interview satellite - Intelsat

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INTERVIEW SATELLITE

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CommsMEA July 2017

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INTERVIEW INTELSAT

#SatelliteEverywhere The increasing demands for connectivity have driven innovation in satellite communications to address newer market needs. Jean-Philippe Gillet, vice president and general manager, broadband, Intelsat explains how the operator is unlocking new growth areas with its nextgeneration high throughput satellites.

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rom the launch of high throughput satellites(HTS) to connected car innovations, Intelsat has been quite busy lately trying to carve a differentiated trajectory of value offerings to drive revenue growth. The Intelsat globalised network comprises a fleet of more than 50 satellites plus teleports, Intelsat EpicNG next-generation satellite technology, IntelsatOne terrestrial network, managed services and strategic partnerships with leaders to support diverse market segments. In the first quarter of 2017, Intelsat progressed its long-term strategy to transform its business. Intelsat 33e and Intelsat 32e, two new high-throughput Intelsat EpicNG satellites, entered service and the operator began to provision customers on its IntelsatOne Flex enterprise and maritime managed services. “Deploying high throughput satellites has been our biggest achievement in the year 2016. We have already launched three of these satellites and four more are expected to be launched in 2018,” says Jean-Philippe Gillet, vice president and general manager, broadband, Intelsat. He adds that though Intelsat is still in the first steps of high-throughput deployments, great improvements in efficiency have been seen by its customers by making use of the HTS technology. Mobility remains one of the key applications, though the technology has the potential and is already driving other diverse applications for various sectors. Interestingly, the technology has driven some use cases, which

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hadn’t been even thought of initially by the operator. The Intelsat EpicNG platform is an innovative approach to satellite and network architecture that utilises C-, Ku- and Ka-bands, wide beams, spot beams, and frequency reuse technology to provide a host of customer-centric benefits. Designed as a complementary overlay to fixed satellite network, Intelsat EpicNG is fully integrated with Intelsat’s existing satellite fleet and global IntelsatOne terrestrial network. Intelsat 29e, the first of the Intelsat EpicNG high throughput satellites, was launched successfully in January 2016. Gillet explains that expansion to remotest areas is possible when equipments are smaller in size, easier to deploy, and can operate with solar or wind energy, and this is what creates the value differentiation for the EPIC satellites. Similarly, for enhancing affordability of 3G or 4G, one needs easy deployment and economy of scale, which again makes EPIC satellites the best fit.

What’s EPIC about the EPIC satellites? Global coverage High throughput and also complement wide beam technology Ability to leverage customers’ existing infrastructure Multiple use cases

CommsMEA July 2017

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INTERVIEW INTELSAT

Supernet, one of the first companies in the Asia-Pacific region to commit to the Intelsat EpicNG platform, migrated networks onto Intelsat 33e shortly after the satellite entered service in late January 2017. Leveraging the improved performance and throughput provided by Intelsat 33e, Supernet has enabled business continuity as well as is providing expansion opportunities throughout Pakistan. Pan-African telecoms group Liquid Telecom and Intelsat have signed a new agreement that will introduce high performance Intelsat EpicNG satellite services into the Liquid Telecom network. As part of the new, multi-year agreement, Liquid Telecom has committed to dedicated services on the Intelsat 33e satellite, which began operations earlier this year. The solution features ground networking equipment based upon the Newtec Dialog VSAT platform, including technology developed under the ESA-funded Project Indigo announced previously by Intelsat and Newtec. By taking advantage of Intelsat’s high-throughput satellite solutions, Liquid Telecom aims to deliver more bandwidth with greater efficiency to meet the growing needs of businesses across Africa. “Breakthroughs in technology continue to

Intelsat 33e successfully completed all in-orbit testing and entered service on January 29, 2017.

It’s all about performance, economics and accessibility.” 22

position satellite as a more compelling connectivity solution for businesses across Africa. By teaming with Intelsat, Liquid Telecom will be at the forefront of satellite communications, ensuring we can meet the future bandwidth needs of our customers no matter where they are in the region,” says Scott Mumford, Liquid Telecom’s group managing executive of satellite and VSAT. “We are also delighted to be Intelsat’s local partner as it continues to introduce the suite of Intelsat EpicNG services to Africa.” Engineering work is currently underway and Liquid Telecom is expected to begin using the Intelsat EpicNG platform at the end of July. Furthering the relationship between the companies,

CommsMEA July 2017

Liquid Telecom has been awarded a three-year contract from Intelsat to provide fibre backhaul and uplinking services from its South Africa teleport that will be integrated into the IntelsatOne network as Intelsat extends its managed services platform into Africa. In another interesting development, Dalkom Somalia has also signed an agreement for satellite services with Intelsat that will expand its broadband enterprise and direct-to-home (DTH) services in East and Central Africa and the Middle East. Under a multi-year agreement, Dalkom, a privately owned operator based in Somalia, will incorporate Ku-band satellite services provided by Intelsat 17 to extend services currently

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INTERVIEW INTELSAT

Multiple connectivity requirements

Congestion and reliability issues

INTELSATONE PRISM SOLUTIONS

• Two-way voice, video, file transfer and internet connectivity on location

• High speed connectivity with customised service profiles

• Anytime, anywhere access through the Intelsat globalised network and hybrid satellite-fibre connectivity combined with the latest VSAT technology

• Dedicated, always-on access and guaranteed megabit service • Designed with broadcast-grade specifications • C- or Ku-band weatherproof availability

delivered by its fibre network. “We have a strong terrestrial fibre network, but our opportunities to expand into new regions and capitalise on new opportunities were limited,” says Mohamed Jama, CEO of Dalkom. “By adding Intelsat’s satellite expertise to our network, we can expand our enterprise services into regions where terrestrial technology cannot provide services. Intelsat 17 will also allow us to capitalise on Intelsat’s media distribution knowledge to introduce DTH services for customers. This makes Dalkom the first company to offer these bundled services in Somalia, offering our customers a one-stop-shop for communication solutions.” Sentech, a broadcasting signal distributor in Africa, has extended and expanded its relationship with Intelsat to bolster delivery of media services in sub-Saharan Africa. Sentech has been leveraging Ku-band services from Intelsat 20, located at 68.5˚ East, for decades to cost-effectively deliver Direct-to-Home (DTH) and Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) services in South Africa. Sentech, which reaches 8.5 million TV households, has contracted additional services on Intelsat 20, Africa’s top video neighbourhood, to power its growth in the region.

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Complexity and cost • Unlimited data usage (uploads and downloads) • Ubiquitous IP connectivity to support video, voice, internet and file transfer, optimising resources on site and on the network • Open architecture leverages existing Cand Ku-band terminals

Source: Intelsat

CHALLENGES

• A single monthly charge for the Prism managed service eliminates additional on-site costs

Connected car from a cross country test that Kymeta did last year with Intelsat. Commenting on the excitement and scepticism around LEO satellites, Gillet says that these are not competing against GEO rather act as complementary to eachother. A combination of LEO and GEO satellites can be used to have a great

LEO satellites are complementary to GEO satellites. The combination of GEO and LEO satellites has the potential to unlock new applications.” CommsMEA July 2017

coverage. Intelsat can leverage the strength of its global GEO hybrid satellite network and efficient broadcast capabilities with the high elevation angles that LEO can provide, to better support all user environments, including those where line of sight conditions may be a challenge for GEO. Applications in the government and oil and gas sectors will also benefit from leveraging the strengths of both systems. Yet another very interesting development of Intelsat has been in the connected car space. Intelsat is combining its leadership in spacebased communication with Kymeta’s innovative antenna technology to bring high speed connectivity to cars on a global basis. This will enable the creation of new services, support software over-the-air applications, advance the potential for autonomous driving and pave the way for the

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INTERVIEW INTELSAT

IT’S BEEN 50 YEARS ALREADY!

June 25, 1967: Intelsat satellites carried the first-ever live international video broadcast, the TV special “Our World.” The program was coordinated out of the BBC control room in London and featured live feeds from 14 different countries in succession moving west around the globe. The program concluded back in London with the premiere performance of the Beatles singing “All You Need Is Love,” backed by a chorus of more than a dozen other musical stars.

Operational priorities for Intelsat for the year 2017

Early Bird, Intelsat’s first satellite

Maintain the design, manufacturing and launch schedule for the next generation Intelsat EpicNG HTS fleet and other satellites to ensure availability of new, differentiated inventory to drive revenue growth Accelerate commercialisation of Intelsat EpicNG Maintain leadership in government services

While there is still certainly an argument to be made that “Love is All You Need”—especially these days—I think a connected world can’t hurt either!”

Optimise capital expenditure plan, and maintain portfolio of spectrum rights

Peter Ostapiuk, head of media product services, Intelsat

future of the connected car. Kymeta’s terminals are flat, light, and have no moving parts, bringing high-throughput communication to vehicles and places it has never been before. Gillet is optimistic about the growth potential for Intelsat in the Middle East and African market. “There is very significant growth in video consumption which requires a lot more connectivity and bandwidth for cellular backhaul operators and MNOs. Satellites can definitely play a role there. Moreover, OTT services are also going to keep creating demand for a lot more connectivity.” Media has always been a key market for Intelsat. That is very evident from the revenue mix of the operator as well. Media revenue was $225 million in the first quarter of 2017, a $13 million, or 6 per cent increase, when compared to the prior year period. New revenue from Intelsat 31 and Intelsat 36 satellites contributed to the revenue growth in the quarter. Business activity was driven primarily by new and renewing contracts related to Intelsat’s media distribution neighbourhoods in Africa and Latin America. Gillet says: “We also are very innovative in the media field. One such innovation is our launch of Prism. We believe HTS has great potential for the next wave of media distribution.” At a time when content providers are increasingly squeezed between declining subscription and advertising revenue resulting from shifting viewing habits, and the need to adjust to an IP world and support multiple formats and devices, IntelsatOne Prism solves these challenges with anytime, anywhere

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INTELSAT- ONEWEB UPDATE

Other

2%

Government

17%

Media

42%

Network Services

39%

Intelsat’s Q1, 2017 revenue by customer set IP connectivity. The operator has established strategic relationships with several key players across the region. In addition to the new ones like Liquid Telecom or Dalkom Somalia, Intelsat has long-term relationships with telecom giants like STC. In 2016, STC and Intelsat expanded their relationship to support the growth of the VSAT sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The telecom operator uses multiple satellites in Intelsat’s globalised network to provide high-quality broadband networking for corporate customers in the banking, government and oil & gas sectors. Looking ahead, Gillet sees satellite com-

CommsMEA July 2017

Intelsat recently announced the termination of debt exchange offers and anticipated termination of conditional combination agreement with OneWeb and share purchase agreement with SoftBank. Intelsat CEO Stephen Spengler said: “There were many stakeholders’ interests that needed to be satisfied in this complex transaction. We are disappointed that our bondholders were unwilling to accept the terms of the exchange offers presented over the course of this process. Even without a merger of our companies, the pre-existing commercial agreement among Intelsat, OneWeb and SoftBank will continue. Under this agreement, we plan to jointly develop integrated solutions utilizing both of our fleets and to act as a sub-distributor to SoftBank for the attractive application segments of mobility, energy, government, and connected car. As we create integrated services for these applications, we expect to accelerate and enhance our goal of unlocking new and larger opportunities in the communications landscape. We remain focused on achieving our operating priorities for 2017, including the continued commercialisation of our Intelsat EpicNG high throughput satellite services.”

munication as one of the key ways of providing connectivity. With penetration into fast developing spaces like connected car and IoT, powerful combination of LEO and GEO satellites and the complementarity of Intelsat’s HTS with wide beams, the future definitely looks promising.

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