Satellite Broadband and Communications Blog

The 20-foot  (6-meter) rocket is so far the most poweful US rocket ever made. MUOS-1 flew from the air base at 5:15 p.m. EST (2215 GMT) across the Atlantic Ocean. The state-of-the-art communications satellite will act like cell sites in the outer space. The fleet is  one of the ambitious military communications project of the US. 

 

Program Manager Paul Ghyzel said the current communications terminals used by US troops are confined in fixed locations due to limited satellite reach. MUOS is expected to change this by providing wider coverage to make satellite-enabled commmunications devices more mobile.  MOUS will allow troops to access mobile voice and data services which are not otherwise possible with only line-of-sight coverage. Lockheed Martin Vice President and MUOS Program Manager Mark Pasquale described the satellite fleet as a "cellphone tower in the sky."

 

The portable terminals work in moving vehicles, aircraft, and ships. Capabilities common in cellphones are expected to be added next summer. 

 

More News: NBN Snubbed Jabiru Satellite Communications Fleet 

 

 

A Russian Soyuz rocket launched six Globalstar mobile-communications satellites into low Earth orbit on Dec. 28, Arianespace. The satellites are now at a 920-kilometer low Earth orbit, said Globalstar.
The 650-kilogram Globalstar spacecraft was launched by The Soyuz 2.1.a vehicle from Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The launching vehicle was quipped with the restartable Fregat upper stage. It boasts of a third-stage configuration, unlike that of the Soyuz predecessor that malfunctioned on Dec. 23, leaving a Russian military communications satellite in ruin.

During the first stage of the launching, two satellites were separated. The second phase saw the other four getting freed. Then the Fregat upper stage reoriented itself as it got destroyed on re-entry into the atmosphere.
In the succeeding months, the satellites will climb toward higher elevation to reach 1,400-kilometer  orbit where they will become a part of the Globalstar network.

Another fleet of six second-generation Globalstar satellites will be launched in the first half of 2012, completing the satellite communications carrier's second-generation constellation.

Globalstar is currently undergoing arbitration proceeding in relation to its feud with its prime contractor, Thales Alenia Space. Thales refuses to build another six Globalstar satellites unless Globalstar changes the terms. The two parties will face in a Jan. 24 hearing.

Since 2007, the mobile voice and date communications services of Globalstar are on a decline. Nearly 50 of its communications satellites are degrading due to radiation, disrupting two-way voice links. Nevertheless, Globalstar is able to maintain its data communications capability

To date, restoring its satellite voice capability is the major goal of the company. Its new second-generation satellites are designed to be protected against radiation. The new fleet has an estimated lifespan of 15 years, compared with 7 years of the first-generation fleet.

 

More About Satellite Communications Service Providers:

At present, satellite VoIP is the best broadband solution in rural areas underserved by telecommunication firms and traditional ISPs. Satellite VoIP is made possible by  developments in digital technology and satellite broadband. Recently, big satellite companies have partnered with established VoIP service providers to expand the coverage of Internet telephony services. Satellite VoIP has a hardware and software set-ups that are quite the same with traditional VoIP technologies.

Satellite latency is one of the main issues being raised when it comes to satellite VoIP, so a number of satellite operators have developed more user-friendly solutions to imitate traditional VoIP experience. Satellite VoIP providers give priority to data packets and set aside bandwidth specially for VoIP signals. Modern  voice compression techniques have led to improved voice quality.

Third world countries with no ready telecommunication infrastructures will benefit a lot from satellite broadband. Through satellite broadband, these countries can bypass the time-consuming and expensive process of constructing telephone lines on the ground. Satellite broadband has a promising future despite issues on latency and high costs which are restricting the growth of the satellite broadband industry. Satellite broadband connectivity is becoming less expensive, thanks to recent developments in satellite and digital technologies. This broadband technology will surely rival the quality of traditional broadband in the near future.

Most satellite carriers want to expand their international coverage as much as possible. Latency concern is not preventing the corporate market from embracing this technology. Since  most satellite broadband providers offer intercontinental coverage, both the consumers and business users can manage to connect online, make VoIP calls and download videos in remote areas even in those places where there are no telecommunication lines or mobile broadband coverage.

Satellite VoIP providers have great mobile phone technology as well. Mobile satellite telephones suit the lifestyles of travellers, campers, and businesses based in remote places. Rescue agencies, airlines, banks, ships and military intelligence units need uninterrupted global Internet connection, and they are counting on satellite broadband providers for that.

Usually, satellites are stationed at a fixed point relative to the equator, thus they are commonly referred to as geostationary satellites. At 22,300-mile altitude, a distance tantamount to Earth’s circumference, these satellites receive and send signals from and to Earth. With a round-trip of 45,000 miles, satellite signals take longer time to reach the servers or callers on the receiving line.

Nevertheless, satellite broadband remains the only form of wireless communication in remote locations. High bandwidth satellite connections are being integrated with IP networks. The cost of satellite broadband is improving as well.