spectrum crunch - david ball, chief technology officer, newsat
TRANSCRIPT
Spectrum CrunchACMA RadComms13Sydney, 2-3 October 2013
David Ball, Chief Technology OfficerNewSat
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About NewSat
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Australia’s largest pure-play satellite communications company•Internet, voice, data and video•Coverage
• more than 75% of the globe• Australia, Asia, Middle East, Indian
Ocean (into Europe), and Pacific Ocean (into West Coast USA)
•Operations• Current: C-band and Ku-band• Future: Australia’s first commercial Ka-
band satellite, Jabiru-1, under construction and to be launched in 2015
NewSat owns and operates two Australian Teleports.
Adelaide Teleport (South Australia)•11 antennas ranging from 2.4 to 13 metres in size
•Up-linking to 8 geostationary satellites across C- and Ku-band
•Interconnected to terrestrial fibre networks and the Internet backbone
•Secure Global Access Point supporting certified classified networks to ensure the transmission of vital and sensitive information for government and enterprise clients
•24 x 7 x 365 on-site Network Operations Centre
NewSat’s Teleports
Perth Teleport (Western Australia)• 12 antennas ranging from 2.4 to 13 metres in size
• Up-linking to 9 geostationary satellites across C- and Ku-band
• Interconnected to terrestrial fibre networks and the Internet backbone
• 24 x 7 x 365 on-site Network Operations Centre
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• Commercial satellites are an essential component of global communications infrastructure
• Satellites carry the world’s media content around the globe
• Satellites deliver consumer services such as satellite television, satellite radio and broadband services
• Satellites offer instant communications through mobile and portable voice, data and video services, available globally
• Satellite networks link businesses among widely-dispersed locations
• Satellites provide connectivity and network restoration for disrupted terrestrial networks, as well as remote and rural telecommunications
Why satellites matter
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• Full geographic coverage from day 1
• Terrain independent
• Fast deployment – instant infrastructure
• Bypass terrestrial infrastructure
• Ideal for broadcast – “one to many”
• Ideal for remote users – “one to the middle of nowhere
• Perfect for thin-route applications – links are scalable as needs develop
• Support asymmetric data requirements
• Capacity can be easily reconfigured
Why satellites?
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C-Band(4-8GHz)
Ku-Band(12-18GHz)
Ka-Band(26-40GHz)
Uses•Full-time TV distribution
•Contribution feeds
•Backhaul and VSAT
Uses•Direct-to-home (DTH) television
•Satellite news gathering
•Fixed and broadcast services
•Backhaul and VSAT
•Enterprise communication networks
•Military applications
•Aeronautical & mobility applications
Uses•Fixed and broadcast services
•Backhaul and VSAT
•Enterprise communication networks
•Military applications
•High throughput satellite (HTS) applications
•Aeronautical & mobility applications
Satellite spectrum usage
C-Band and Ku-Band spectrum is in strong demand – new growth is now in Ka-Band
Higher power transmission
More focused beams
Some rain fade / signal attenuation issues
Spectrum saturated
Offers high capacity bandwidth at already occupied satellite positions
Greatest user flexibility
Smaller end-user antenna
Higher frequency
New spectrum available
Some rain fade / signal attenuation issues at the surface
Widely used
Broad footprint
Least rain fade
Reliable low bandwidth
Interference from terrestrial systems
Larger earth station antenna required
New Spectrum unavailable
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Most current satellites operate in C-band and Ku-band•Increased congestion in C- and Ku- band has resulted in an increase in Ka-band satellites being built and launched•Ka-band allows
• Available capacity• Flexible services• Cost-effective network deployments• Increased throughput compared to lower
frequency bands
Satellite Spectrum
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WRC-15 Agenda Item 1.1 is the latest manifestation of the wireless industry quest for spectrum•Insatiable appetite for spectrum to drive growth in terrestrial wireless broadband services•Wireless industry appears to have had a significant victory in predicating the debate on the assumption that satellite services must surrender spectrum
The only questions they ask are “how much?” and “where?”
Terrestrial wireless and spectrum
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Is there really a spectrum crunch?•Here in Australia, there was 700MHz band spectrum offered in the ACMA’s recent digital dividend auction and not all of this spectrum was acquired
Spectrum crunch?
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• An interesting result given the assumptions driving WRC-15 AI 1.1
• Is spectrum availability the most significant or, indeed, the only factor inhibiting future growth of terrestrial wireless broadband services?
• Has the growing ubiquity in WiFi networks been factored into estimating the wireless industry and their future demand for spectrum?
Beyond the assumptions
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• Has the willingness of end-user to pay for services at a price point, that will recover investment costs of terrestrial wireless networks, been factored into these estimates?
• With the continuing needs of incumbent users, have alternate, less spectrum hungry, technologies been considered in the national regulators’ review of how best to balance any increase in mobile broadband spectrum requirements?
Beyond the assumptions
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Industry forecast increase in spectrum demand•Fuel growth of terrestrial wireless broadband services •Based on the assumption that most, if not all, video content will be viewed on mobile devices•There does not appear to be a sustainable business case for delivering and viewing video content on mobile devices, using only terrestrial networks:
• Price sensitive end-users• Demonstrated by the fact that end-
users are increasingly using WiFi networks to access such content
Video content fueling demand
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The debate so far has failed to acknowledge the role that satellites can play in enabling reception of high quality content on mobile devices.•Without utilising 3G/LTE spectrum•Bypassing terrestrial networks entirely •Thereby off-loading spectrum hungry traffic
Role of satellites
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Australia’s position at WRC-15 on AI 1.1 should not be based on unverified assumptions•Frequencies currently utilised for satellite communications should be preserved•Satellites are, and will remain, a critical component of connectivity in Asia Pacific •Requirements for moving services to alternative frequencies, particularly infrastructure and equipment reinvestment, are not possible for a number of emerging markets and developing countries in Asia Pacific•Proven growth in mobile broadband services growth can, and should, be met with better utilisation of new technologies, such as WiFi and satellites, that are more capable of providing services at an appropriate end-user price point
Conclusions
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Melbourne, Australia Gold Coast, Australia Bangkok, Thailand
Perth, Australia Washington DC, USA Dubai, UAE
Adelaide, Australia Texas, USA Karachi, Pakistan
Sydney, Australia Singapore, Singapore Johannesburg, South Africa
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Thank you