Page 82 - SAMENA Trends - May-June 2022

SATELLITE UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Airbus Confirms June 22 Launch for

MEASAT-3d Satellite

Airbus has confirmed that its MEASAT-3d telecommunications
satellite is set for launch later this month. The satellite is currently
in Kourou, French Guiana and is ready for its launch on an Ariane
5 on 22 June 2022. This is the 57th E3000 satellite built by Airbus.
It will be positioned at the 91.5°E orbital slot and collocated with
MEASAT-3b, also built by Airbus. Airbus said that the new satellite
will enhance broadband speeds of up to 100 Mbps in areas
with limited or no terrestrial connectivity throughout Malaysia.
It will also provide redundancy and additional capacity for video
distribution in HD, 4K and 8K in the Asia-Pacific region. Key
features of the satellite include C and Ku-bands capacity for DTH,
video distribution and telecommunication services; a HTS Ka-band
mission with multiple user spot beams optimized to deliver high
speed broadband communications over Malaysia to bridge the
digital divide in the country; and a Q/V band payload, first of its kind
in the Asia-Pacific region, allows MEASAT to study the propagation
effects in high rainfall regions like Malaysia. Francois Gaullier, head
of Telecom Satellites at Airbus said: “MEASAT-3d is based on our
highly reliable Eurostar satellite platform, including the current
E3000 series, with 58 in orbit which have notched up more than
1000 years of successful operations. MEASAT is a key customer
for us and we are looking forward to this advanced spacecraft
supporting their future business.”

Telesat Applies to Ofcom for Spectrum License

When it comes to establishing a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite to operate beyond the Canadian borders, applying for a spectrum
communications network, Canada-based satellite player Telesat license in the UK from telecoms regulator Ofcom. The spectrum
has some catching up to do. Elon Musk’s Starlink constellation, the requested from Ofcom falls in the Ka-band (27.5 GHz to 30 GHz
largest currently deployed, already has over 2,200 devices in orbit, range), theoretically giving them the ability to deliver multigigabit-
while the UK government-backed OneWeb’s revival from bankruptcy speed broadband services to enterprises, as well as supporting
in 2020 has seen it go on to launch nearly 400 devices, around mobile backhaul, maritime and offshore platforms, aviation,
two third of its planned global constellation. Even Amazon’s long- and government organizations. Ofcom is now considering the
delayed Project Kuiper will begin launching prototypes later this company’s application for an Earth Station Network License, which
year, as well as announcing its first launch contracts for some of its would allow them to connect user terminals directly to the orbiting
planned 3,276 satellites. Telesat, meanwhile, currently has just one constellation using the spectrum in question. The regulator is
LEO satellite in orbit. Launched in January 2018, the satellite has inviting comments by the wider ecosystem over the next month,
since been part of numerous trials and demonstrations, proving with a decision expected on September 12 2022. Interestingly, this
the viability of a larger constellation dubbed Lightspeed. Ultimately, spectrum is remarkably close to that potentially used to provide
they aim for the constellation to comprise 298 satellites, with the mmWave 5G services, with Ofcom itself currently in the process
devices beginning to be launched in full in the latter half of 2025. of ironing out the details of its upcoming mmWave 5G spectrum
Commercial services are not set to begin globally until the start auction. The auction will make spectrum in the 26 GHz band
of 2026. The project has considerable backing from the Canadian (24.25–27.5 GHz) and 40 GHz band (40.5–43.5 GHz) available to
government, which agreed to invest $1.15 billion in the company UK mobile operators, with the consultation period for the auction’s
late last year. In total, the company has received around $4 billion proposed rules ends next month. The auction itself is not expected
in investment to help advance the deployment of Lightspeed. Now, to take place until 2024.
it seems the company is already beginning the paperwork required

82 MAY-JUNE 2022