NEWS

LATEST NEWS EXTRACTS FROM THE APSCC

Hughes Communications India Receives Flight and Maritime Connectivity (FMC) License

March 1, 2019 - Hughes Communications India Ltd has received a Flight and Maritime Connectivity (FMC) license from the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India. The first company to be granted the FMC license in India, HCIL is now authorized to provide in-flight connectivity and high-quality broadband services to Indian and foreign airlines and shipping companies operating within Indian territory. HCIL has already set up a base mobility platform and is in discussion to enhance the services in India. Since the policy was first published by regulatory authorities in mid-December 2018, it has generated a lot of interest from India's maritime and airline industries. HCIL looks forward to supporting them in the rapidly growing opportunity for inflight and maritime connectivity services, which Hughes is powering globally with its advanced aero and maritime broadband solutions. The FMC license has been granted for a period of 10 years, and HCIL will pay spectrum charges based on revenue earned from providing these services, which can be delivered using both satellites and telecom networks on the ground. HCIL will provide FMC services in India operating over domestic and foreign satellites permitted by the Department of Space..

Speedcast Wins Contract to Deliver Communications to Global Integrated Energy Provider

March 1, 2019 - Speedcast International has been awarded a new master service agreement and multiyear contract to deliver fully-managed communications onboard assets for Sapura Energy Berhad (Sapura Energy), a leading global integrated oil and gas services and solutions provider headquartered in Malaysia. The scope of the contract is to provide secure satellite communications systems for the customer's fleet of engineering & construction vessels supporting its operations in over 20 countries. Taking advantage of Speedcast's global scale that combines extensive satellite coverage with terrestrial networks and local engineering resources, Speedcast will provide a robust combination of C-band, Ku-band, Fleet Broadband and 4G/LTE connectivity to the customer's fleet of vessels located in remote and harsh environments.

SAS Network Reseller Contract Signed with Indonesian Telco Service Provider

March 2, 2018 - Sky and Space Global Ltd (SAS) signed a Reseller MoU with Cendrawasih Teknologi Nusantara (CTN). CTN was established in 2018 and is based in Jakarta, Indonesia. It is a hardware and software communications provider, supplying data connectivity services via satellite for its customers across multiple sectors. CTN’s goal is to provide comprehensive solutions to customer needs through speed, availability, robust and cost optimisation. Under the terms of the new Reseller Contract, SAS and CTN will fast-track work to incorporate SAS’s nano-satellites into CTN’s network. It will also authorise CTN on a non-exclusive basis to resell, market, distribute and support SAS services and products. The contract could lead to multiple opportunities for SAS to service a market that have more than 260 million people and provide residents more affordable and reliable connectivity networks. It also provides SAS with the ability to expand its existing connectivity offering across the entire Asia Pacific region. CTN have already approached some of their existing clients within the mining, oil & gas and plantation sectors and a number have since expressed interest in the SAS technology. Use cases for their clients include telemetry and also for replacing VSAT for data text only, for use of phones in shipping and marine areas, or while out at sea.

Inmarsat Brings Crew Xpress to Market with Unique ‘Fleet Hotspot’ for Seafarers

March 4, 2019 - Inmarsat is staying ahead of fast-changing dynamics in ship connectivity by launching Crew Xpress, a new service for crew available as part of an ever increasing number of services on Fleet Xpress. The new service package includes a managed Wi-Fi solution ‘Fleet Hotspot’, a leased antenna, a business use data package, automated billing and a usage revenue recovery scheme to incentivise ship managers to invest in crew connectivity. The Crew Xpress package consists of a 60cm Fleet Xpress antenna and a 6GB business allowance plan with an antenna offered on lease terms, with separate, managed crew internet access through the ‘Fleet Hotspot’. Accessing the internet via a unique login, the ‘Fleet Hotspot’ user secures time or data with allocated vouchers or by making online payments via a range of different methods. A number of Asian shipping companies have been trialing the new Crew Xpress service on board vessels since January 2019. Full commercial launch of the service is due in April with a wholesale version available in H2.

Cobham and Inmarsat Launch SB‐Helo X‐Stream Helicopter Satcom

March 5, 2019 - Cobham Aerospace Communications and Inmarsat announced the launch of SB-Helo XStream helicopter satcom solution for Cobham AVIATOR SP systems. The new system will improve communications through rotor blades by reducing packet loss by up to 40%. Few solutions exist in the market to transmit data such as video imagery to a satellite network in the same way as is possible from fixed wing aircraft. This is due to the interference caused by the rotors, which leads to intermittent, jittery data streams and distorted video at the receiving station. After extensive testing, Inmarsat and Cobham have developed a protocol in network Quality of Service (QoS) selection, as an enhancement of the Swiftbroadband X-Stream service; one of Inmarsat’s streaming services offering guaranteed on-demand high-streaming data rates over its L-band network. This allows data from rotary wing aircraft to be transmitted to the Inmarsat satellite network, via dedicated modulation schemes.

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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.