January 2010: apscc monthly e-Newsletter The Asia-Pacific Satellite Communications Council (apscc)

The Asia-Pacific Satellite Communications Council has also been striving to enhance the development of the Asia-Pacific satellite industry over that span of time. With the support from its 110 members, APSCC was able to build a premier global satellite community that could better represent the industry. Also, in conjunction with other organizations APSCC has broadened its scope of activities and diversified its business domain to embrace the various needs of its members.

Hopes and expectations for another fresh start are filled in the industry at the dawn of a new year. The road ahead for us may not be easy at this challenging time, but in 2010 APSCC will put forth much effort in more substantive ways to promote communications and broadcasting via satellite as well as outer space activities in the region. APSCC will also endeavor to overcome any areas in which we may have fallen short in the previous years.

I would like to thank our members once again for your dedication and encouragement to APSCC and wish all of you a very good and healthy year.


Nongluck Phinainitisart
President

APSCC

The 13^th Asia-Pacific Satellite Communication, Broadcasting and Space Conference and Exhibition, APSCC 2010, will be held in Tokyo, Japan from September 28 to 30 this year. APSCC expects that the 2010 annual conference will embrace a larger number of participants including its members from Japan and neighboring countries.

December 1, 2009 - KVH Industries has entered into a multi-year agreement to utilize the African coverage of Telesat's Telstar 11N satellite. KVH's commitment to Telstar 11N is the latest step in its joint effort with ViaSat Inc. to offer a seamless broadband network for vessels, aircraft, and other mobile markets on a global basis. Telstar 11N's Ku-band capacity over Africa will form a key part of KVH's mini-VSAT Broadband service that supports broadband Internet and voice channels for commercial and leisure boaters. Telstar 11N will also provide African coverage for the ViaSat Yonder mobile broadband network.

December 3, 2009 - Globecomm Systems Inc. commenced an operational commercial X-band service offering to US Military and Coalition Forces operating in Southwest Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Globecomm’s end-to-end X-band offering combines licensed teleport assets, a global fiber network, commercial X-band space segment, a redundant iDirect Internet Protocol (IP) services platform, and a wide range of satellite terminal equipment options. This service provisioning will support the demand for increased US Military and Coalition Forces’ bandwidth requirements in an IP-centric fashion. This commercial X-band service offering makes use of high power satellites that can support the deployment of small aperture antennas including man-portable units in regions of the world that have very high usage demands and are in critical need of additional bandwidth options.

December 3, 2009 - The World Teleport Association (WTA) has launched a new “Green Teleport” campaign to help its members improve their energy efficiency, slash energy costs and make their energy-dependent businesses more sustainable. Kicking off with publication of a white paper, “The Green Teleport: The Business Case for Sustainability,” the campaign includes online resources to help members start reducing costs and carbon, a survey of current energy management practices and concerns, and two events taking place during SATELLITE 2010 in Washington DC: a Members Forum meeting to explore the issue, and presentation of WTA’s first-ever Green Teleport Award during the annual Teleport Awards for Excellence.

December 7, 2009 - Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES) has expanded provision of high-speed satellite Internet access for U.S. troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Available at U.S. military bases, the broadband Internet service is being delivered via the company’s new operations hub in Dubai, enabling troops to stay in touch with family and friends at home, including sending photos and videos, connecting over social networking sites and making VoIP telephone calls.

December 7, 2009 - Orange Business Services has expanded its satellite network to include a DVB-S2 broadband service based on iDirect’s Evolution platform. Orange Business Services is a provider of telecommunications services to multinational companies, and this upgrade will strengthen the satellite services it offers as part of its fully managed Virtual Private Network (VPN) solution, Business VPN. Orange Business Services has integrated the iDirect satellite communications platform, including 16 iDirect hubs stationed at eight teleports, with Business VPN. This seamless network enables Orange Business Services to offer the same next-generation IP broadband service over satellite that it already provides terrestrially.

December 7, 2009 - Iridium Communications Inc. activated the 1,000th Iridium OpenPort® marine satellite terminal aboard the Euronav tanker MV Fraternity. Iridium’s service provider AND Group installed and commissioned the Iridium OpenPort unit, which utilizes AND’s IPSignature communication management software for voice and data calls. Fraternity is a new double-hull Belgium-flagged 159,000 deadweight ton tanker delivered to Euronav from the Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard in South Korea. It is the 13th Euronav vessel to be fitted with Iridium OpenPort, and the company is currently installing the Iridium satcom terminals on 20 more ships.

December 7, 2009 - Afghanistan Satellite is a new Afghanistan to USA communications service offered by Hawaii Pacific Teleport. The service is provided on the JCSAT 3A satellite at the orbital position of 128 degrees East operated by Sky Perfect JSAT Corporation. The satellite footprint covers all of Afghanistan and adjoining countries and supports two way communications service in excess of 2 Megabits on small C-band antennas with a 2.4 meter diameter. The new Afghanistan Satellite service provides the lowest latency communications link from Afghanistan to most of the USA, which is important for defense contractors who for security reasons need to use "thin client" server based computing to eliminate storing classified information on computers in Afghanistan.

December 7, 2009 - SatLink Communications Ltd. and SES WORLD SKIES announced the launch of a new DS3 fiber link connecting their teleport facilities. The new link allows SatLink client's direct access to SES WORLD SKIES' U.S. satellite fleet while also enabling SES WORLD SKIES to further expand the reach of its satellites covering Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. This collaboration is expected to bring additional business opportunities to both companies. For SES WORLD SKIES, the connection represents an additional means to extend the reach of SES' satellite fleet in the Asian, Pacific, African, Middle Eastern and European markets. SatLink, one of SES WORLD SKIES key teleport partners in the Middle East region, enhances its global distribution capabilities by linking its Israel-based teleport to the Americas through SES WORLD SKIES' satellite fleet and augments its world-wide transmission capacity and global fiber network.

December 15, 2009 - SpaceCom International has introduced a GSM cellular backhaul service based on iDirect’s satellite communications platform. SpaceCom selected the iDirect platform to reduce satellite bandwidth and infrastructure costs and improve voice and data traffic quality. SpaceCom tested the iDirect platform against a legacy serial GSM connection and realized bandwidth savings of more than 50 percent, while significantly improving network speed and voice quality. SpaceCom is currently backhauling voice traffic from more than 30 sites in Afghanistan. In 2010, the company plans to expand its service to up to 200 sites and to mobile operators in emerging Asian markets. SpaceCom is planning the roll-out of Ku-band GSM backhaul within the South Asia region in the first Quarter of 2010.

December 15, 2009 - Inmarsat has activated the 5,000th FleetBroadband terminal. This figure represents commercially active SIM cards passing operational traffic. The latest member of the FleetBroadband family, FB150, already has 500 terminals activated – a rate of adoption which is twice that of FB500 and FB250 at a similar period after launch. The 5,000th terminal was activated on Happy Rover, a 1997-build owned by Dutch company BigLift Shipping B.V., a member of the Spliethoff Group. Happy Rover was fitted with an FB500 by Stratos. Stratos has managed Spliethoff’s communication for over 30 years, from the early days of telex through to FleetBroadband; and now works to utilize new features like remote IT management, and to improve the information flow between ship and shore while maintaining control over the costs.

December 15, 2009 - ViaSat Inc. has completed the acquisition of WildBlue Communications Inc., a Ka-band satellite broadband service provider. In acquiring WildBlue, ViaSat gains one of the most successful and fastest growing wholesale and retail broadband service providers in the U.S. The combination of ViaSat and WildBlue sets the stage for accelerated growth and expansion of the WildBlue broadband service using ViaSat next generation network technology, featuring the high-capacity ViaSat-1 satellite scheduled to launch in early 2011.ViaSat expects to provide a current financial outlook for fiscal year 2011, including the effects of the acquisition, at its next earnings conference call scheduled for early February 2010.

December 16, 2009 - Tring Communications, a subsidiary of Albanian Satellite Communications (ASC), one of the leading television and telecommunications service providers in Albania, is strengthening its established relationship with Eutelsat Communications through the signature of a distribution contract for the Tooway™ consumer broadband service. The Tooway™ contract was signed with Skylogic, Eutelsat's broadband affiliate. Tring Communications' selection of the Tooway™ broadband service enables the company to deliver broadband across Albania, notably to homes and businesses in areas beyond range of its terrestrial infrastructure. The Tooway™ service consists of a satellite dish and a modem connected to a PC, giving customers immediate broadband access with 3.6 Mbps on the downlink to user PCs and 384 kbps on the uplink to Eutelsat's EUROBIRD™ 3 satellite. Tring Communications has also renewed and expanded its capacity on the W2 satellite with a multi-year contract signed with Eutelsat for broadcasting its Tring Digital pay-TV platform.

December 16, 2009 - IPSTAR Australia Pty Ltd (IPSTAR), a subsidiary of Thaicom Public Company Limited, welcomed an opportunity to commit its satellite capacity to NBN and was already in discussions with NBN Co about solving the rural broadband issue. Having already demonstrated NBN grade services in Canberra recently, IPSTAR believes it is well placed to provide a quick launch for NBN Co’s rural high speed broadband. To date, consumer services up to 4Mbps have been available by IPSTAR and its ABG accredited Service Providers. IPSTAR said that in its discussions with the Government and NBN Co to date and it had volunteered approaches to solve the rural broadband problem and highlighted long term capacity requirements along with the challenges. In the meantime IPSTAR will continue deploying rural services with its Service Providers and the existing ABG subsidy scheme until an alternative approach is executed.

December 16, 2009 - Iridium Communications Inc. has awarded a contract to Integral Systems, Inc.’s subsidiary, RT Logic for the development of a software-defined modem (SDM) for the new feeder link terminals (FLT) to be deployed at Iridium ground stations. Under the development contract, RT Logic will supply two prototype modems for on-orbit test and verification. Iridium expects to complete the development and certification effort by the end of 2010. The SDM will be based on RT Logic’s existing T400XR® COTS product.

December 17, 2009 - Intelsat announced that Etisalat UAE has signed a multi-year capacity contract on Intelsat’s recently launched Intelsat 15 satellite (IS-15), located at 85 degrees East. Etisalat will utilize this capacity to expand its network platform beyond the United Arab Emirates and provide higher-bandwidth broadband services to its enterprise customers throughout the Gulf region.IS-15, launched 30 November 2009, is expected to go into service in the first quarter of 2010. Once on station, IS-15 will replace the Intelsat 709 satellite, and IS-15’s high power Ku-band payload will serve the Middle East, Russia and the Indian Ocean region. Customers will use IS-15’s capacity to distribute high growth applications that include cellular backhaul for wireless communications to remote locations; broadband networks for enterprise applications; IP Trunking for robust Internet connectivity; and video services for DTH programming.

December 17, 2009 - Satellite operator SES S.A. announced that its SES Satellite Leasing business unit in the Isle of Man was selected as the successful bidder in the public auction for the Protostar 2 satellite with a USD 185 million, all cash offer. Upon conclusion of the transaction, Protostar 2 will be integrated into the global satellite fleet of SES WORLD SKIES to provide incremental capacity over Asia. Protostar 2, built by Boeing, carries 22 physical Ku-Band transponders as well as 10 S-band transponders. The satellite was launched in May 2009 onboard a Proton rocket and is expected to provide at least 15-years of operational service. The transaction is subject to certain regulatory and bankruptcy court approvals.

December 21, 2009 - ARINC Inc. and Vizada Americas announced the availability of Inmarsat Classic Aeronautical voice and data services using the next-generation Inmarsat I-4 satellite constellation. Effective immediately, the companies will provide Inmarsat Aero H, Aero H+, Aero I, and Aero L packet data services, and Aero H+ voice services, over Inmarsat’s I-4 satellite network, as well as over the previous generation Inmarsat I-3 satellites. Services available over the new I-4 network will complement those available on the I-3 network. Inmarsat’s Classic Aero services are currently used on more than 8,000 commercial air transport aircraft, business jets, and military aircraft for operational and safety-critical applications, such as ACARS and Controller-Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC).

December 21, 2009 - SES S.A. has secured a EUR 522,889,400 export credit funding facility guaranteed by Coface, France’s export credit agency. The purpose of the facility is to finance four new satellites (designated ASTRA 2E, ASTRA 2F, ASTRA 2G and ASTRA 5B) for which the procurement contract with Astrium was signed 30 November 2009. The facility has been arranged by BNP Paribas and Société Générale as Mandated Lead Arrangers and ING Belgium S.A. as Arranger. The whole facility is guaranteed by Coface and will mature in 2022.

December 8, 2009 - RSCC, the national satellite communications operator of Russia, has proceeded to distribute the first multiplex programs over Siberia and the Far East. The digital program package includes all-Russian public compulsory TV & radio communications channels approved by the Russian President's decree No. 715. According to the transmission scheme, the MPEG4 digital program package has been formed in the RSCC Shabolovka Technical Center and transmitted via terrestrial fiber optical communications lines into RSCC’s Satellite Communications Center “Bear Lakes”. Further on, the first multiplex program package has been transmitted via the Express-MD1 satellite into RSCC’s Satellite Communications Center “Khabarovsk”, from where it has been uplinked to the Express-AM3 satellite and distributed to the Far East and Siberia.

December 18, 2009 - Elettronica Industriale, the network operator of the Mediaset Group has renewed its leases for capacity with Eutelsat Communications on the ATLANTIC BIRD 3 satellite in order to secure channel distribution to Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) transmitters across Italy. ATLANTIC BIRD 3 was first selected by Elettronica Industriale in March 2006 as the primary distribution platform to ensure nationwide delivery of channels to DTT towers. The two transponders leased by Elettronica Industriale host four multiplexes, which include free-to-air and pay-TV content, and which are uplinked from its teleport in Milan.

December 30, 2009 - AsiaSat and Vietnam Multimedia Corporation (VTC), Vietnam’s leading national broadcaster and operator in digital broadcasting, announced the signing of a lease agreement for the use of multiple Ku-band transponders on AsiaSat 5 for a new Direct-to-Home (DTH) service in Vietnam. VTC will use the transponder capacity in early 2010 to provide a brand new DTH television service, distributing up to 30 HD and 70 SD TV channels to households in Vietnam. The new VTC's DTH package on AsiaSat 5 will offer a wide variety of premium content ranging from sports, entertainment to technology and lifestyle.

December 30, 2009 - KT Corp., which operates the KOREASAT-5 satellite, has signed a deal with Philippine Multi-Media System Inc. to start satellite broadcast service in the Southeast Asian country. Under the deal, KT will rent equipment for satellite broadcasting starting in 2010. This service marks the first overseas satellite broadcast service via the Korean satellite since it was placed into orbit in August, 2006.

November 30, 2009 - SES has ordered four multi-mission satellites from Astrium to provide replacement as well as incremental capacity for its SES ASTRA and SES WORLD SKIES divisions. The new satellites, to be designated ASTRA 2E, ASTRA 2F, ASTRA 2G and ASTRA 5B, will allow the release of the existing satellites at two orbital positions (28.2 and 31.5 degrees East) and add new capacity as well as fleet deployment flexibility for the SES group over the coming years. The satellites are scheduled for launch in several steps between 2012 and 2014. The design life of each satellite is 15 years.

November 30, 2009 - A Zenit-3SLB vehicle successfully launched the Intelsat 15 satellite (IS-15) on November 30 from the Land Launch facilities at the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan. The satellite, built by Orbital Sciences Corporation, is expected to have a useful life of at least 17 years. Customers will use IS-15’s capacity to distribute in-demand services that include cellular backhaul, for wireless communications to remote locations; broadband networks for enterprise applications; IP trunking, for robust Internet connectivity; and video services, for DTH programming. Of the IS-15's 22 Ku-band transponders, five are owned by SKY Perfect JSAT Corp. IS-15 will offer SKY Perfect JSAT the ability to provide direct broadband connections between Japan and the coastal countries and sea areas throughout the Indian Ocean region, delivering interactive mobile communications for ships and other vessels at sea.

December 1, 2009 - Global satellite operators SES S.A., Intelsat Ltd., and Inmarsat plc, have announced the founding of the Space Data Association Ltd. (SDA), a non-profit company established in the Isle of Man that is the first satellite operator-led association dedicated to sharing critical operational data in support of satellite operations, improving flight safety and preserving the space environment. In order to enhance the management of satellite conjunction analysis and mitigation of RF interference, the SDA will also establish the Satellite Data Center to provide an efficient, reliable and secure means for participants to share key operations data. The SDA anticipates that its electronic Data Center will become operational in 2010.

December 3, 2009 - Sea Launch Company, LLC, received final approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware on its motion to secure up to $12.5 million in debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing from Space Launch Services, LLC. Sea Launch received interim approval from the court on November 10 for the DIP credit facility, which is providing working capital for continued Sea Launch operations while the company proceeds through its Chapter 11 reorganization. The company is also completing a comprehensive plan for a revised and revitalized supply chain management structure with its partner organizations to assure timely and cost-effective hardware deliveries and related infrastructure support. During the first quarter of 2010, Sea Launch plans to submit a Plan of Reorganization to the court as a step toward emerging from Chapter 11 status. Sea Launch will also be working to secure exit financing to provide a strong foundation for transitioning from bankruptcy to a healthy and reliable launch services provider.

December 15, 2009 - China sent into space a remote-sensing satellite, Yaogan VIII, from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center on December 15 aboard a Long March 4C carrier rocket. Also on board was a mini satellite, Hope I, which will be used for the China’s young people to experience aerospace science and technology. Hope I has already been put into orbit.

December 17, 2009 - Orbital Sciences Corporation has been selected by Intelsat, S.A. to design, build and deliver the Intelsat 23 (IS-23) commercial communications satellite. The satellite will be based on Orbital’s STAR-2 platform. IS-23 will generate 4.8 kW of payload power and carry 15 active Ku-band and 24 active C-band transponders. The satellite will be located in orbit at 53 degrees West following its launch in late 2011. The spacecraft will provide communications services for the Americas, Europe and Africa.

December 21, 2009 - Avanti Communications Group plc has chosen Arianespace to launch its HYLAS 2 communications satellite. The HYLAS 2 satellite will be boosted into geostationary transfer orbit in the first half of 2012 by an Ariane 5 or Soyuz launcher operating at the Guiana Space Center, Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. It is the second Avanti satellite to be launched by Arianespace. HYLAS 2 will be built by Orbital Sciences Corporation using a Star-2 platform. The satellite will weigh approximately up to 4,000 kg at launch. HYLAS 2 will offer a design life of 15 years and will provide DTH TV broadcast and data transmission services for Europe. HYLAS 2 will be the 17th satellite built by Orbital Sciences Corporation to be launched by Arianespace.

December 23, 2009 - Thales Alenia Space has signed a new GEO communications satellite contract with OverHorizon with offices in the US, Sweden and Cyprus. The spacecraft will carry an on-board processing payload provided by Thales Alenia Space, mounted on Orbital Sciences Corporation’s STARTM 2.3 satellite platform. Both Thales Alenia Space and Orbital will share in the contract responsibilities as co-prime partners and the satellite will be delivered in early 2012. Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed. OverHorizon provides a regenerative system for broadband communication via the satellite to, from and between small, inexpensive user terminals installed on moving vehicles, such as cars, trucks, boats, airplanes, etc.

December 29, 2009 - International Launch Services (ILS) successfully carried the DIRECTV 12 satellite into orbit for DIRECTV of El Segundo, California, on an ILS Proton on December 29. This was the seventh and final commercial launch of 2009 for ILS and the 56th ILS Proton launch overall. The DIRECTV 12 satellite was built on the Boeing 702 platform by Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems and will serve to expand DIRECTV’s HD capacity by 50 percent with over 200 national channels and 1,500 local HD and digital channels and more advanced services for its 18 million customers nationwide. The satellite will receive and transmit programming throughout the US with two Ka-band reflectors and nine other Ka-band reflectors.

December 10, 2009 - On the regular meeting of the Board of Directors of the Eutelsat SA company, RSCC Deputy Director General, Denis Pivnyuk, was co-opted to its membership with following confirming on the ordinary shareholder’s meeting on December 10.

GSTC-SATTECH 2010, a merger of Global Space Technology Conference (GSTC) 2010, organized by Singapore Space and Technology Association (SSTA), and Satellite Technology Asia (SATTECH) 2010, organized by DTC Conferences, is an international event to showcase the latest in Space & Satellite Technologies, as well as to bring onboard developments of new ventures into space to the Asia-Pacific region.

With the support from the government departments, Ministry of defense, border guards/immigration, news media, business enterprises and the 3 state-owned telecommunication companies after the consolidation report about deadly natural disasters in China last year, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has agreed and approved the Radio Association of China (RAC) and Digital Communication World media to organize an event called China Wireless Conference that will be held from March 24-26, 2010 in Beijing.

Conferences, forums, workshops, and exhibitions are organized through regional coordination with its members in order to promote new services and businesses via satellite as well as outer space activities. APSCC membership is open to any government body, public or private organization, association, or corporation that is involved in satellite services, risk management or associate fields such as data-casting, informatics, multi-media, telecommunications and other outer-space related activities with interests in the Asia-Pacific region. More information is available at www.apscc.or.kr.