Stratos introduces BGAN humanitarian pricing plans for first responders

Transcription

1 Stratos introduces BGAN humanitarian pricing plans for first responders Stratos Global has announced the immediate availability of its new BGAN Humanitarian Pricing plans. The plans offer first responders flexible pricing options for Inmarsat BGAN satellite communications service. Most first-responder organizations have sufficient local-office budgets for the purchase of BGAN terminals. During emergency events, such as earthquakes and hurricanes, their satellite airtime is paid by central funds from the agency s headquarters, said Stratos President and CEO Jim Parm. Our new Humanitarian Pricing plans provide greater flexibility that helps these organizations afford satellite airtime for important BGAN training and testing applications that occur outside of event periods. Inmarsat BGAN Humanitarian Pricing is available in a variety of formats. Stratos plans are among the most attractive, as they offer a monthly paid option under an annual commitment. This enables humanitarian organizations to utilize their monthly operating-expense budgets for airtime fees, while using the BGAN airtime allowance at any time during the annual period. The Stratos plans are available for groups with as few as 10 BGAN units. BGAN (Broadband Global Area Network) uses highly portable, lightweight terminals to provide simultaneous, high-speed IP data (up to 492 kbps) and voice connectivity anywhere in the world. In addition to thousands of media organizations, military agencies, energy companies and remote professionals, many first responders utilize BGAN from Stratos for communications in areas where terrestrial or cellular networks are damaged, congested or non-existent. Those first responders include the US Federal Emergency Management Agency. First responders deploying BGAN make full use of Stratos value-added services known as The Stratos Advantage, which enable them to monitor airtime, restrict unauthorized usage, and manage costs. Parm concluded, By combining our flexible Humanitarian Pricing plans with the effective management of Stratos Dashboard to control BGAN costs, Stratos offers first responders the world s most economical BGAN solution available. First-responder organizations can learn more about BGAN Humanitarian Pricing by contacting their Stratos account manager. These new pricing plans are available to firstresponder organizations and humanitarian agencies on an individual basis and are subject to prior Inmarsat approval. Since its introduction in late 2005, BGAN from Stratos has been widely adopted by media organizations, military agencies, first responders and professionals in many other industries worldwide. Stratos is one of the world s largest BGAN distributors, with more than 14,000 BGAN activations in 185 countries. Those customers fully utilize The Stratos Advantage, a suite of value-added services that help make BGAN usage more productive and affordable. With the benefit of The Stratos Advantage, BGAN from Stratos is elevated far above baseline BGAN services. These valueadded services, including Stratos Dashboard for BGAN, provide users with cost control, firewall management, full traffic information, pre-paid facilities, high security options, easy VPN access, messaging services and a full range of IP options. New members add reach Representing the diverse stakeholders in the multichannel video delivery market across the Asia-Pacific, CASBAA continues to build its profile by welcoming four additional companies to its membership roster: MCOT Public Company Limited of Thailand, Times Television Network of India, Great Wall Industry Corporation of China and Dolby Laboratories of the United States. The CASBAA Board of Directors is delighted to welcome four major players into the CASBAA fold, said Marcel Fenez, Chairman, CASBAA. MCOT, Times Television Network, Great Wall Industry Corp. and Dolby Laboratories truly represent the range of interests directly influenced by the ongoing development of the multichannel video market in Asia. MCOT, a new Patron member of the Association, is a Bangkok-based multi-media company encompassing television stations, including Channel 9 and Modernine, and a burgeoning multi-channel television platform. Times Television Network - TNN is an English-language, satellite-based news television provider through its Times Now brand and part of media conglomerate Bennett, Coleman and Co. Ltd. TNN also runs several TV channels including Times NOW, ET NOW, Movies NOW and Zoom. China Great Wall Industry Corp Established in 1980, CGWIC is the sole commercial organization authorized by the government of China providing satellite launch services. CGWIC also undertakes the international marketing of civilian products and services for China s space technology and services. Dolby Laboratories As an innovator for audio entertainment, Dolby Labs was established by Ray Dolby with noise reduction systems to enhance recorded sound quality. Today, Dolby is synonymous with quality audio for broadcast services throughout the world. The addition of these dynamic market makers underlines CASBAA s reach across multiple industries, said Marcel Fenez, Chairman, CASBAA. The technology and geographic impact of the CASBAA Membership continues to grow in line with the influence of the Association s key messages in the age of multi-platform distribution. Photo courtesy of China Great Wall Industry. 4 January/February 2011

2 Satellite News Review... AME pay-tv subscriptions to triple to four million by yearend 2015 As operators find ways to circumvent current barriers in AME s pay-tv market, subscriptions are expected to triple over the next five years, reaching four million. This represents an 11 percent CAGR in pay-tv subscriptions through 2015, the highest in the world, according to a new report from Pyramid Research. New Market Dynamics Bode Well for Spike in Pay-TV Adoption analyzes the growth potential for pay-tv services in AME, highlighting the main obstacles to pay-tv adoption in the region and pointing out the key market developments that would enable more aggressive growth than is currently projected. The report then looks in detail at pay- TV markets in Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa, each representing different stages of pay-tv market development, and at efforts in each market to overcome obstacles. AME s market dynamics are changing and the picture of pay-tv in the region in the coming years leaves room for optimism. Over the next five years, as regulatory changes introduce more competition into the sector and technology platforms advance, Pyramid expects the region to begin to overcome the many obstacles that have inhibited its growth in the past, specifically the high cost and limited reach of pay-tv platforms, says Mehdi Ben Said, Senior Analyst at Pyramid. Currently, there are several barriers preventing even greater growth than Pyramid projects. These include limited competition, lack of content, and a weak platform on which to provide pay-tv services over existing lastmile infrastructure. The adoption of new alternatives in certain countries is a sign that the market is trying follow new paths for growth, notes Ben Said. The rise in percapita GDP will have an immediate and positive impact on the pay-tv market in the region, helped along by the success and panregional expansion of the AME s largest mobile operators. Furthermore, with strong growth in mobile subscriptions, many mobile operators will enter the market through alliances with DTH providers, marking a significant and positive change in the pay-tv landscape. The lack of fixed infrastructure and the dominance of mobile access in most African countries constitute a huge opportunity for mobile operators to become the main pay-tv providers in Africa in the long term, he indicates. Although mobile networks in many countries may not be video-ready, we recommend that mobile operators look carefully at launching packages in conjunction with DTH operators in the near term in order to develop brand recognition in the segment. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock. January/February

3 The Arianespace family takes shape After reaffirming its world leadership in 2010, Arianespace is now actively preparing for the maiden launches of Soyuz and Vega from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana. Since being founded in 1980, Arianespace has signed over 300 launch service & solutions contracts and launched 289 satellites for 78 customers more than half of all commercial satellites now in service worldwide. Arianespace continued its sustained launch rate in 2010, carrying out six Ariane 5 launches, along with one Soyuz launch, to orbit a total of 18 payloads. The Arianespace family takes shape in 2011 Arianespace will meet new challenges in 2011, as the complete European family of launch vehicles enters service. No less than six Ariane 5 launches are scheduled, including for the ATV 2, Johannes Kepler, on February 15. Arianespace will begin operating the Soyuz launch complex in April, and plans to carry out at least two Soyuz launches during the year from the Guiana Space Center. At the same time, Arianespace has planned three Soyuz launches from the Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Arianespace and ESA have also signed the production contract for the first operational launch of the Vega light launcher, while Arianespace and ELV have signed the VERTA framework contract concerning the supply of five Vega launchers following the qualification flight. Arianespace will take over responsibility for Vega launch facilities at the end of June, then carry out the first Vega launch during the second half of the year. Arianespace plans a total of 12 launches in Eight straight years of successful launches With 41 successful launches in a row since 2003, Ariane 5 continues to confirm its technical maturity and demonstrate its operational capabilities. Ariane 5 is the only launcher on the market capable of simultaneously launching two payloads, while also handling a complete range of missions, from commercial launches into geostationary orbit, to launches of scientific spacecraft into special orbits. With six Ariane 5 ECA launches in 2010, Arianespace orbited 12 of the 20 commercial geostationary communications satellites that were successfully launched during the year. Furthermore, in October 2010, Arianespace and Starsem teamed up to orbit the first six satellites in the Globalstar-2 constellation. Record backlog Arianespace enjoyed an equally impressive year in terms of orders booked. The company confirmed its world leadership by signing a total of 12 Ariane 5 contracts for geostationary satellites, out of a total of 19 open to competition. Arianespace also signed seven new contracts for Soyuz launches, which will place 12 satellites into special orbits. As of January 4, 2011, Arianespace s backlog of orders stood at 29 geostationary satellites, six Ariane 5 launches of the ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle) to the International Space Station, and 18 Soyuz launches a new record. Renewed support for European launchers At the end of 2010, the countries belonging to the European Space Agency unanimously passed a resolution to support European launch vehicles, which guarantees the company s long-term viability. Furthermore, Arianespace s shareholders have restored the company s equity, enabling it to continue its development. Photo courtesy of ESA. 6 January/February 2011

4 Satellite News Review... Japanese Aerospace Agency selects Spirent for Multi- GNSS testing To further the development of the Quazi- Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) program, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has selected Spirent Communications testing solutions to verify performance of its satellite receivers. Responsible for the development of initial QZSS receivers, JAXA is using Spirent s GSS8000 Multi-GNSS Constellation Simulator to verify QZSS receiver performance. The highly elliptical orbits of QZSS allow satellites to dwell at high elevations, improving coverage in urban canyons and providing additional overhead ranging sources in Japan. JAXA needed to design receivers that supported multiple satellite technologies. To that end, it turned to Spirent for a solution that not only included testing capabilities for GPS at L1, L2 and L5 signals but also tested performance of QZSS signals at the same frequencies. Spirent GNSS simulators are the first choice of commercial and government organizations to evaluate navigation and positioning system performance, said John Pottle, marketing director at Spirent s Positioning and Navigation business. Our engagement with JAXA will enable the agency to play a critical role in QZSS receiver development work. The Spirent simulator includes a wide range of software modelling capability to enable the receivers to be tested under extreme and error conditions as well as in normal performance test cases. Gilat selected to provide satellite broadband network for military communications Gilat Satellite Networks has been selected by a defence agency to provide a SkyEdge II broadband network for military communications. The system will serve various military branches and units as part of a single, unified multi-band communications network. Gilat s SkyEdge II hubs will be located in a geographically redundant layout for improved survivability. Applications supported by the network include VoIP, high-speed data and video applications for C4I (command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence), as well as logistic applications. A variety of different Ku and Ka band SkyEdge II terminals will be incorporated to connect mission-critical applications at fixed sites as well as transportable and on-themove communications which include low-profile antennas installed on vehicles. In order to make the network more resilient, some of the sites will be equipped with Gilat s innovative satellite diversity system which can point to an alternative satellite upon demand. solution for multi-star networks, specifically designed to meet the needs of corporations and cellular backhaul applications. January/February

5 BP Shipping Limited selects Harris CapRock Communications for fleet-wide VSAT service Harris CapRock Communications has signed a 39-month contract with BP Shipping Limited to deploy Harris CapRock s SeaAccess solution onboard its global tanker fleet. SeaAccess turnkey VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) services will enable BP to extend its corporate IT network and applications to its vessels and provide attractive crew welfare solutions. We decided to upgrade our VSAT network after assessing the benefits of the latest available technology, said BP Shipping Service Management and Infrastructure Manager Wasim Kayani. We were looking to increase the services we can provide to our vessels while lowering the total cost of ownership. SeaAccess Communications leverages the platform and value-added services that we need to get the most out of our communications. SeaAccess will extend BP s corporate office capabilities to each vessel, enabling ship captains to send real-time reports on vessel operations, logistics and routes. The service will also provide crew welfare communications, specifically supporting the crew s heavy telephone traffic. BP s vessels are constantly traversing the deep seas and are rarely docked at harbour for an extended period of time, so it s challenging to get equipment installed on more than 50 vessels in such a short time frame, said Pal Jensen, President, SeaAccess, Harris CapRock. We rely on our 11 service-and-support centres that are strategically located nearby major ports to dispatch supplies and technicians in a timely manner. This is where Harris CapRock excels. To-date, Harris CapRock has successfully deployed solutions to many of the world s leading maritime and drilling fleets. Prior to choosing Harris CapRock, BP conducted extensive testing at the Harris CapRock United Kingdom (UK) facility based in Aberdeen. Harris CapRock s engineering team developed a time division multiple access (TDMA) demonstration with test circuits for BP s experts to conduct real-time data transfers, make telephone calls and see firsthand the benefits of Harris CapRock s wide area network (WAN) optimization service. Securing BP Shipping s fleet communications further builds upon the strong relationship we ve developed with BP, said Peter Shaper, Group President, Harris CapRock Communications. Currently we re providing communication services to BP s offshore assets in the Gulf of Mexico and in West Africa. We re honoured that BP continues to place their trust in us to deliver reliable communications for their critical operations. Harris CapRock Communications is a premier global provider of managed satellite and terrestrial communications solutions specifically for remote and harsh environments including the energy, government and maritime markets. Harris CapRock owns and operates a robust global infrastructure that includes five teleports, four 24 x 7 network operations centres, and eleven regional support centres, and over 150 in-house field service personnel supporting customer locations across North America, Central and South America, Europe, West Africa and Asia-Pacific. Photo courtesy of BP. BP p.l.c. 8 January/February 2011