RTE Announce FTA Saorsat service

Eutelsat's KA-SAT is the first of a new generation of High Throughput Satellites in Europe. It is optimised for consumer broadband services and targeting users located beyond range of high-speed terrestrial networks. Fully-operating in Ka-band frequencies and with total throughput of over 70 Gigabits per second, the satellite will be located at Eutelsat's 9 degrees East position. Through a configuration of 82 spot beams and a ground infrastructure of ten gateways connected to the Internet, service will be provided across Europe and the Mediterranean Basin. In addition to supporting expansion of Eutelsat's TOOWAY(TM) consumer broadband service, KA-SAT will open new resources for telecom operators, broadcasters and ISPs, for data and video services.

Estimated satellite launch schedule

Satellite Estimated launch Transponders
KA-SAT December 2010 > 80 Ka beams
Note: Satellites generally enter into service one to two months after launch, KA-SAT, however, is expected to enter into service in April 2011

watty wrote: »

I did say that if Ka-Sat launch goes OK, no Saorsat tests before Feb/Mar. Well I'm wrong, though according Eutelsat, two months (Dec 20th to Feb 20th, or early March) is normal period.

Service expected in April 2011

The Cush wrote: »

If Ka-Sat is expected to go into service late March or early April, when do you think RTÉ could begin the uplink and downlink tests? If the tests don't begin until April how long before they could launch the full Saorsat service?

Will they uplink to the satellite from the RTÉ campus or will they have to use one the 10 Eutelsat gateways? (unless of course Donnybrook is one of the 10)

The Cush wrote: »

I assume consumer equipment will also have to be tested in conjunction with the pre-launch testing before it can be made available for purchase.

On economies of scale how much could a Saorsat receiver and dish cost the consumer considering its primary market is just 2% of the Irish population plus NI plus west coast Britain (possibly)?

FRIENDO wrote: »

A regular Triax feed bar and regular 80cm solid dish for 28E and 9E,
I understand the above for Freesat and Saorsat.
In relation to internet will this mean I can recieve Internet through 9E without a phone line coming into the house.
Thanks

Mr. Conor Hayes: No. DTT will not be able to provide broadband per se. We always argued with the commercial operators, such as the One Vision consortium, which included Eircom, that DTT allowed a triple play option. For example, the operator could go to my mother in Mitchelstown and provide her with telephone and broadband via landline, stick in a DTT box for television services and provide triple play on the one bill. This would have allowed commercial operators to compete with the satellite operators or UPC in Dublin.

Our satellite option would operate on the Ka band as opposed to the Ka band. The Ka band is typically used for telecommunications purposes or contributions between broadcasters. The Ka band is used by the single largest pay television operator in the US, DirecTV, which uses it to deliver high definition television. It works on a consumer basis and is a proven product in weather conditions.

People are offering satellite services over broadband. If one has a broadband service over satellite, one is capable of offering telephony or voice over IP, VoIP. If we are up there in the clear, some bright spark might offer people broadband, telephony and Irish channels - RTE, TG4, TV3 and so on - without their needing to spend much money.

http://debates.oireachtas.ie/DDebate.aspx?F=MAJ20100714.xml&Node=H2&Page=3

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Again no prize but does anyone know which country has the southernmost point ?

ILS wrote:

KA-SAT Campaign Begins!

Posted by ILS Launch Team, 4:20 p.m. EDT on 19 November 2010


Welcome to the KA-SAT launch campaign blog. Let’s do it!

We are in full swing here in Baikonur after saying goodbye to the SkyTerra 1 team and welcoming the KA-SAT main team on Wednesday. The weather has been mild thus far, with fog greeting us in the morning only to burn off by the afternoon, so we have beautiful sunsets and night skies full of stars.

There has been a flurry of activity since the early team arrival on 11 November. Between managing the overlap with the SkyTerra 1 team and getting the KA-SAT campaign off the ground, we’ve definitely hit the ground running. Especially our Program Integrator, since it is her first time in Baikonur, there are lots of new stuff to learn.

Khrunichev gave us a tour of Hall 111 to see the KA-SAT launch vehicle, and Dr. Bronfman, director of programs at Khrunichev, provided us with many good stories about the history of the Proton during the tour. On Thursday, we were able to see the launch vehicle before it went to testing. It’s quite a sight to see it in a horizontal position because of its massive size.

The good news today is that the spacecraft arrived! It was a chilly, windy day out at the airfield, so strong that it could have knocked you over. It’s been a long day, and it’s not over yet. We’ll have the fitcheck either tomorrow or Sunday. These long days keep us busy.

We’ve taken a break from BBQs, but we’ll have a big Thanksgiving celebration, complete with turkey and all the fixings. :-)

Apogee wrote: »

ILS Ka-Sat blog is up and running.



http://www.ilslaunch.com/ka-sat-blog

Astra vs Eutelsat Ka-band dispute continues

Three weeks from now, just before the Christmas holiday, will see a Russian rocket launching Eutelsat’s Ka-Sat, a wonderful piece of satellite engineering complexity that will provide copious two-way broadband connectivity to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. At 6.1 tonnes in weight it is one of the heaviest satellites ever launched and will be the backbone of Eutelsat’s bandwidth capacity expansion, especially in terms of internet access for the regions’ ‘unconnected’.

But the satellite represents a major difference of view between Eutelsat and SES Astra. And the difference – politely – boiled over at a EuroConsult conference on Nov 24 in a platform discussion between Michel de Rosen, Eutelsat’s CEO, and Ferdinand Kayser, president of Astra. “Questions remain open on Ka-band,” Kayser said, explaining that its strategy was to add incremental Ka-band capacity to new satellites, as demand grew. “We are in the business of operating satellites that last for 15 years in orbit,” Kayser added. “We must be able to prove to our shareholders that these will be profitable each time we launch. We have been more prudent, or less courageous perhaps, than our competitor Eutelsat.”

Mr de Rosen immediately interjected with an implied ‘No you haven’t!’, saying “That’s interesting, we think it’s you who are the most audacious, or courageous, by investing in a Ka-band constellation. It’s called O3b is it not?”

De Rosen is right. While Astra’s philosophy on its European fleet has been to take a cautious approach to Ka-band capacity for broadband-by-satellite, it is nevertheless backing O3b, a low Earth orbiting satellite constellation designed to serve “the Other 3 billion” of unconnected people living more or less in the tropics in about 150 countries either side of the Equator – and representing 70% of the world’s population.

Indeed, on November 26 investment bankers Morgan Stanley issued a note to investors suggesting an initial valuation of $4bn for the – as yet – unlaunched system – and saying that SES’ modest €150m stake in the project is worth about €3 a share for shareholders. “We expect initial demand for O3b’s Ka-band bandwidth to be very strong, particularly from telcos looking to extend 3G wireless coverage,” says the bank. “The last recorded backlog of $600m is now likely higher given several announced deals. We expect this to ramp up as the first launch in 2012 approaches. Given the provision of fibre is often prohibitively expensive O3b provides a low-cost (50-80% below current wholesale prices), faster and more practical solution for IP trunking.”

It is, perhaps, a case of ‘you pays your money and takes your chance’. Eutelsat is backing its local market for this considerable expansion in available bandwidth, while SES is looking to participate in a significant expansion in its services and fresh coverage to new markets. Time will tell as to who’s vision is sound.

Khrunichev has completed the first cycle of Breeze M tests to make this Upper Stage available for rollout to the fueling shed where Breeze M’s high pressure tanks will be pressurized.

The Breeze M unit was moved earlier today to the fueling area located in the immediate proximity to 92A-50. Tank pressurization is scheduled to begin tomorrow.

Once fueling operations are completed, the Breeze M will be moved back to the ITF where it will be reinstalled on the test bed for the continuation of standalone check-outs.

rlogue wrote: »

According to What Satellite RTE are yet to sign any contract with Eutelsat on Ka-Sat.

Peculiar since there's been such a song and dance about Saorsat being on the 9E position.

Would Eutelsat be now in a position where they can extract what they like from RTE?

semper fidelis wrote: »

I have just looked back on the size of this post – it shows what you can do when you have plenty of time on your hands ! Sorry about that guys.[/FONT][/SIZE]