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First Ka-band satellite for Africa

Farzana Rasool
By Farzana Rasool, ITWeb IT in Government Editor.
Johannesburg, 06 Jun 2011

The first Ka-band satellite to provide broadband Internet access to SA and other African countries will be launched this year, says satellite broadband provider Hughes Network Systems.

Hughes is supplying its Ka-band broadband satellite system and terminals for the ground segment of the Yahsat 1B satellite to be launched towards the end of 2011.

The company says despite more than 20 optic fibre cable networks now reaching African shores, satellite services will continue to fulfil an important role in providing the telecommunications infrastructure for urban centres, as well as inland and remote areas, particularly as new high-capacity Ka-band satellites come on-stream.

Exhausted spectrum

Soheil Mehrabanzad, assistant VP in the Middle East and Africa, says Ka-band wave technology began in earnest in North America with the launch of the company's Spaceway3 satellite system in 2007.

“Ka-band satellite has now become one of today's fastest-growing technologies, because of the growing demand for capacity.”

He adds that the demand for broadband is exhausting the available capacity of existing C- and Ku-band satellites, since enterprises increasingly depend on media-rich applications to grow their businesses, governments need high-bandwidth applications to deliver services, and consumers want to watch movies, make VOIP phone calls, and browse the Web.

“Ka-band technology makes this possible over satellite, breaking down the communication barriers faced by millions of households and businesses globally that lack access to terrestrial broadband service - or can't get Ku-band services because the spectrum is saturated.

”The high bandwidth available in the Ka spectrum and frequency re-use capabilities across multiple beams and enable the delivery of more capacity at faster speeds to smaller dishes - opening the door to upgraded services at lower costs.”

SA partnership

The company uses geostationary satellite coverage to deliver broadband Internet services in a wide range of locations.

“Our approach is to understand the psychology, culture, and needs of each region, and then to use this knowledge to develop appropriate solutions,” says Mehrabanzad.

In SA, Hughes works with local partner, SAAB Grintek, to provide a managed network service.

It is also providing Vodacom with its Ka/Ku-band terminals solutions in anticipation of the arrival of Ka-band satellite services in Africa, as the operator propels aggressive expansion of converged service offerings in SA and throughout the continent.

While Ka-band offers potential in a range of market segments, including corporate, government, military, education and transport, Hughes sees most opportunities for growth in high-speed satellite Internet access for consumers.

Related story:
Mavoni boosts universal access

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