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Launched in July 2012, the EchoStar XVII/Jupiter 1, is a HTS built for Hughes.
Image credit: Space Systems/Loral
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[Satellite TODAY 06-13-13] While Hughes and ViaSat have placed orders for High Throughput Satellites (HTS) in recent months, officials at Space Systems/Loral (SSL) said they also expect there will be additional orders this year for HTS as demand continues to increase.
“Brazil is in the market for a HTS and I think we will see some high throughput broadband payloads on other satellites that might not be fully dedicated to broadband,” Rich Currier, senior vice president of business development at SSL told SatelliteTODAY.com.
Additionally, the company recently signed an agreement with SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation for the construction of the operator’s new communications satellite JCSAT 14, scheduled for a 2015 launch.
But the new relationship between Sky Perfect JSAT Corporation and SSL means the ending of a tradition with Lockheed Martin. “Lockheed Martin has built a total of seven satellites for the SKY Perfect JSAT satellite fleet," said Dee Valleras a communications manager with Lockheed Martin. And with SSL taking over that contract, Lockhead Martin may need to find other solutions for Jsat. "SKY Perfect JSAT remains a valued customer and we look forward to working with them on future procurements to fulfill their critical business requirements," Valleras added.
Serving the broadcasting and communications sector, SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation has a fleet of 16 satellites, with a total of 3.8 million subscribers. Its coverage area includes Asia, Oceania, Russia, the Middle East, Hawaii and North America.
JCSAT 14 will replace JCSAT 2A in the 154 degree east orbital position. The new satellite will feature larger, redesigned C-band and Ku-band payloads, boosting the available regional capacity by multiple folds and is designed to fulfill the growing demand for telecommunication infrastructure in the Asia Pacific region. Broadcast and data networks can be established and upgraded with ease via the optimized C-band beams. New regional Ku-band beams are also added to extend the satellite’s geographical footprint and to address the fast-growing mobility markets. This will enable high-speed connectivity for vessels, aircrafts, and the resources exploration industries such as mining, oil and gas companies require.
In the last two years, 75 percent of SSL’s business has stemmed from non-U.S. companies. “We don’t separate out the Asia Pacific region, but we currently have satellites under construction for NBN Co in Australia, Optus in Australia, ABS in Hong Kong and AsiaSat in Hong Kong. We built Asia’s first High Throughput Satellite for Thaicom in Thailand, which was launched in 2005 and provides the iPSTAR broadband service across the Asia Pacific region,” Currier added.
Currier expects the market to see around 20 satellite orders this year. “We expect it to be an average year, which means that there would be more orders than last year, which was below average,” he said adding that developing markets play a crucial role in the increased demand. “Numerous operators in other parts of the world, such as Latin America and the Middle East, are exploring HTS opportunities. Government-driven digital inclusion projects are also likely to increase the use of HTS as well as the strong demand for HTS for cellular backhaul as data use grows exponentially,” he said.
But, developed parts of the world also have a role in this growing demand. “There is strong demand, as demonstrated by ViaSat and Hughes/EchoStar. The population demands fast Internet connectivity and has the disposable income to pay for it,” Currier said.
Regarding the possibility of an all-electric satellite offering, he said SSL has more than 20,000 hours of on-orbit electric propulsion operation without a single failure since 2004. “Our goal is to find out what each satellite operator needs and to tailor a solution that very specifically serves that purpose.”
Increased capacity demands have been cited among the reasons for the new satellite orders. Rajeev Gopal, senior director of advanced programs for Hughes Defense and Intelligence Systems said at a recent HTS roundtable discussion that one of the greatest challenges Hughes faces today is increased demand. “You need coverage, you need capacity and you need very good management so that you can install, provision, operate and do the diagnostics very effectively and cost effectively,” Gopal said.
Other challenges still remain, including costs, quality control and revenue growth. Despite increasing demands, Currier said the industry has been surprised overall by the small number of satellite orders in the first half of the year. “We have been seeing strong demand for some time, but regulatory obstacles and other issues have delayed many projects from going forward.”
Certainly, the competition for orders is heating up, given that they are at a premium this year. Operators such as SKY Perfect JSAT are demanding bandwidth. “I would like to see an improvement in quality control. The main parts and instruments that satellite manufacturers use are all provided from the same sources, so it has become common for an issue at one vendor to have an effect on the satellite industry as a whole,” said Yutaka Nagai, senior executive vice president, engineering and operations group with SKY Perfect JSAT during a roundtable discussion last year.
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