Page 45 - SAMENA Trends - January-February 2023

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

du and SES Demo First Satellite-enabled 5G Mobile

Backhaul Network in the Middle East

SES and du from Emirates Integrated and low-latency performance to support bandwidth, with greater flexibility, via O3b
Telecommunications Company (EITC), a our enterprise, cloud, and data growth mPOWER to rapidly generate new revenue
leading telecom operator in the United Arab applications. O3b mPOWER promises to streams by expanding high-quality 4G/5G
Emirates, have successfully demonstrated provide the dedicated multi-gigabit per to remote areas and by cost effectively
the first satellite-enabled 5G backhaul in connection scale with cloud-optimised connecting its enterprise customers.”
the Middle East utilising SES’s Medium and low-latency performance to provide SES has already started deploying O3b
Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites, the two the required Quality of Experience (QoE) mPOWER technology which will enable
companies announced today. The aim of with the flexibility of satellite,” said Saleem high-performance services with superior
the live demonstration was to demonstrate AlBlooshi, Chief Technology Officer, du. throughput, predictable low latency,
how SES’s current O3b constellation could John-Paul Hemingway, Chief Strategy and unmatched flexibility to meet traffic
extend 5G coverage to remote locations & Product Officer of SES, said, “We demand. The start of service for O3b
and support du’s enterprise customers appreciate the opportunity to collaborate mPOWER expected in 2023 will enable du
including offshore energy sites with highly with du on this demonstration of high- and its customers to experience secure,
reliable, high throughput and low latency performance MEO services and how we carrier-grade performance supporting
network connectivity. The live Proof of can jointly deploy the Middle East’s first business-critical, cloud-based applications
Concept (POC) saw numerous tests satellite-enabled 5G backhaul network. over the public internet or via a dedicated,
conducted over an SES’s O3b satellite, du can leverage more guaranteed-SLA private connection.
including voice and data scenarios to
measure quality of service performance
and stress test load capacity. The low
latency and high throughput 5G backhaul
link showed O3b is an ideal solution for
5G satellite-enabled networks with Quality
of Experience (QoE) at par with terrestrial
backhauling technologies. “du has vast
experience using satellites for its own
cellular backhaul, as well as for delivering
satellite-enabled data communications
services to our enterprise customers,
but we need much better throughputs

Eutelsat Successfully Decommissions EUTELSAT

5 West A Satellite

Initially designed for a 15-year lifetime, the satellite in safe conditions with an orbit end of 2019, which enabled an extended
EUTELSAT 5 West A satellite has retired after and configuration fully compliant with lifespan of the satellite. A progressive
an impressive 20+ years of fruitful in-orbit French Space Law and international Space transfer of services to the new EUTELSAT 5
operation. The satellite was successfully Traffic Management recommendations. West B satellite, as well as other satellites
re-orbited as planned to more than 400km Based on a Spacebus 3000B3 platform of the Eutelsat fleet, was started in January
above the geostationary arc, the propulsion manufactured by the then Alcatel Alenia 2020, ensuring seamless continuity of
system depressurized and the electrical Space (now Thales Alenia Space), the operations for customers. The EUTELSAT
equipment on board passivated. The final satellite was originally built on behalf of 5 West A continued to operate until its
operation to de-activate the remaining Stellat. Shortly after its launch in July 2002, decommissioning, notably providing
Radio Frequency source (telemetry the satellite was bought by Eutelsat and maritime connectivity. A disruptive satellite
transmitter) was performed from the Issy- renamed Atlantic Bird-3, operating from the for the Group, EUTELSAT 5 West A enabled
les-Moulineaux Satellite Control Centre 5° West orbital position where it remained the transition to digital television, notably in
on 13 January at 09:57 UTC (10:57 Local for its entire operational life. It was given France in the early 2000s, when analogue
time). The End-of-Life activities operated the name EUTELSAT 5 West A in 2012 television technology was converted to
by mission control teams placed the and operated in an inclined orbit since the and replaced by digital broadcasting.

45 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2023