CETel has also installed Newtec’s EL170 IP Satellite Modulator, EL970 IP Satellite Demodulator equipment based on FlexACM(R) technology enabling advanced and most efficient output for broadband Internet services for a major telecommunication provider in Africa. CETel chose Newtec’s DVB-S2 FlexACM technology to reduce bandwidth costs and increase revenue.

“The installation of the Newtec infrastructure has been the culmination of our drive to deliver higher quality and greater efficiency in our services,” says Sergey Raber, Director Operations, CETel. “With the implementation of FlexACM, we can now achieve far more with our bandwidth, and guarantee availability of the link under conditions that would otherwise have caused a service failure. This increased efficiency has resulted in a return on investment within a few months of operation.”

The iDirect Evolution platform selected by BusinessCom is an ideal choice for multi-service broadband satellite Internet access. The Evolution X3 modem is based on the DVB-S2 standard that delivers very high spectrum efficiency, and is backed up by ACM (Adaptive Coding and Modulation) technology.

The ACM automatically changes the outbound modulation and FEC overhead per each remote VSAT terminal on the fly, depending on the actual rain fade margins observed, allowing Evolution VSAT terminals to stay in the network even during heavy rainfalls. The return channel is based on a patented iDirect Deterministic TDMA technology that enables true QoS (Quality of Service) support.

The primary markets for the newly launched services, which complement BusinessCom’s flagmanship PEP-iDirect solution, are demanding DTH and SOHO users, Internet cafes, SCADA and telemetry applications, and small to medium-sized Wireless Hot Spots. Because the Ku-Band Evolution X3 satellite based equipment is much more affordable than the C-Band PEP-iDirect VSAT kits, BusinessCom quality service just got one step closer to a consumer market.

With a built-in Ethernet interface, additional key features of the newly launched BusinessCom VSAT services include support for a rich set of IP protocols (including both TCP and UDP), multicasting, DHCP and NAT, built-in TCP and HTTP acceleration, advanced QoS and traffic prioritization and seamless terrestrial integration.

TS2 Satellite Technologies has completed the tender documentation for JCC-I/A and a satellite network project for the Marines new bases in Afghanistan. The government contract concerns establishing and maintaining full communication in new locations for two years for all soldiers stationed there. The USA are going to transfer 4.5 thousand Marines from Iraq to Afghanistan as early as at the beginning of 2009.

President Bush has obtained the necessary recommendations from the most important representatives of civil and military authorities in the Pentagon. An official decision should be taken soon. Future actions concern a transfer of an army brigade and a Marines battalion in a total number of 4500 soldiers. According to military commanders, to provide successful protection against the Taliban actions the needs are even greater.

“We were among the first telecommunications operators in the satellite technology in the territory of Iraq and Afghanistan and as such we have enjoyed a successful cooperation with the US Army for several years now. The Afghan project could be another big government order in the company’s history” – says Marcin Frąckiewicz, CEO of the TS2 Technologie Satelitarne. “Our military network in Iraq has already over 10 thousand regular users for everyday broadband connections” – adds Frąckiewicz.

TS2 specializes in providing global satellite communication services in areas with poor telecommunications infrastructure. Its basic transmission medium is a two way transfer of data which provides not only the Internet access and transfer of information within the network but also voice communications. This type of services is very often used by defense industries, Special Forces and Army.

TS2 communication among the bases is possible thanks to the simultaneous lease of bands on the Intelsat 10-02, Intelsat 901 and ArabSat Badr-4 satellites whose coverage enables configuration of connections between any place in Europe, Middle East and Southwest Asia. TS2 additionally equips its customers with Thuraya and Iridium satellite telephones which are often the only means of communication in this region of the world.

TS2 provides telecommunication services for the United States Marine Corps as well as for the Iraq police training institutions in the following locations: West Ramadi, Warrar, Tal-Aswad, Saqlawiyah / Saqlawiah, Rutbah, Rumanah, Ramadi District HQ, Qatanna, Mulaab, Kubaisa, Khaladiah, Karmah, Jazeera, Hit, Haqlaniyah, Hamdiyah, Habbaniyah, Forsan, Ferris, East Ramadi, Barwannah, Anah, Ameriayah and Al Qaim. 

The provider of the new network for the Marines is to be selected by the end of 2008 within the applicable procedures of JCC-I/A (the Joint Contracting Command-Iraq/Afghanistan).

The most significant clients of TS2 Technologie Satelitarne include: the United States Marine Corps (USMC), the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Australian Defense Forces (ADF), the Polish Navy Headquarters, GROM Operational Mobile Reaction Group, the First Special Commando Regiment from Lubliniec, Lockheed Martin Information Technology, Halliburton Energy Services, KBR, General Dynamics Information Technology, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace, US Naval Research Laboratory, ITT Corporation Aerospace / Communications Division, Technest Holdings / EOIR Technologies, North Eastern Aeronautical Company (Neany), EchoStorm Worldwide, Jorge Scientific Corporation, Erinys International and Aegis Iraq.

Largest satellite military networks are in:

FOB Iskan, Iskandariyah
FOB Orgun-E
Camp Taji / FOB Bennett
FOB Hammer / Butler Range Complex
Camp Striker BIAP / Baghdad Airport
COB / FOB Speicher / Tikrit Airbase / FOB Summerall
Camp Habbaniyah
LSA Adder / Tallil Air Base
PRT Sharana
Kandahar Airfield / Tarin Kowt
Camp Ramadi / Camp Blue Diamond / Camp Junction City
Camp / FOB Warrior / Kirkuk
FOB Bagram / Bagram Air Base
FOB Waza Khwa
FOB Normandy
Al Taqaddum Airbase
Camp Echo / Ad Diwaniyah
Camp / FOB Bucca / Umm Qasr
FOB Marez / Mosul / LSA Diamondback
Camp Slayer / Baghdad Airport
International Zone / Baghdad
Camp Liberty / Baghdad
Camp Victory South
FOB Sykes
LSA Anaconda / Balad Airbase / FOB Paliwoda
FOB Endurance, Q-West / Qayyarah Airfield West
Camp Fallujah
FOB Falcon, Baghdad / Rasheed Airbase
Camp Al Asad
Camp Arifjan, Kuwait
CSC Scania
FOB Solerno / FOB Salerno
Al Kasik Military Base
Camp Duke / Najaf
FOB Prosperity

Supported military locations in Iraq
Supported military locations in Afgahanistan

TS2 News of 21.05.2007 Internet for the US Army soldiers in Iraq

VSAT satellite Internet in Iraq and Afghanistan

The new BusinessCom Advantage IP VSAT service is based on the DVB-S2 standard, with ACM (Adaptive Coding and Modulation) delivering up to 52 Mbps IP throughput per terminal, with the ability to bond multiple terminals together. Whenever high order modulation can be used, the throughput can be further increased up to 133 Mbps per terminal. The Advantage IP VSAT service is available in both bi-directional receive and transmit and receive-only configurations, seamlessly integrating with existing terrestrial IP uplinks.

The Advantage IP VSAT customer premise equipment (CPE) kit features an easy-to-install motorized antenna, with a relatively small footprint compared to traditional IO satellite tracking hardware. The system automatically aligns and stays aligned to the target satellite, without the need to deploy, and possibly redeploy, a licensed installer. The CPE is designed to provide single button satellite acquisition and automatic reacquisition in the harshest of environments, minimizing initial deployment and recurring maintenance expenditures.

The Advantage IP VSAT CPE also includes a high performance Layer 7 Firewall appliance that provides QoS, Network Intrusion Detection System, Remote Administration, caching and on the fly traffic compression capabilities. This significantly increases satellite bandwidth efficiency compared to traditional VSAT systems. By leveraging the IP bandwidth optimization and IO satellite pricing, the Advantage IP VSAT is a very high performance, dedicated satellite Internet access solution.

“High-speed access is about more than being able to surf the Internet,” informed Mike Cook, Hughes senior vice president. “For the millions of homes and small businesses lying within areas of North America that are unserved by cable and DSL providers, satellite broadband is what keeps people connected to friends and family and keeps countless small businesses generating revenue.”

HughesNet high-speed satellite service is what kept Angie Reinche of Missouri in contact with her husband when he was deployed in Iraq. In Wilmore, Kan., HughesNet Internet access at the local library has enabled the town’s 100 residents to take distance learning classes, conduct research, and shop online, giving them access to stores that are a four-hour car ride away.

For farmers such as Lee Sherbyn of “Pay it Forward Ranch” in Bealeton, Va. or Linda Laney of “Laney Honey” in North Liberty, Ind., a HughesNet satellite connection is the only way their businesses can survive.
“Our latest generation of HughesNet satellite broadband services, powered by our SPACEWAY® 3 satellite, bring significantly increased speed, flexibility, and value to our customers,” Cook added. “We are proud to have reached this significant milestone and could not have done it without the hard work of our dealers, installers, and employees. We look forward to continuing to push the envelope, bringing our subscribers even faster speeds and more feature-rich applications in the future.”

According to Cook, “While the government continues to debate the best approach to providing universal broadband access, Hughes is delivering on the promise today and the more than 500,000 subscribers we proudly serve can attest to the difference it has made in their lives and in their communities.”

HughesNet is the leading broadband satellite Internet service in North America. For more information about HughesNet services, please visit www.hughesnet.com or call 1-866-859-2268.

About Hughes Network Systems

Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES) is the global leader in providing broadband satellite networks and services for large enterprises, governments, small businesses, and consumers. HughesNet encompasses all broadband solutions and managed services from Hughes, bridging the best of satellite and terrestrial technologies. Its broadband satellite products are based on global standards approved by the TIA, ETSI and ITU standards organizations, including IPoS/DVB-S2, RSM-A and GMR-1. To date, Hughes has shipped more than 2.1 million systems to customers in over 100 countries.

Headquartered outside Washington, D.C., in Germantown, Maryland, USA, Hughes maintains sales and support offices worldwide. Hughes is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hughes Communications, Inc. ( HUGH). For additional information, please visit www.hughes.com.

WBJ: US Marine Corps, US Army Corps of Engineers, GROM and many more… How did you manage to gain these impressive contracts?

Marcin Frąckiewicz: To answer I need to go back to the beginning. During my trips to Iraq I noticed that ordinary American soldiers, different from Polish, had literally no access to the internet or cell-phones to get in touch with their loved ones. This is when we started to offer them a wireless internet access via satellite. Groups of soldiers pooled money to buy our terminals. They referred us to their colleagues from next contingents and so on. Popularity among regular soldiers brought inquiries from official US institutions, and this is how we were allowed to those big tenders with government orders and with contractors for the US Army. US Army Corps of Engineers bought around 100 BGAN terminals – these are smaller than laptops, but are more expensive than over-sized VSAT access equipment. However, individual soldiers still remain our most important customers.

WBJ: How many customers does your company have? Are these just military?

MF: It is a list of about 50-60 institutional customers, not only military, but also private companies that use our VSAT internet access. With our partner we provide services for nine US embassies in Africa. The number of individual soldiers using our services in Iraq and Afghanistan is around 15,000. Non-military customers include Agora, for example, which equips its foreign correspondents with satellite phones. World Bank also uses our phone services. This customer list comprises several hundred.

WBJ: How you make your services competitive?

MF: Price is the key. We cooperate with cheap middleman and also directly with satellite operators. We buy services in Dubai, where our partners’ warehouses and distributors of the equipment are located. It is also a tax-free zone, so here go another costs. We have partner install teams on site in the Middle East, so we are able to set up the VSAT access very quickly.

Our company tries to minimize the operation costs, hence our small office and a large network of partners. This is a business, where you win by knowledge rather than by building a big structure.

MP: Will you suffer from recently announced spending cuts at the Defense Ministry?

MF: I doubt it. 85 percent of our orders go abroad. Of course there will be fewer government tenders and the competition will grow. So we have to expect fewer orders for our satellite phones in Poland. Plus some contracts for internet access may not be renewed.

WBJ: What will you do when the American troops withdraw from Iraq then?

MF: From the business point of view obviously we are not looking forward to US pulling out, as most of our activity is based on the US Army presence in the Middle East. We would need to come up with a solution to reorganize our business. But there would still be corporate customers left for us.

WBJ: How do you see the future of this sector?

MF: We are anxiously awaiting launching of the Ka-Sat scheduled for 2010. The aim of this project is to make satellite access services cheap enough for ordinary Kowalski to make use of it. The prices of bands are to drop ten times, while the equipment is also expected to cost a few hundred złoty rather than several thousands. Our company would also like to get involved in this new offer, because it will help us target individual customers.

About TS2 Satellite Provider

TS2 specializes in providing global satellite access services. Our core business is broadband access to the Internet in areas with poor telecommunications infrastructure and mobile satellite phones communication. The main medium of used transmission is a two-way satellite transfer system, which provides good access to the satellite network in even the least accessible areas. It not only provides a broadband connection but also a wide range of additional data and voice services.

Before end of 2008 year, the TS2 solutions have been implemented for United States Marine Corps (USMC), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Australian Defence Force (ADF), Command of Polish Navy, Polish National Police, Polish National Headquarters of the State Fire Services, Border Guard (Poland), World Bank Group, Lockheed Martin Information Technology, Halliburton Energy Services, KBR, General Dynamics Information Technology, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace, US Naval Research Laboratory, ITT Corporation – Aerospace / Communications Division, CACI Technologies, ARINC Incorporated, North Eastern Aeronautical Company (Neany), Warsaw Stock Exchange, Polish Supreme Chamber of Control, Polish State Railways PKP S.A., University of Warsaw, Reuters, TVP – Polish TV, PAP – Polish Press Agency, BMW – Bayerische Motoren Werke, DaimlerChrysler, IBM – International Business Machines Corporation, HP – Hewlett-Packard, Carrefour, Colgate-Palmolive, PGNiG – Polish Petroleum and Gas Mining, White&Case, Sun Microsystems, PMM – Polish Medical Mission, UPS – United Parcel Service and Polish Medical Air Rescue.

Disaster response

USACE provides engineering and infrastructure services for navigation, flood control, disaster response and also constructs military facilities. The corps has in recent years been deployed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and has assisted in Iraq and Afghanistan. Global satellite communications provider Vizada is sub-contracting services to Delta Wave Communications, who will provide BGAN and other mobile satcom services to USACE.

Constant contact

Vizada says BGAN will make possible the smooth-running of operations by enabling constant contact between headquarters and teams in the field. BGAN will also give greater autonomy and improve morale for people working remotely for USACE through broadband data connections.

“Vizada continues to enhance its service and solution offerings to meet the rapidly changing needs of customers such as USACE,” said Bob Baker, president of Vizada Inc.

Link with home

BGAN is also providing a much-wanted link with home for US Army soldiers stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. TS2 Satellite Technologies is supplying rugged, lightweight Thrane & Thrane Explorer terminals so soldiers can access the internet and email, with airtime provided by Satcom Group. Able to withstand temperatures of up to 80 degrees C and also resistant to water, humidity, shock and dirt, the terminals are highly portable and quick and easy to set up.

“The internet access has resulted in major morale improvements. Troops no longer feel cut off from home – this is especially important for the many who are married and have young children,” said TS2 chief executive Marcin Frackiewicz.

More information on Inmarsat website