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HOME REVIEWS CONTACT ABOUT January 14, 2010
ViaSat-1 and Ka-Sat:
Satellite Communications on Steroids
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The demand
for Broadband Internet by satellite is indisputable, as is the demand for more
communication bandwidth in general. HDTV
signals require 4-5 times as much bandwidth for transmission as standard
definition video, even with sophisticated MPEG-4 encoding. Internet communications bandwidth requirements
continue to grow at about 50% annually.
Satellite Internet Services like WildBlue have
been struggling to meet capacity. WildBlue has stopped taking new orders in certain parts of
the 
There
are currently over 600,000 satellite Internet subscribers today in
Current
satellite systems aren’t designed for the high bandwidth applications that
people want, such as HDTV, graphics, VoIP, and peer-to-peer networking. "It does not have to be that way. Day to day consumer Internet interactions
involving high-bandwidth activities like video and multimedia were not part of
the plans when earlier satellite services were designed. We are aiming to give consumers
a vastly improved experience based on the most advanced technology on the
market. These new capabilities are not only technologically very feasible,
they’re also affordable," said Mark
Dankberg,
CEO ViaSat.
ViaSat-1 to Double Total North American VSAT Capacity
ViaSat
has plans to address the demand. It is a
new satellite, scheduled for launch in 2011, called
ViaSat-1. ViaSat
says its new satellite will have ten times the capacity of today's
satellites. ViaSat-1 should improve the quality,
capability and availability of high-speed Internet satellite services for
ViaSat-1
is a very advanced Ka band Internet satellite.
The amount of bandwidth enabled by ViaSat-1, equipped with ViaSat's "SurfBeam"
networking system, is unparalleled. Total throughput is designed to be over 100
Gigabits per second (Gbps), which is more capacity than the current North
American fleet of two-way Ka, C and Ku band combined. In 2010, Ka-Sat will
launch a satellite to provide similar service in
The new
satellites will also be used to provide Internet services, TV (including HDTV),
mobile Internet, and defense satellite communications. By 2010, 60% of TV receivers will use a
Satellite signal, up from 15% in 2002. ViaSat terminals use a networking technology that uses
satellite bandwidth more efficiently, called DOCSIS (Data Over
Cable Service Interface Specifications), lowering the cost of Internet service
to consumers. The terminals include satellite modems and Ka band
transceivers. The high throughout of
ViaSat-1 makes it ideal for transmitting new video applications requiring ultra
high bit rates such as HDTV, HD digital cinema, and 3D TV.
DOCSIS
also includes technology that addresses rain fade, a reduction in signal
strength caused by heavy rain. The ViaSat system
automatically responds to rain fade with uplink power control and adaptive data
coding techniques.
ViaSat-1
and Ka-Sat will offer 10 to 15 times the capacity of Ku band satellites through
frequency reuse by using a technology called "SpotBeams".
SpotBeams are like a searchlight. Instead of sending a signal across the
continent, SpotBeams focus a signal on an area 50-100
miles in radius. Since the frequency is
focused on a limited area, the same frequency spectrum can be reused for a
different locale.
Median
DSL speed in the
Eutelsat
will position Ka-Sat in the same satellite neighborhood as three existing Hotbird Ku-band satellites at 13 degrees East.
By positioning Ka-Sat with these broadcast satellites they will be able to
bundle broadcast and broadband services. Consumers in
ViaSat-1
involves a collaborative effort between ViaSat,
Loral, TeleSat, and Eutelsat. Eutelsat
Communications is the holding company of Eutelsat
Loral,
was selected to build the ViaSat-1 high capacity broadband satellite. Loral is investing in the Canadian coverage
portion of the satellite in anticipation of Telesat