Up In The Air

Texas-based systems integrator Proactive Communications Inc., or PCI, has been using satellite technology to integrate camp communications of US government personnel in the Middle East. It has established a partnership with Australian satellite specialist, NewSat Ltd, to use the Adelaide teleport facility specifically for mission critical communications purposes.

What PCI does is convert data, which comes in the form of radio signals, into data streams through IP addresses. Once this is accomplished, the IP data streams are backhauled or transmitted over a satellite orbiting the earth to a telecommunications port facility, in this case the station located in Adelaide. It is essential for military personnel to rely on a systems integrator company because in military camps, the communications systems vary.

PCI comes into the frame by integrating all these systems and networks to make sure that communications are working properly for use by medical staff, emergency technicians, soldiers, and even construction staff. Regions of conflict often have damaged terrestrial infrastructure so wireless communications modes, often through satellite, is crucial for the success of any military operation.

The reason why Proactive is using teleport services in Australia is due to the geographic advantages of the said country. Australia’s location in the Southern Hemisphere allows for better coverage since it has optimal look angles into both Africa and the Middle East.

Teleport facilities housed in the state of South Australia are located in a remote region which makes them less prone to frequency interference common in stations operating near crowded, urban regions. The remoteness of the state allows the ground stations to connect to a greater number of satellites in the sky. South Australia also enjoys low rainfall and mild weather conditions suited for teleport facilities. No major earthquakes occur in the area too.

At present, more and more companies outside of the defence industry are turning to teleport facilities in Australia because of its geographic advantages. US-based organizations find these ground stations down-under appealing because Australia, as an allied country, shares similar foreign policies as Washington.

In fact, during the Satellite 2012 event, which was held in the US capital, the Australian ambassador to the use recognized the satellite sector down under for distinguishing itself in the global stage. With demand for satellite capacity increasing, operators based in Australia are looking to supply these needs by focusing on innovative technologies, and aggressively launching new infrastructure, including commercial satellites running on the new Ka band spectrum.

The Australian federal government has been keen on underpinning the nation’s strength in satellite technology in restructuring its space policy. Whereas the country has lagged behind Europe and the US in terms of international space activity, it’s looking to refocus efforts with the “Satellite Utilisation Policy”, a legislation supporting the growth of the nation’s satellite industry.

To cope with increasing data traffic across the country, the Federal Communications Commission voted on Wednesday to allot telecom giant AT&T unused airwaves for mobile broadband service expansion. The FCC revised the rules to the Wireless Communication Services or WCS band, and eased restrictions, after another company, Sirius XM Radio Inc, arrived to an agreement with AT&T. Part of the WCS band will be set aside to make sure it will not interfere with Sirius’ satellite services.

According to AT&T representative Joan Marsh, the company can now start working on the deployment of equipment to the WCS band for mobile broadband services in the next 3 years. Early this year, the telecom giant had to give up spectrum license as a fine for failing to get regulatory approval for its acquisition of T-Mobile.

The WCS spectrum was auctioned of the the FCC back in 1997. Unfortunately, it has not been optimised because it can potentially cause interference to other wireless services, including satellite.

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Long-haul passengers aboard an A330 airliner operated by Garuda Indonesia will soon be able to use their mobile devices foremailings, text messages, phone calls, and Internet surfing. That’s because OnAir has been contracted to provide inflight mobile phone and Wi-Fi services to Garuda’s fleet later this year.

Garuda is the national carrier of Indonesia. It has tapped OnAir to deliver Mobile OnAir and Internet OnAir services across its 28-strong fleet of A330 airliners. The OnAir equipment will be retrofitted onto Garuda’s current A330 fleet starting November, and will be linefitted to the 21 new aircraft that the Indonesian carrier has recently ordered from Airbus

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