Satellite service provider offers standardized ground services in many regions of the world

Serving as sub-contractor to the satellite service provider, atrexx is currently completing installation works that include the setting up of redundant antennas at each site in Ku- and C-band.

The company has experienced a surge in demand for ground services that include all supporting services such as site survey, choice of antenna location, planning of installation, installation itself, commissioning, as well as preventive and corrective maintenance. As a response to this demand, atrexx has focused on standardizing its offerings and has developed specific products that can enable them to deliver best-in-class products to their clients.

Over the past few years, atrexx has placed great emphasis on recruiting and training many installers in Africa and Asia, with a special focus on the African Continent and the Middle East so that projects like the one above can be handled no matter where in the world they are required. Markus Schäfer, Managing Director of atrexx commented: “atrexx is pleased with the ongoing project. It shows that our installer network can handle the request with professionalism.”

Deployments such as these are not without their complications. Mr. Schäfer explained: “The security measures of the embassies and the safety regulations regarding the statics have sometimes been a challenge for our staff in the field, but we have overcome these challenges with professional project management and flexibility.”

atrexx’ near ten year experience in the VSAT market and knowledge of the provision of remote connectivity solutions gives the company a unique edge. Experience with regulatory and licensing issues in different regions is essential, as is a good degree of familiarity with the region where deployment is taking place. This coupled with a high level of technical expertise and a relationship with installers in different countries, enables atrexx to deliver the complete package so that the client can be sure of a high quality service.

Mr. Schäfer continued: “We recognize that the ground service element of VSAT communications is not necessarily the most attractive to satellite service providers. It is often viewed as the ‘dirty work’. However, without it there is no VSAT service. Good ground services are crucial to our clients in terms of winning large contracts, and we are proud to be able to offer these types of services at such a high standard. We plan to extend our standardized VSAT ground services further East to the Asian region in the near future.”

BGAN, Global Network, Internet Satellite Global

atrexx, a leading solutions provider for the telecommunication and broadcast industries, is offering customers that activate new SIM cards the opportunity to purchase pre-paid BGAN vouchers at discounted rates until 31 December 2010. Inmarsat’s BGAN (Broadband Global Area Network) is a mobile satellite service that allows subscribers to access Internet at broadband speed and to make phone calls at the same time at almost any location on the planet, using a terminal of less than a notebook PC size.

Discounts offered on exclusive BGAN prepay service

Especially beneficial for occasional users, the BGAN vouchers from atrexx are available with a discount of 10 percent for 250 traffic units and up to 20 percent for 5000 units. One traffic unit represents a one-minute call to a fixed network worldwide. atrexx will also waive the fee for service and SIM card activation during the promotional period.

 ”This offer is a great opportunity for new BGAN users. The option to buy pre-paid units is extremely popular, especially in regions like Africa where 99 percent of traditional land mobile communications is estimated to be on a pre-paid basis” said Miriam Zude, Account Manager at atrexx. “We are giving our customers the chance to use BGAN with no monthly fee but we can also offer them the option of topping up their pre-paid account online at $0.90 per unit using a credit card. After they have bought their units, they can then have peace of mind by monitoring the account online making it easy to manage.”

BGAN is a perfect communications choice for anyone that works or travels to regions where the communications infrastructure is lacking or non-existent. Another main attraction of the BGAN system is the fact that no specialist technical knowledge is required to deploy it and it can therefore be used by a huge range of user groups such as journalists, military personnel, aid workers, civil engineers and researchers to name a few.

Valid for 24 months after activation or after the last top-up, the atrexx prepaid service package provides voice applications with unique rates for terrestrial fixed networks and for cellular networks worldwide, broadband Internet access and SMS services. The SIM card may be used in any BGAN hardware.

Ms. Zude continued: “There are very few BGAN providers that offer a prepaid service and atrexx is proud to be one of those. We also offer customer BGAN equipment rental options at just $8.90 per day. This, coupled with the prepaid option, is the perfect choice for users who only need the equipment for a limited time. Prepay BGAN services give the customer flexibility and control over how much they spend at a time where budgets are constrained.”

 Growing markets

Global Xpress will address the established growing markets for VSAT services in the maritime, energy and government sectors, with further growth potential in developing markets such as the aeronautical sector.  Inmarsat will target US$500 million of annual Ka-band revenues five years after the global service is launched. Under a separate arrangement, Boeing has agreed to become a distribution partner for Inmarsat;s Ka-band and L-band services, and has committed to capacity purchases representing more than 10 per cent of Inmarsat’s target Ka-band revenues in the first five years after launch.

 Unparalleled speeds

Inmarsat estimates the total cost of the I-5s and Global Xpress will be US$1.2 billion over four and a half years, incorporating the fixed cost of the satellites, as well as the cost of additional ground network infrastructure, product development, launch services and insurance.

 Chairman and chief executive of Inmarsat Andrew Sukawaty said: “This is a new investment for growth. With the Global Xpress network, we will be the first operator to offer global broadband coverage, offering unparalleled speeds and bandwidth to customers in remote locations around the world.

 ”Global Xpress will be faster and less expensive than current Ku-band market offerings, it will be delivered to smaller and cheaper terminals and be the first offered on a seamless, global, end-to-end basis with high-quality of service. Picture 50Mpbs services to a ship or aircraft, and 10Mbps to an antenna the size of an iPad (20cm).

 ”The Inmarsat-5s will also complement our existing global L-band services, allowing us to offer unique hybrid packages using both networks, giving users unprecedented levels of resilience and reliability in remote and harsh environments.”

Certification of Management System according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2008 confirmed

atrexx announced the results of the recent external audit of its Quality Management System (QMS) according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2008. The Company had initially achieved certification of its QMS in 2008. This certification is vital for atrexx to deliver quantifiable and continuous quality of service as a supplier and service provider for international building corporations, governmental institutions, military units, NATO and UN forces, as well as aid organizations in Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle EastAt the recently held second supportive system evaluation, the audit team noted that atrexx’ QMS continued to conform to the rules and regulations of the DIN EN ISO 9001:2008 standard and recommended the maintenance of the certificate.

With regard to the outcome of the customer satisfaction survey, Dipl.-Ing. Axel Laux, independent auditor with DQS stated: “atrexx identifies customer expectations and incorporates them directly into the Company’s performance development. Feedback from customers is processed promptly, and applicable steps are followed up to implementation. A high level of customer satisfaction is the result.”

Indeed, atrexx’ customer satisfaction survey, conducted online, revealed that 85% of atrexx’ customers have an excellent or good overall impression of the Company. The competence of atrexx’ staff was rated 88% excellent or good; the respective rating for friendliness in relation with customers hit 96%. Overall, in all of the five assessed criteria, results were very encouraging.

Alfred Hommes, atrexx quality management officer, emphasized: “We are delighted with the excellent result of the customer survey. This is an incentive for us to further increase the quality of our products and services. In the past 12 months we have evaluated our processes for effectiveness and efficiency and investigated potential causes of errors, using leading analytical methods. Furthermore, we have refined the criteria for the standardized assessment of our suppliers.”

Auditor Axel Laux commented on the identified strengths of the QMS: “atrexx has planned and developed processes that are vital for effective implementation of product and service requirements. Measurable objectives are defined and followed up. These objectives are put in place to ensure continued improvement of the management system’s effectiveness. Senior Management has demonstrated a personal and high commitment to maintaining a quality culture within the organization and ensuring that the standards set are communicated to employees. Internal audits and management reviews ensure the effectiveness of the system.”

Based on the audit report, Alfred Hommes explained the potential for developing the QMS over the next 12 months: “In order to facilitate the tracking of the implementation of documented measures to improve the existing QMS, established in regularly held internal quality audits, we will add deadlines to these measures. The newly introduced methods for error analysis, such as the Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA), will be merged into the appropriate method statement. All quality system procedures will be reviewed systematically and periodically to keep them up-to-date.”

“Provision of communications infrastructure in remote locations is a constant challenge for the oil and gas industry”, Jean-Claude Bisenius, Managing Director of atrexx explains. “Oil and gas exploration teams and drilling rigs are often located in the most remote and hostile regions of the planet, meaning that more traditional means of communications cannot be rolled out without great expense or difficulty. For the oil and gas sector, the issue of secure communications is also a principal consideration. Satellite often provides the only solution to this problem.”

Stefan Tomek, IT Manager at VAOS explained:”The expectations of VAOS to operate a modern and secure corporate communications network via the Internet also presented increased requirements on IT security. For example, access to SAP business management software solutions and services from external locations and from site-to-site Virtual Private Networks (VPN) had to be possible.” Regarding the applications that the VPN should support, Mr. Tomek added:”VAOS was also looking for a reliable VoIP connection, centralized management out of Linz, Austria; and access to the Microsoft distributed systems at various locations.”

To ensure highly secure, reliable and error-free communications, VAOS selected atrexx to become a communications partner due to their ability to connect the company’s remote branch offices to the corporate network. The offices use a Virtual Private Network with Microsoft’s Forefront Threat Management Gateway 2010, which guarantees a secure and reliable connection to all other branches via a satellite service provided by atrexx and iDirect’s iSCPC solution. Based on iSCPC, atrexx has developed a unique Quality of Service (QoS) that guarantees lower latency when using VoIP, despite many different types of traffic passing through the system that often operates on a small amount of bandwidth per link to the remote station in the desert.

Speaking of VAOS’ six-year partnership with atrexx, Stefan Tomek, concluded:”Thanks to the very high level of satellite knowledge, effort and support, atrexx has been and will be the right partner to realize our high demand IT solutions in the future!”

“During the Haiti disaster-recovery effort, UN aid agencies, NGOs, the military, private sector and other disaster-response and development stakeholders identified key areas where closer co-ordination would improve future operations,” said David Hartshorn, Secretary General, GVF. “This Summit will explore how more effective co-ordination can be applied.” “From hurricanes to earthquakes, and from civil wars to terrorist attacks, ICT holds great potential to address disaster-response and development requirements,” said Sula Bruce, Project Director for the Aid & International Development Forum (AIDF). “This Summit will provide an important opportunity for all participants to discuss how to unlock that potential.”

The Summit will explore two areas:

State of the Art ICT Solutions
The current ICT default for first responders’ disaster-preparedness capability is similar among most disaster-preparedness stakeholder groups, having been pre-configured with a range of portable sets that include satellite phones, data terminals, and other tools. These approaches enable first responders to quickly deploy at the disaster site and establish communications back to their respective home organizations, with needs assessments and logistical information.

However, there is little in the way of local communications between those based in the disaster zone. Further, for the most part, disaster-response stakeholders often do not have an ICT approach that addresses the more robust on-the-ground collective solution that can also be transitioned into a medium and longer term infrastructure with scale capabilities – or that can eventually be transitioned into a permanent, locally-operated, commercial enterprise. The Summit will explore the extent to which NGOs, UN aid agencies, the private sector, the military, and other stakeholders are applying complementary approaches that can more effectively satisfy these requirements.

Forging Closer Stakeholder Collaboration
To promote adoption of ICT for disaster preparedness and development, closer coordination is needed amongst relevant stakeholder groups. There is a growing recognition that creating a common communications culture – increasing trust and setting a foundation for collaboration and information sharing – can be achieved without undermining either the neutrality of civilian international organizations, inter-governmental organizations, and NGOs or the need for the military to safeguard operational security information. Many stakeholders agree that the creation of a collaborative information environment can be achieved if multiple stakeholder groups are sensitive to one another’s concerns. Resources can be more closely coordinated not only for preparedness and first-responder efforts, but also for mid- and long-term reconstruction. These options increasingly include “leave-behind” infrastructure for local partners, whether they be private, governmental, or non-governmental agencies. Depending on local regulations and capability constraints, leave-behind infrastructure can be used to jump-start host-nation ICT infrastructure recovery and reconstruction and provide commercial opportunities to seed economic revitalization through ICT infrastructure development.

Coordination challenges span differences in culture, language, organization, training and education, doctrine, planning and analysis, and communications and information systems. Unfortunately, old business models and restrictive policies continue to be applied to support what have become highly dynamic, collaborative needs and requirements in complex operations. In spite of multiple “lessons learned” reports from past experiences, many of the same issues continue to confound the response community in each deployment. This open-forum dialogue aims to address that challenge.

All delegates will be welcome to participate in the Summit discussions and to identify means by which preparedness and development can be further advanced through closer coordination amongst key stakeholder groups.

Iridium operates the world’s largest commercial satellite constellation, and is the only communications company to offer mobile voice and data services across the entire globe. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch vehicle will carry multiple Iridium NEXT satellites per vehicle, inserting the satellites into a low-earth orbit (LEO) as Iridium replaces its current satellite constellation. The Iridium NEXT satellites are set to launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California between 2015 and 2017.

The contract stipulates that SpaceX will provide launch services to Iridium over a two-year period starting in early 2015. Iridium is also in discussions with, and expects to contract with, at least one additional launch services provider. Launch services are included in the total estimated cost of $2.9 billion for Iridium NEXT.

“This is the third major building block on the road to Iridium NEXT,” said Matt Desch, CEO of Iridium. “Two weeks ago, we announced our fixed-price contract with Thales Alenia Space. We also announced our Coface-backed financing plan, and today I am pleased to announce our partnership with SpaceX for extremely cost-effective launch services.”

Added Desch, “We are proud to be partnered with SpaceX, and want to congratulate Elon Musk and the entire SpaceX team on its successful inaugural Falcon 9 launch. Hands down, SpaceX offered us the best value coupled with an unwavering commitment to flawless performance and reliability. SpaceX has combined the best of aerospace and commercial best practices to design reliable and cost-effective access to space, and Iridium will be the beneficiary of that effort.”

Desch further commented, “SpaceX also offered dedicated Iridium NEXT launch slots within its manifest, which currently has 24 Falcon 9 flights scheduled ahead of us, including those for commercial and government customers, during the coming five years. Clearly, SpaceX has established itself as a significant player in the launch industry, and we have great confidence that SpaceX will build on its recent success and continue to cement an impressive track record of successful space flight in advance of our mission.”

The June 4 inaugural launch of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 achieved 100 percent of its mission objectives, culminating in a near bull’s-eye insertion to its targeted 250km circular orbit. SpaceX has been working with Iridium and Thales Alenia Space, the prime contractor for Iridium NEXT, to ensure compatibility between the satellite design, the Falcon 9 vehicle and the Iridium NEXT program schedule. This full coordination positions Iridium, SpaceX and Thales Alenia Space for a successful multi-year process of designing, building and launching Iridium NEXT.

“Iridium NEXT is now our largest commercial satellite launch customer and we are excited to play such an integral part in the most significant commercial space program underway today,” said Elon Musk, CEO, SpaceX. “We are impressed by Iridium’s comprehensive approach and diligence in its planning as the company prepares for the design, build and launch of Iridium NEXT. SpaceX greatly appreciates Iridium’s efficient approach to satellite production – an approach we share when it comes to our launch vehicles. As the next generation of the world’s only global satellite constellation that reliably covers 100 percent of the Earth’s surface, the implementation of the Iridium NEXT satellites will mark a significant achievement in mobile satellite communications, and SpaceX is looking forward to making it happen.”

The SpaceX Falcon 9 is a medium-to-heavy lift, two-stage launch vehicle capable of lifting approximately 11 tons to LEO. Designed to the highest levels of reliability and performance, NASA selected Falcon 9, along with the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, to resupply the International Space Station starting in 2011. This $1.6 billion contract represents 12 flights to and from the International Space Station. Further validating the reliability and robustness of commercial launch, President Obama recently decided to turn over astronaut transport to the U.S. commercial sector, specifically mentioning the example of Falcon 9 in his historic speech at Cape Canaveral. The U.S. government’s confidence in SpaceX provided further validation for Iridium’s decision.

Company offers cost-effective, sought after services to ISPs, corporate customers and VoIP providers across Africa and Middle East

Remagen, Germany, 9 June 2010 – German satellite service provider atrexx has announced the launch of a trio of services aimed specifically at customers based in Africa, with additional coverage of the Middle East region. The C-Band services will be delivered via Spacecom’s AMOS-5i satellite, formerly Asiasat-2, that was leased to the operator to help relieve the issue of under capacity in the region.

Through AMOS-5i, atrexx is taking a three-pronged approach, offering valuable services to those who previously may not have been able to find the capacity or the right price to fit their needs.

“We are delighted to be able to offer our customers in Africa a range of affordable services via the AMOS-5i satellite”, said Markus Schäfer, Managing Director of atrexx. “Demand for satellite services in this particular region has been growing significantly and it is important that atrexx can provide our customers with the capacity and service offering they require, a price they can afford.”

The trio of services includes SCPC and iSCPC services targeted at customers in need of corporate communication and Internet access from a service provider with European based hub. In addition, DVB-S2 and DVB-S2/SCPC services are available with Adaptive Coding and Modulation (ACM), for customers with a strong requirement for Internet backbone bandwidth such as Internet Service Providers (ISP) – both one-way and two-way services are offered. Finally, atrexx also provides point-to-point and point-to-multipoint connectivity through a single hop for corporate customers in the region that do not require hub services from Europe.

The AMOS-5i satellite began its operational life in January 2010. Previously known as Asiasat-2, the satellite has provided Spacecom with an interim solution as they await the launch of AMOS-5 that will be a prime carrier of African traffic in the years to come. AMOS-5i has strong C-band coverage that stretches across the entire African continent and also large parts of the Middle East.

Mr. Schäfer continued, “The Middle East and Africa region represents a dynamic and exciting market for the satellite industry. At this time, interest in satellite services is very evident and AMOS-5i has helped us to service that demand. We look forward to being able to meet the requirements of our customers there both today and in the future.”

“The growing global appetite for natural resources is rapidly driving mining concerns into emerging markets,” said Martin Creamer, Publisher of Creamer Media and Editor of Mining Weekly. “The need for cost-effective communications to support remote operations has never been greater. This agreement aims to strengthen understanding of how satellite and other complementary communications tools are being used to address critical mining challenges.”

“From workforce development and safety to remote monitoring and logistics, there are an increasing number of mining applications being addressed by satellite-enabled network solutions,” said David Hartshorn, Secretary General of GVF. “Through this agreement, Creamer Media and GVF intend to heighten awareness of innovative approaches that are producing positive results in the mining sector.”

Creamer Media’s Mining Weekly publication and MiningWeekly.com, which receives 43,000 unique visitors per week, will begin co-ordinating with GVF on industry news, event information, and special reports that reveal the impact of communications trends on each stage of the mining project life cycle, both for the majors and for the juniors.

The order comprises a variety of Comtech EF Data products, including the CDM-625 Advanced Satellite Modem, companion redundancy switches and the CSAT-5060 C-Band Transceivers. The award-winning CDM-625 Advanced Satellite Modem combines advanced technologies for maximum bandwidth efficiency under all conditions, including DoubleTalk(R) Carrier-in-Carrier(R) bandwidth compression, patented VersaFEC(R) low latency LDPC forward error correction with Adaptive Coding and Modulation, patent pending ultra low overhead streamline encapsulation, header compression and payload compression. The CSAT-5060 C-Band Transceivers provide flexibility, ease of installation and RF performance typically available only with independent, solid-state power amplifier and frequency converter topologies.

Also included in the order is the CX-U Series cellular backhaul platform from Comtech EF Data’s subsidiary, Memotec, Inc. Memotec’s CX-U Series is a dedicated cellular backhaul platform delivering Radio Access Network optimization and A/E voice trunks compression. The CX-U reduces the bandwidth required to backhaul cellular traffic, therefore avoiding costly forklift network upgrades. The result is a significant reduction in operating and capital expenses.

Fred Kornberg, President and Chief Executive Officer of Comtech Telecommunications Corp., said, “Given the CAPEX and OPEX savings our technologies deliver, mobile operators are able to make compelling business cases to replace legacy networks with Comtech equipment.”