EMC’s new Asia-Pacific gateway provides EMC’s customers with a direct connection between the United States and Asia for private data networks and video content distribution at land and sea.

Emerging Markets Communications (EMC) has successfully purchased from Telesat Canada the Telesat Asia Pacific Gateway located in Kapolei, Hawaii. EMC’s new facility offers a strategic position from which to expand EMC’s lines of business of private data networks, video content distribution and conectivity for land and sea based customers located in the fast growing Asian Market. The facility will have direct terrestrial conectivity to the United Sates, Australia, China and Japan.

This station, combined with EMC Teleport facilities in Germany and the UK, allows EMC to offer a global continuous C band foot print to all continents and oceans, including Ku band coverage in North and South America, the Gulf of Mexico, the Bering Sea and all the Aleutian Islands.

Hawaii serves as a major landing point for both fiber and satellite connectivity from Asia to the US, including direct terrestrial connectivity to major Asian markets. The acquisition is EMC’s final strategic step in the completion of a Global C band Infrastructure that provides seamless premium value added connectivity services that are truly everywhere at land or sea. From this facility, EMC also will provide vital Telemetry, Tracking and Control services for Telesat and other major satellite operators, as indicated by EMC’s President, Abel Avellan.

With offices in the UK, Australia, Singapore and South Africa, AST provides a wide range of satellite service options to marine and land customers around the world. The company’s investment in an iDirect VSAT network is a response to growing demand from maritime companies whose communications needs have moved beyond basic connectivity requirements.

The new broadband service provides Ku-band and C-band coverage and is designed to operate on the 4000 and 6000 Sea Tel Cobham stabilized VSAT antenna range. Data rates can reach 512 Kbps on the inbound channel and 2 Mbps on the outbound channel, supporting bandwidth intensive applications such as Voice over IP, remote engine monitoring, real-time data transfer and video streaming. The AST broadband service is available today for organizations with vessels or land-based operations in Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific regions. The service extends worldwide through AST’s partnership with Speedcast using Eutelsat’s global satellite network.

Network management and systems integration

The AST VSAT broadband offering is supported by several of the provider’s technology and network management services. These include:

Remote IT and systems management: AST’s team of network technicians can remotely handle standard maintenance and problem resolution for onboard communications equipment as well as a vessel’s IT systems.
Business continuity service: AST has developed a remote diagnostic solution that monitors onboard network activity. If service is interrupted, the system can facilitate an auto-switchover to operate in another satellite band, preserving network uptime and avoiding costly service visits.
Customized Service Level Agreements: Using iDirect’s Group Quality of Service technology, AST can tailor Service Level Agreements to meet the real-time bandwidth needs of each vessel, while enabling cost-effective sharing of satellite capacity. Committed Information Rates can be set for specific onboard applications, with the ability for each vessel to burst into a Maximum Information Rate based on a fleet’s larger bandwidth pool.
Systems integration: AST can integrate a VSAT network with marine electronics systems and other satellite communications technology through the use of iDirect’s iToolkit, which is an API feature of the iVantage Network Management System. In addition, AST collaborates with its customers to assess ongoing network requirements and provides technology development services to support future applications and increase network performance.
“VSAT is a strategic addition to our service portfolio. We conducted a comprehensive and objective requirements audit for each customer and were seeing exponential increases in data usage, which pointed to the need for a VSAT broadband offering. The decision to build our new service on the iDirect platform was based on iDirect’s track record of success in the maritime market, the platform’s many technology advantages and the ability to scale our business affordably.”

~Gregory DARLING
Managing Director, Applied Satellite Technology Ltd (AST)

“For maritime companies, communications technology has shifted from simply a means of connectivity to a business solution. With the iDirect platform, AST can help its customers transform their vessels into productive remote offices, and deliver the consulting and support services its customers need to maximise the value of onboard VSAT networks.”

~ David HARROWER
Regional Vice President and Managing Director, Europe, Russia and CIS, iDirect

picture, intelsat, cruisship

Intelsat IPTV has been selected as a distribution platform for programming to cruise ships in the AmericasWave Entertainment Network?, a wholly owned subsidiary of SeaMobile® Enterprises, contracted with Intelsat to provide Wave?s industry-leading satellite television via Intelsat?s IPTV platform to cruise ships in certain regions of the world.

Wave Entertainment Network is delivering an at-sea and remote location viewing experience rivaling land-based services at home. The Wave network is the first multi-channel, interactive television platform ever to be distributed to passenger cruise ships in all ocean regions around the world. Wave offers abundant content with superior digital picture quality via the satellite delivered Intelsat IPTV system. The system is fully operational and the first ship, Oceania Cruises Insignia, has been deployed.

Intelsat?s Galaxy 13/Horizons 1 satellite located at 127 degrees West, along with Intelsat?s IPTV Super Headend at its Mountainside Teleport facility in Maryland will be the primary transmitters of Wave?s channel lineup to the ships in the Americas. Wave?s system will utilize existing on-board tracking C-band antennas to receive the content.

?Wave Entertainment Network is the first to serve the cruise industry with multi-channel, interactive television. Such diverse entertainment and communications offerings demand seamless, global connectivity and we continue to find those elements within the Intelsat global network of satellite and teleport facilities,? said Larry Lemoine, President of Wave Entertainment Network. ?Wave Entertainment?s television line-up allows guests on cruise ships to experience all of the entertainment choices that they could expect on land. Intelsat’s IPTV high-quality distribution platform is not only a leading offering today but it also provides us an opportunity to enhance our service as our business grows.?

?With Intelsat IPTV, customers such as Wave Entertainment, receive a wholesale MPEG-4 content aggregation and delivery service that provides flexibility, ability to tailor a solution, cost-savings and high quality programming,? said Michael DeMarco, Intelsat?s Vice President, Video Services. ?Within the past few years, the maritime industry has seen a growing trend of adopting more always-on communications solutions and more diverse entertainment packages?both which can be seamlessly delivered via the Intelsat IPTV platform.?

FleetPhone is the maritime version of Inmarsat’s IsatPhone and LandPhone satellite phone services, and is now commercially available for use in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean region.

Cost-effective The new fixed phone service is ideal for use on smaller maritime vessels and boats. Easy to install and use, it is especially cost-effective in multi-user environments for ship-to-shore crew calling.

FleetPhone’s compact terminal with integrated handset is purpose-built for below-deck operation, and is connected to a lightweight omni-directional antenna mounted above deck. All components are designed for marine conditions and to meet maritime industry standards.

Leisure craft Michael Butler, Inmarsat’s president and chief operating officer, said: “In FleetPhone we have an affordable yet rugged maritime phone suitable for a range of uses spanning small vessels, leisure craft, workboats and regional merchant fleets.

“As with all devices in our satellite phone service portfolio, FleetPhone represents a compelling proposition for those who want a low-cost, low maintenance phone service backed by Inmarsat’s proven network.”