NEWS

LATEST NEWS EXTRACTS FROM THE APSCC

Comtech EF Data Expands Satellite Modem Product Line

March 31, 2021 - Comtech EF Data Corp., has introduced a new product, the CDM-650 Satellite Modem. The CDM-650 leverages the heritage and feature set of Comtech’s SLM-5650B/C, CDM-625A and CDM-425 modems, which have been adopted and deployed globally to support government and commercial applications. The CDM-650 Satellite Modem was purpose-built for secure government and military networks. The CDM-650 is suited for fixed location, on-the-pause and on-the-move communications applications. The product features Turbo Product Codes, three Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) code families, VersaFEC®-2 high performance LDPC short and long block forward error correction and a range of modulation, including BPSK, QPSK, OQPSK, 8PSK, 8-QAM, and 16-QAM. By employing the combination of state-of-the-art forward error correction and modulation techniques, the CDM-650 can optimize satellite transponder bandwidth usage. In addition, Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (“DSSS”) is an option on the CDM-650 for supporting both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint applications in conjunction with LDPC-based forward error correction and BPSK. The combination of advanced features provides ultra-low power spectral densities, enabling the use of small antennas when adjacent satellite interference is an important consideration. The CDM-650 offers data rates from 18 kbps to 155 Mbps and symbol rates from 32 ksps to 64 Msps. The modem supports an Ethernet 10/100/1000T user traffic data interface that can be used in Bridge mode or Routed mode offering Quality of Service protocols and traffic shaping / congestion control methods. In addition, the modem supports backward compatibility and interoperability in certain modes of operation with Comtech’s SLM-5650B/C, CDM-625A and CDM-425 modems.

Luxembourg Government and SES Launch Second Phase of Satellite‐enabled SATMED Telemedicine Project

March 31, 2021 - The Luxembourg Government and SES’s fully-owned affiliate SES Techcom launched the second phase of the SATMED telemedicine project that will run into 2024. Enabled by satellite, SATMED is designed to connect doctors and nurses based in remote locations to the outside medical world, providing access to the platform’s cloud applications for e-training, virtual consultations, management and storage of medical data records, and video conferencing. Developed in Luxembourg, the platform has been deployed since 2014 in 10 locations across Africa and Asia in partnership with NGOs. Since the Ebola outbreak in 2014, it has helped improve healthcare in the countries like Niger, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Benin and Bangladesh, among others. Most recently, SATMED played a crucial role in supporting Covid-19 task forces, including in a remote hospital in Sierra Leone in close cooperation with the NGO German Doctors, and in floating hospitals in remote areas of Bangladesh via NGO Friendship. Since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak, the Friendship hospitals have served more than 73,000 patients.

Inmarsat Signs Greece and Cyprus Representation Agreement with SRH Marine Electronics

March 31, 2021 - Inmarsat, the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications, has signed an agreement with SRH Marine Electronics for SRH to provide formal representation for support to customers in Greece and Cyprus, whose Inmarsat Maritime contracts were purchased from Speedcast by Inmarsat at the beginning of this year. The agreement will include customer support for Inmarsat’s Fleet Network Manager (formerly Sigma) portfolio of hardware products and only covers clients who held Inmarsat Maritime contracts formerly with Speedcast.

Intelsat Opens Three New Customer Support Centers in Brazil, South Africa and India

March 30, 2021 - Intelsat, operator of the world’s largest integrated satellite and terrestrial network, is expanding its industry-leading customer support capabilities by opening three new Customer Operations Centers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Johannesburg, South Africa and Chennai, India. The centers are a key component of Intelsat’s world-class 24/7 customer experience, which provides customers with inlanguage troubleshooting, service activations, monitoring and other support in a variety of time zones and languages, including English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. All three sites are currently operational, with staff working remotely in adherence to COVID-19 safety precautions. The new centers build upon Intelsat’s existing Customer Support Centers in Ellenwood, Ga. and McLean, Va. Intelsat has hired 10 additional employees for its Rio de Janeiro center and plans to hire additional specialists for the site in the second half of 2021. These technicians speak both Portuguese and Spanish to help serve Intelsat’s hundreds of customers across Latin America. Intelsat also plans to add additional specialists to its Johannesburg and Chennai centers later this year.

Australian Defence Force Takes Control with Inmarsat Virtual Satellite System

March 30, 2021 - The Australian Defence Force (ADF) and Inmarsat have agreed to a AUS$221 million contract extension for the provision of commercial satellite communications airtime services and managed hardware. Brigadier Gregory Novak, Commander Defence Strategic Communications Branch and Mr Todd McDonell, President Inmarsat Global Government, participated in a ceremony commemorating the ongoing relationship between the Commonwealth of Australia and Inmarsat Australia in the provision of global satellite services. These services enable a wide range of command, control, and situational awareness communications for the Australian Defence Force, the wider Department of Defence, and its Australian Government partners worldwide. The commemorative event also recognised the announcement of the contract extension between the two parties, the result of a successful Defence and industry partnership between the two organisations that has constantly evolved over the years in support of Defence’s changing satellite communications requirements. The arrangements of this contract extension will run through to 2027. The overall commitment of the contract for satellite services is now AUS$331m over the 10-year term, including options for three extensions of two years each, helping to bridge the forthcoming transformation in the way the Australian Defence Force acquires and uses satellite technologies.

For all the latest news visit the APSCC website

Editorials and Inquiries
News, comments, and suggestions can be sent to the editor at:
APSCC Publications
Asia-Pacific Satellite Communications Council
Suite T-1602 Poonglim Iwantplus, 255-1 Seohyun-dong, Bundang-gu
Seongnam, Kyunggi-do, 463-824 Korea

Tel:  +82 31 783 6244
Fax:  +82 31 783 6249
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.apscc.or.kr

About APSCC
APSCC is a non-profit, international organization representing all sectors of satellite and space-related industries. The aim of the organization is to exchange views and ideas on satellite technologies, systems, policies and outer space activities in general along with satellite communications including broadcasting for the betterment of the Asia-Pacific region.

Conferences, forums, workshops, and exhibitions are organized through regional coordination with its members in order to promote new services and businesses via satellite as well as outer space activities. APSCC membership is open to any government body, public or private organization, association, or corporation that is involved in satellite services, risk management or associate fields such as data-casting, informatics, multi-media, telecommunications and other outer-space related activities with interests in the Asia-Pacific region. More information is available at www.apscc.or.kr.