Page 69 - SAMENA Trends - June-August 2021

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Oman to get its First Satellite by 2024

Omani Space Communication Tech- in 2024. The company intends to launch date to purchase the tender document is
nologies has launched a tender for the a high-capacity communications satellite July 15, while bids are due by September
design, manufacture and launch of its and its related services, covering the 21. Space Communication Technologies is
first satellite called "Omansat-1", Al whole Sultanate, its economic waters and one of the Omani Telecom and Information
Arabiya reported citing state television. the foreign markets associated with it, the Technology Group companies.
The Sultanate intends to launch its first company said in a filing. It invited technical
satellite dedicated to telecommunications and commercial bids and said the last

European New Era Telecommunications Satellite Ready for Launch

The European Space Agency (ESA) Eutelsat Quantum, was developed by ESA subsidiary of Airbus) was responsible for
has announced that the world’s first as a partnership with European satellite the new satellite platform. Most of the
commercial fully flexible software-defined telecommunications company Eutelsat. satellite was developed and manufactured
telecommunications satellite has been The prime contractor for the spacecraft by British industry, because the program
integrated on its launch rocket. It is now was Airbus, which was also responsible was also a UK flagship project. The
ready for its launch, which is scheduled for for manufacturing the satellite payload. satellite will be able to be reprogrammed in
Friday (July 30). The satellite, designated Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (a UK orbit. This will mean that over its 15-year
lifetime it will be able to meet changing data
transmission and secure communications
demands. Moreover, its transmission
beams can be redirected in almost real time
so as to be able to supply information to
passengers on moving aircraft or ships. Its
transmissions can also be adjusted easily,
to provide more data when there are surges
in demand. Eutelsat Quantum can also
detect and characterize ‘rogue’ emissions,
should they occur. This will allow it to
dynamically respond to both accidental
interference and intentional jamming. It
will be launched by an Arianespace Ariane
5 rocket, from the European spaceport in
French Guiana, in South America.

Inmarsat Tunes-Up Enhanced Satellite Play

Satellite communications player Inmarsat communications network of the future”. with the new land-based assets set to be
unveiled a plan to combine its existing Inmarsat claims potential new use cases developed first. Inmarsat CEO Rajeev Suri
system with a forthcoming Low Earth will include close shore navigation for said by combining “the distinct qualities of
Orbit (LEO) constellation and terrestrial 5G autonomous vessels, next-generation GEO, LEO and 5G into a single network, we
assets to create a single network targeted safety systems for maritime crews and will deliver a service that is far greater than
at a range of corporate customers, the “direct-to-cloud connections for airlines”. the sum of its parts”. “Our customers will
latest move in the connectivity space race. In addition to segments it already serves, it benefit from dramatically expanded high-
Inmarsat’s new combined offer will be plans to target companies with energy rigs throughput services around the world.”
named Orchestra and will be targeted at and drilling platforms, passenger ships and The move comes as the race for delivering
a range of customer segments including operators of mid-market business aircraft. low-latency connectivity from space hots-
maritime, aviation and government Orchestra will combine coverage from its up, with Elon Musk-led venture Starlink
organizations. The company will invest existing Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) currently in the trial phase and OneWeb in
$100 million in building the system over satellites with a constellation of 150 to the process of improving its coverage.
the next five years, pitching it as “the 175 LEO birds and a 5G terrestrial network,

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