Satellite Communication - Iridium, Inmarsat, Thuraya, Vsat

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

How does a Satellite Phone work?

Introduction

The operation of a satellite phone is relatively similar to that of a cellular phone. The exception being that cellular phones bounce calls from a cellular tower to an existing phone grid. Satellite phones use a series of satellites in orbit.

Making the call

The caller enters the number she wishes to dial and presses the send key. The phone proceeds to find the nearest orbiting satellite and sends the call information to it.

From space to Earth again (and again, maybe)

The satellite relays the call to the nearest ground receiver, known as a gateway. This gateway attempts to patch the call through. If a call to Australia originates in Europe, the gateway will not be able to patch the call through the existing phone network. The gateway will beam the call to the nearest satellite, which will continue passing the call along until it reaches one that can link the receiver. Depending on the location of the caller and receiver, this may happen a number of times.

From space to Earth, the final time

The call comes from the satellite and is received by receiver's network. The call's format has to be converted so that it may be received on a standard phone or cellular phone. Once the conversion is made and the connection established, the call is connected.

Source: ehow.com


Thursday, March 26, 2009

Sky News uses BGan

"Sky News has been involved in remote newsgathering for some time now, but until recently its ability to cover breaking news was limited by the amount of equipment required to transmit video and audio from the field and by the quality of the images."
Anthony Glass, chairman of Satellite Communications (SatComm), the local Streambox distributor, said a number of Southern African broadcasters are already using the same Streambox/BGan for news gathering.
“The transport and setup of Sky News‘ old system compromised the agility of field crews and didn’t offer the picture quality that Sky felt was necessary even for embedded reporting,” he says.
Bevan Gibson, head of Future Technology for Sky News (BSkyB) based in London, says: “We now frequently hear from crews how much easier the integrated Streambox systems are to use than our previous solution, and have found that everyone – from engineers to camera operators to directors, producers and reporters – have learned quickly how to get the systems up and running.”
Source: IT-Online

“The Streambox has provided much greater flexibility in our remote newsgathering activities. We can work with smaller crews and less equipment, which in turn enables us to respond quickly as a story breaks.”
Now a two-person first response team can get live video back to our headquarters earlier than ever before, and depending on the location and gravity of the story, we can send a follow-up team for support. Not so long ago, it was prohibitive, cost-wise and logistically, to capture and send high-quality images from some of the areas we’ve covered lately.
“To increase the depth and quality of our breaking news coverage, we replaced this technology with an integrated solution that facilitates transmission of video via Inmarsat’s BGAN satellite network or over available – and typically very affordable – IP networks such as DSL, local Wi-Fi hotspots or hotel Internet connections instead of other expensive networks,” says Gibson.
“With less gear weighing down our field crews, we have been able to put together special weeks of coverage from Iraq, the Caribbean and Iceland. In the past, with a less versatile solution, we simply wouldn’t have sent out a team to do that kind of live coverage.”
“The system stands up well to rain, snow and sun, and its flexibility in accepting a variety of inputs has been extremely valuable. The portable encoder, the size of a laptop, is used for both realtime video transmission and for sending news segments edited on location.”
“The newsgathering solution consists of a BGAN terminal, similar to a notebook computer, and a compact Streambox portable encoder. Transmission of video and audio simply requires the camera to be connected to the encoder, which in turn is connected directly to the BGAN terminal.”
“Sky News selected the Streambox because when tested it demonstrated that it provides superior quality and performance at low data rates. Features such as forward error correction and burst error correction – which mitigate packet loss – ensure excellent video quality and reliable transmission over satellite and IP-based networks,” says Gibson.
“Furthermore, the complete Streambox newsgathering solution is the only product we found capable of providing an end-to-end solution – encoding, IFB server and client, distribution, and decoding – that covers all of our bases when we want to run live broadcasts via broadband.”

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Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Test your Satellite Phone

The below information is taken from an article about the "Test your satellite phone week" which we ran last year May 2008.

“We recommend Iridium Satellite for encouraging satellite phone users to regularly test their satellite phones to ensure that they are ready to make that critical call during a disaster,” said Anthony Glass, chairman of SatComm.
“Too often, customers turn on their satellite phone when a disaster strikes to find they do not know how to use it properly, the batteries are not charged, or the phone won’t connect.” “Taking precautions like testing your satellite phone can help save lives and property and we’re happy to support this initiative by encouraging users to take heed,” said Glass “Iridium and SatComm hope to raise awareness of the importance of testing your satellite phone on a regular basis.”

The “Test Your Satellite Phone” Week initiative was launched last year as a public service campaign to educate all satellite phone users about the importance of knowing how to use their phone and knowing that the phone is ready to connect when used. This has become increasingly more important as other mobile satellite phone providers have seen a drop in reliability and connection rates. Independent testing has verified that Iridium’s first-time connection rate is better than 99 percent.

The “Test Your Satellite Phone” Week campaign asks all satellite phone owners to call a special number – 00-1-480-752-5105 – to test their satellite phones. Callers will hear a recorded message confirming that their call was completed and offering quick tips on proper handset usage. Iridium customers are not charged for air time on their satellite phone when calling this number. If customers find that their phones are not operational through this process, they should call SatComm for trouble-shooting.
“Routine testing of emergency equipment, including satellite phones is critical to any emergency preparedness planning,” said Iridium board member Tom Ridge, the first U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and a two-term governor of Pennsylvania. “No phone is going to be effective unless users know how to operate it and the batteries are charged.”
“Satellite phones have increasingly become the primary or backup communications tools during a disaster when cellular infrastructure and radio towers are down,” said Matt Desch, chairman and CEO, Iridium Satellite. Tips and techniques available for satellite phone use and testing are included, such as:
• Test your phone on a monthly basis.
• Keep your phone’s battery charged to ensure that it is ready for use
when needed.
• For maximum battery performance, allow the battery to power down
completely before fully re-charging.
• Check to make sure that the phone’s SIM card is locked in place.
Users can check this by removing the battery and ensuring that the SIM card
tray is securely positioned.
• Use the phone outside with a clear view of the sky and the horizon.
• Turn the phone on and ensure that the antenna is extended and
rotated upward.
• To test your satellite phone, call 00-1-480-752-5105. The dialling
sequence is very similar to dialling an international phone call. Dial 00, then
country code, and then the phone number, or press the 0 key until a “+”
appears, dial the country code, and then the phone number.
• To hang up a call, press the red “C” button.


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The New Iridium 9555 - It's simply the best



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Monday, March 23, 2009

Video on BGAN

This video illustrates a real-life set-up of a BGAN connection from the moment the terminal is taken out of a backpack.



Please note: Flash is required to view the video above. If the video is missing or not playing then please download and install Flash.

Customers come first!

Last year, Satcomms won an award at the 2008 Satcom Africa Stars awards ceremony. At this ceremony satellite operators are awarded for their service and expertise. Satellite Communication was announced the winner of the Customer Service Award. This award is presented to the satellite operator that puts their customer first.

"Winning an award like this is an excellent achievement, as it means our customers are happy, which in turn means that the company is going in the right direction. I believe our excellent 24/7 support, and philosophy of satisfying the customer helped us achieve this" says Paul Glass, Director of Satcomms.

This years awards is just around the corner.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Reporters use BGAN to track tornadoes

BGAN delivers broadband access across most of the world's landmass. It gives flexibility of being able to setup a mobile office in minutes from almost anywhere. The BGAN terminal can be connected quickly and easily to multiple laptops via wired or wireless connections.

According to Inmarsat's Newsletter "Inside Track", weather reporters in Oklahoma are keeping local residents informed of possible tornadoes and hurricanes with the BGAN.

These reporters are using Vehicles mounted with BGAN terminals and streaming video software. The footage has helped the reporters win many awards.

Storm chaser and journalist Marc Dillard has been using the BGAN and only praises the unit.
“The BGAN network is available everywhere, and that is a very strong point,” he said.
BGAN also offers on-the-move transmission capabilities, which satellite news gathering trucks cannot.”
Source: Inmarsat

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Iridium 9555 Satellite Phone


The latest Iridium phone is now available. It doesn't play games, play mp3's or take pictures. But, what it does do, is work everywhere! It's also been designed to withstand tough environments. The Iridium 9555 is your critical lifeline to the world.

Below is what Marc Weber Tobias* had to say about this new phone:

"There are several noticeable improvements in the latest phone in terms of design, operation, software, and functionality. After placing a few calls on the new handset, I can say that the audio quality seems to be much improved from my older 9505 unit. I recorded one of the calls that I made to an associate so you can judge this for yourself. The handset closely resembles a larger cell phone, but works very differently with regard to its communications path and network infrastructure. The menu system, display, and software of the 9555 have also been updated. The package is about 30 percent smaller than its predecessor, the 9505, and the special antenna has been redesigned to retract into the body of the radio, rather than rotating and swinging upward to a vertical position. The battery charging system is also better in terms of size and connector. The handset now has a USB data port and new software for simplified Internet access."

*Marc Weber Tobias is an investigative attorney and security specialist who represents and consults with lock manufacturers, government agencies and corporations in the U.S. and overseas regarding the design and bypass of locks and security systems, and defective product analysis.
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Tuesday, March 17, 2009

SatComms Welcomes You


Satellite Communication (SatComms) is an approved Service Provider and Distributor of Iridium, Inmarsat, Thuraya, Vsat and other satellite communication and mobile phone products in Africa.


SatComm stocks a full range of satellite equipment and airtime for the Iridium satellite telephone, Thuraya satphones, Inmarsat Isatphone handsets, BGan, FleetBroadband, Gan, Mini M, ISDN, Streambox streaming technology and Cinegy media, production & management technology.


SatComm is committed to meeting your specific requirements by delivering a quality product at competitive prices while maintaining an unparalleled level of service
SatComm is your ideal telecoms partner for all your telecommunication requirements. Whether you require:

a mobile, handheld, satellite phone for roaming; or,a mobile broadband office for satellite calls and data; or,a Vsat system for fixed voice and data


Contact us today, we’ll give you a great reception.


 
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