❝ IPTV and OTT are good compliments to satellite broadcasting systems , but satellite will stay and play a very important role inside this
broadcast industry .❞
November 2016 DISTRIBUTION 23 ivery
Emergence of HTS highlights permanence of satellite platform acific
and help shape its future , you can be conservative and follow trends , or you can hold back on investments until a clearer industry view emerges .”
Or , perhaps , you can simply emulate the Measat approach , which is to adopt a multi-pronged strategy . This includes : Building Measat ’ s own HTS capacity for specific markets and customers ; partnering with other operators on large-scale projects to enable the lowest cost per bit ; and exploring alternative technologies to meet “ rapidly evolving ” customer demands .
Away from the discussion on emerging technologies and consumption habits at the APSCC 2016 Satellite Conference and Exhibition in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia , a live online poll conducted during a conference session on WRC-19 provided some sobering contemplation .
A total of 71 % of voters think more spectrum in C-band will be lost to the IMT ( International Mobile Telecommunications ) industry , while 42 % believed that even Ka-band spectrum will not remain unscathed .
At WRC-15 , a “ No Change ” position adopted saw the bulk of C-band preserved for FSS services . The consequences of which might see mobile operators return more agressively to WRC-19 , which will be held from 28 October-22 November 2019 .
Yau ponders : “ There is the possibility of mobile operators once again requesting to be given spectrum currently used for FSS . These issues may affect industries that rely on FSS , including the broadcast industry .”
Start the road to WRC-19 now , he urges , by coordinating and aligning efforts to inform regulators of the need to preserve spectrum for satellite services in Asia-Pacific , and the negative impact of spectum re-allocation on these services .
By integrating high throughput satellite ( HTS ) technology with ground segment technology , throughput and productivity within the satellite supply chain will be improved , suggested Mahdi Nazari Mehrabi , CTO and managing director , Asia , North Telecom , a fixed and mobile satellite service provider .
Every industry player , Mehrabi told APB , is asking for higher bandwidths at a lower price point . Thus , the onus falls on operators to re-think how they can reduce cost while increasing efficiency and productivity across the supply chain .
He added : “ Satellite is an expensive medium because spectrum is a scarce resource . But with more companies investing in developing and testing out new technologies such as HTS satellites , which provide better throughput and efficiency , we are able to reduce the price per megahertz .
“ When price points decline and technology improves , I believe that the launch of more HTS satellites will allow the industry to compete with technologies such as fibre optic .”
As for the ongoing transition to IP , Mehrabi acknowledged that IPTV is a “ great concept ” that offers a lot of applications , includ- ing over-the-top ( OTT ), which is continuing to gain popularity with consumers . However , how much of the world ’ s population is enjoying widespread broadband access , Mehrabi asked .
IPTV is not a threat to , nor will it replace , satellite , he accessed . “ IPTV and OTT are complementary to satellite broadcasting systems , but satellite will stay and continue to play a very important role for the broadcast industry ,” he added .
By the end of this year , North Telecom ’ s Singapore office
❝ IPTV and OTT are good compliments to satellite broadcasting systems , but satellite will stay and play a very important role inside this
broadcast industry .❞
— Mahdi Nazari Mehrabi , CTO and Managing Director , Asia ,
North Telecom
will also be fully operational , Mehrabi revealed , which will provide the company with a platform to expand operations in Asia- Pacific , particularly in Central and South-east Asia .
He explained : “ North Telecom sees a lot of opportunities in this region , such as in the mobility , broadcast , maritime and aerospace sectors . By extending our reach to Singapore , we are opening and sharing our resources with systems integrators , satellite operators and service providers in this region .”
Finding the key to unlock the multi-service treasure chest
The demand for services provided by high throughout satellites ( HTS ) is growing exponentially across the globe — from the mature markets of North America and Europe to the emerging ones in Africa , Latin America and Asia-Pacific . Jo De Loor , market director for multi-service , HTS and enterprise , Newtec , examines the technical requirements HTS brings .
High-performance spot beams also require the most advanced transmission standards . DVB-S2X forward link with wideband carrier support is one of the key elements to leverage HTS payload resources .
Using high-efficiency MODulation and CODing schemes ( MODCODs ) schemes up to 256APSK , DVB-S2X can leverage the
spot beam link performance , enabling high service availability . In addition , the return link performance allows the use of 32APSK transmission schemes , providing inbound IP efficiency as high as 4bps / Hz .
Dynamic bandwidth allocation schemes will need to be more efficient and scalable in order to sustain the next wave of growth . Modem hardware must be more powerful and future-proof , supporting higher data rates and extending upgrade cycles , while still meeting the customer-required price points . Satellite networks should also be more transparent and integrate more seamlessly with terrestrial networks .
Serving the higher value markets also requires highly reliable services even during rain-fade conditions . Features such as
Automatic Uplink Power Control ( AUPC ) and Adaptive Coding and Modulation ( ACM ) are essential , but need to be implemented in a sophisticated manner to enable delivery of the service reliability and Quality of Service ( QoS ) needed by the customer .
Power spot beams will also create new challenges for mobility . Beam switching logic must become multi-dimensional , allow ing network operators to continually manage factors such as load balance , regulatory restrictions , cost and weather .
New business models The value chain for HTS-based services is evolving to more managed services , driven by the required economy of scale to roll out HTS service infrastructure . There has been so much debate over the effectiveness of the so-called “ closed ” and “ open ” business models ; meanwhile , our industry has been adopting business model innovations that enable various players in the satellite services value chain to focus on their own strategy and strengths .
Satellite operators will increasingly deliver a managed service ( wholesale ) to the service provider , which will be operating as a virtual network operator ( VNO ). Using the elaborate VNO capabilities of the platform , service providers will be able to deliver tailored services according to the end-customer requirements , and still have all the tools available to roll out such services and manage their Mbps capacity and terminals .