TSF restores communications in Timbuktu, Mali with Astrium satcom equipment

Satellite communications equipment and airtim from Astrium Services have been seeing good work in the Sahel region of Mali. Non-government organization Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF) can maintain contact with local authorities and their headquarters thanks to Astrium's reliable satellite Internet and voice capabilities. The NGO has also been able to restore contact between more than 4,200 refugees and their loved ones.

Northern Mali is suffering from severe disruptions of its communications links. Several towns, including Timbuktu, have been completely cut off from land lines and mobile networks. The increasingly dangerous conditions have also forced NGOs to limit their activities in the region.

TSF responded by delivering Astrium satellite communications technology to Timbuktu, allowing locals to make both domestic and international calls. The Mayor of Timbuktu himself was able to contact Bamako and inform the authorities about the difficulties his town was experiencing.

Many of the Sahel people depend on humanitarian support as their primary means of survival. Humanitarian workers in the region stay on top of the critical situation by sharing vital information using fixed and mobile satellite communications equipment and airtime provided by TSF and Astrium. 

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• SES brings satellite broadband Internet to German rural communities

ViaSat VR-12 Ka band antenna qualifies for FAA, global standards

ViaSat Inc. announced that its VR-12 Ka-band satellite antenna system has qualified for FAA and international regulations covering electrical and electronic equipment installed on commercial aircraft. The ViaSat product has recently completed industry standard DO-160G testing; the first batch of the newly-certified production units will be available for shipping in a few weeks.

The DO-160G standard applies to every aircraft ever built. This includes general aviation and business jets, helicopters, commercial jets, and modified civilian aircraft operated by the government. The standard test covers altitude, dust and sand, lightning and electrostatic discharge, power input, RF susceptibility, temperature, vibration, requirements, and other relevant criteria.

When partnered up with a ViaSat mobile satellite modem, the VR-12 Ka antenna system can deliver Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) airborne satellite communications. Its very high data rate is suited for military intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) applications that use both commercial and military Ka-band frequencies and require intensive bandwidth.

On previous flight tests, VR-12 Ka successfully tested satellite Internet (achieving upwards of 10 Mbps of aircraft-to-satellite transmission rates,) simultaneous transmission of HD video, video teleconferencing, and VoIP applications.

The VR-12 Ka succeeds the VR-12 Ku band satellite antenna. The older ViaSat system serves aboard more than 300 government aircraft and has accumulated more than half a million mission hours.

ViaSat has learned from its customers that a simple flight line maintenance action can quickly swap antennas in order to adapt the aircraft BLOS communications capabilities. To this end, the Company ensured that the VR-12 Ka system is a form and fit interchange with the older Ku-band system.

The VR-12 Ka-band satellite antenna can be installed aboard Gulfstream, King Air, Pilatus, C-130, and other aircraft. The ViaSat systems will be able to operate in Ka-band overlay regions covered by the Company's growing worldwide mobile satellite communications network.

MDA taps IAI for Amos-6 communications payload solution

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) recently announced that Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) will provide the satellite communications payload solution for the Amos-6 satellite. The MDA contract is worth more than $100 million.

MDA had begun working the project ever since receiving authorization back in June 2012.

Israeli satellite communications service provider Spacecom is the owner-operator of the Amos satellite constellation. The constellation delivers a large range of fixed and mobile communication services (such as Internet on satellite connectivity) to customers in Africa, the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe, and Central Asia.

Amos-6 will be the newest member of the Amos constellation. Set for a 2015 launch, it will refresh existing satellite capacity.

MDA and IAI have earlier cooperated in January 2008. MDA-built tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) served alongside IAI-designed Heron drone aircraft during Canada's mission in Afghanistan.

Globecomm markets Access Maritime service platform to maritime customers

Globecomm recently began inviting owners, ship managers, officers, and crew to switch to the company's Access Maritime service platform for all their worldwide wireless and satellite communications needs.

A renowned provider of managed network communication solutions, Globecomm developed the Access Maritime platform to automatically bridge two separate groups of services: L-band services provided by MSS services like Inmarsat, Iridium, and Thuraya; and maritime VSAT, WiFi, and mobile access.

Vessels connected by the Globecomm platform will be assured of excellent voice, Internet from satellite, and e-mail services. They will also be able to access a range of high-value applications such as ship management tools and weather data.

Access Maritime delivers global coverage over multiple platforms. It empowers applications related to high-value IT utilities and ship management while maintaining flexibility and offering the ability to control costs. The platform supports voice, email, Internet from satellite, crew calling, vessel management, and IT utilities secure video chat applications. It also powers M2M solutions. Customers can be assured of technology support from Globecomm teams.

iPhone 5 before the big announcement

Speculations about the iPhone 5 and its specifications arose shortly after the announcement of the iPhone 4S; both touchscreen-based smartphones developed by Apple Inc. However, detailed and substantial rumors and leaks did not come up until June 2012. As early as July 30, 2012, rumors pinpointed the exact date of announcement and release of the phone along with the speculated features of the phone.

On September 4, 2012, Apple sent invitations to a media event scheduled for September 12 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA), a multidisciplinary contemporary arts center in the “City and County of San Francisco,” the leading financial and cultural center of Northern California and the San Francisco Bay Area of the United States (US). Many media sources speculated that the event would be related to the next iPhone due to a shadow of the numeral 5 that featured in the design of the invitations.

Apple announced a number of new products which they designed and marketed at the event including: the iPhone 5; iPod Nano (7th generation; stylized, and marketed as “iPod nano”), a portable media player; and the iPod Touch (5th generation; colloquially referred to as the “iTouch,” by analog to the iPhone), a portable media player, personal digital assistant, handheld game console, and Wi-Fi mobile device.

The phone will be available for pre-order from September 14, 2012 and available in-store on September 21, 2012 in the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

See: Accessing Satellite Internet

Gilat upgrading Servicio Satelital IP network using SkyEdge II platform

Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. announced that it will be upgrading the existing IP-based network of Argentinean satellite communications company Servicio Satelital S.A. using Gilat's SkyEdge II Hub and broadband satellite platform.

Servicio Satelital provides satellite connectivity for telecommunication operators and ISPs in Argentina. The SkyEdge II upgrade to its IP network will improve the quality of its satellite communications and Internet broadband services.

The advanced satellite-bandwidth utilization capabilities of Gilat's SkyEdge II platform enhances broadband Internet and data connectivity, allowing the network to support hundreds of existing and new sites.

This will be the second time Servicio Satelital deploys a Gilat SkyEdge II network in Argentina. Its earlier SkyEdge II IP-based network currently provides support for 3,500 sites nationwide.