak Meters.

The Ecreso FM 250 W Transmitter also offers a subscription-based service, which provides proactive maintenance guidance and information to ensure that the system is currently run in optimum conditions.

Explore WorldCast’s products at booth C1633

A thunderbolt showcasing

Sonnet Technologies is showcasing its Thunderbolt 2-to-PCI Express expansion systems. The rackmount Echo Express III-R with optional Mobile Rack Device Mounting Kit, as well as the desktop Echo Express III-D, Echo Express SE II and Echo Express SEL all facilitate mobile and on-location workflows by enabling any Mac computer equipped with Thunderbolt 2 or Thunderbolt ports to interface with a wide variety of high-performance PCIe cards originally designed only for use in desktop computers.

Sonnet will also display its xMac mini Server, RackMac mini, and all new products for rackmounting the new Mac Pro. The xMac mini Server securely mounts a Mac mini inside a specially designed 1U rackmount enclosure and connects two PCIe 2.0 slots via a Thunderbolt port. The RackMac mini is a 1U enclosure for installing and securing one or two Mac minis in a standard 19-inch rack.

MediaPro gets social

Digital Nirvana is exhibiting the latest version of its MediaPro 2.0 Content Repurposing System. It enables the recording of multiple channels for content rebroadcasting, repurposing and ad verification. It also includes the ability to record content and share it easily on social media platforms and the cloud.

With MediaPro 2.0, multiple users can record from one to hundreds of channels using Digital Nirvana’s Open Media Appliance. The content can then be edited, clipped and published in real time. Clips can be stored and sent via email or FTP for archiving or external viewing in high- or low-resolution. Even non-technical staff can record from broadcast and cable channels and produce hi-res, HD broadcast-ready clips to repurpose and monetise content.

Visit Sonnet Technologies

at booth SL10824

Discover Visionary

Solutions at booth

SU8602

Visit Appear TV at

boothSU6110


ENABLING FIRST RESPONDERS


SatGuest

On November 8, 2013, the most powerful storm ever recorded hit the Philippines. Dubbed Typhoon Haiyan, the tropical cyclone ravaged the country with the Visayas region bearing the brunt of it. The number of affected people peaked at 14.1 million, with 4.1 million people displaced and 1,785 missing. Despite these people desperately needing urgent help, first emergency responders were slowed by extensive infrastructure damage. The typhoon had also severely disrupted communication networks.

Not having a reliable way to communicate in such a crisis can mean that relief workers

don’t receive information and situation updates. Details on road status and accessibility to affected communities are unknown by those ready and able to deliver help, while key decision makers can’t access the critical information needed to make quick field assessments and coordinate rescue and recovery efforts.

During this crisis, satellite technology was the key enabler for first responders to deliver relief support to survivors. While global aid and non-governmental organisations took action, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) supplied 40 Thuraya handsets to

After Typhoon Haiyan destroyed much of the vital infrastructure in the Philippines’ worst-hit areas, emergency teams were hindered by unreliable and limited communications. The International

Telecommunication Union’s Dr Cosmas Zavazava discusses how satellite devices enabled rescue and recovery workers to deliver relief to those that needed it most

provide satellite-enabled communications for the coordination of health relief efforts.

“The ITU took immediate action by arranging and paying for the transportation of the [satellite-based] equipment to the Philippines, as well as made an initial airtime allocation of USD 60,000 for the Thuraya handsets, which was later increased based on demand,” says Dr Cosmas Zavazava, the ITU’s Chief of Department for Project Support and Knowledge Management.

“With the rapid deployment of satellite equipment, first responders gained access to timely information on the ground to help them collect data to support their emergency response activities. This enabled effective search and rescue operations and the evacuation of victims, as well as the coordination of humanitarian work such as the distribution of medicine, food supplies and water.”

The Thuraya satellite phones were equipped with GPS to facilitate search and rescue operations. Thuraya donated 65 SIM cards, each preloaded with USD 300 worth of credit. ITU experts also worked with the local authorities to train first responders in the use of the satellite equipment during their operations and for logistical support. To further facilitate the relief efforts, Thuraya reached out to its Philippine service partner Smart Communications to initiate the provision of more than 100 Thuraya SF2500 units, Thuraya SatSleeve and Thuraya XT to the Philippine Government agencies and relief organisations. PRO

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[email protected]

satellitepro me april 2014

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