www.gvf.org

Caspian Telecoms 2013

Satellite Interference:

The Counter-Offensive

Stéphane ChenardExecutive Advisor on

International Programme Development

Global VSAT Forum

www.gvf.orgThe satellite industry...

• Talks to everyone and goes everywhere-- TV, oil companies, defense, airlines, shipowners, Afghanistan, drought in Ethiopia, the Olympics, earthquake monitoring... all in a day's work-- Constantly on the run and looking for new markets

• Resiliency, reliability, rapid response and continuity are cornerstones of the business-- Your requirements match a lot of our business priorities-- 99.9999% reliable satellites, worldwide redundant networks-- Mission-critical to a lot of important people; backup plans embedded in contracts and licenses-- Key part of maritime and aeronautical safety networks

• Small, autonomous, rapid-deployment systems are one of the major themes of competition-- Telecom infrastructure in areas with no power grid – done that; vast experience with Diesels and even hand cranks-- Industry-wide push to make antennas fit in hand luggage

www.gvf.orgThe Challenge

• Financially Sustainable Pre-Positioning of…

– Satcom Systems,

– Satcom Services

– Satcom Personnel

• That Can Be Applied in Co-ordination with Local Suppliers

• And That Can Be Repurposed to Support Medium-Long Term Development

www.gvf.org

– Able to Be Procured in Advance of Disasters– Pre-Positioning is Key– Minimum of Training Needed

The Satcom Tools: GMPCS

Iridium Thuraya Inmarsat TerreStarGlobalstar

www.gvf.orgOne week of somebody's traffic

www.gvf.orgThe Satcom Tools: Fly-Aways

0.5 to 10 Mbps$1,500-150,0003-40 kg, travel as cabbin luggageauto-deploy and self-pointing

www.gvf.orgThe Satcom Tools: VSAT

www.gvf.org

•Hundreds of Thousands of ‘Pre-positioned’ Systems

• Already ‘Sustainable’ Through Delivery of Services

• Most Are Being Used to Support Development Apps

• Contacts Available Through Searchable Directory

• Designation Is Being Added to Indicate Companies• Willing to Stand-by as Pre-positioned System and Service Providers

• MARCH 2011: UN-OCHA & GVF sign MoU to coordinate implementation of Disaster Preparedness Registry

The GVF Member Directory as a ‘Registry’

www.gvf.org

• Contacts for Approx. 1,500 Installers Worldwide; 4,000 in training

• Online, Public, Searchable Database

• 1-For-1 Offer to UN, NetHope/NGOs

• Scholarship for Developing Nations

• Used for Rapid Installation Support After Haiti Earthquake

Pre-Positioned Installers:

GVF Certified VSAT Installer Database

www.gvf.org

Pre-Positioned Satellite-Based ICTs:Pre-Positioned Satellite-Based ICTs:

GVF Certified Installers – Public DatabaseGVF Certified Installers – Public Database

www.gvf.orgHorn of Africa

• Some countries have restrictive & expensive VSAT licensing procedure

• Many NGOs cannot afford it; it can impede relief efforts

• GVF support includes:

– Member company delegation

– Information on comparative regulatory requirements

– Member companies able to support service needs

www.gvf.orgWhy is Interference Increasing?

www.gvf.orgCharacterizing Interference Types

Interference Types 6 Month Average

8%

47%

33%

7%

3%

2%0%

Adjacent Satellite Interference

Unauthorized Carrier

Cross-Pol/Copol

Sweeeper

Retransmit/FM Rebroadcast

Transponder Compression

All Others

Note: Percentages are based on Intelsat's experience but are indicative of hundreds of interference events experienced by the world’s satellite operators.

www.gvf.orgSatellite RFI: Breaking It Down

• Problems:

1. Improper Installations

2. Sub-Standard Equipment

3. Unidentified Carriers

4. Wireless Interference

5. Information Sharing

6. Dysfunctional Networks

• Solutions:

Training & Certification

Product Quality

Assurance

Carrier ID

Spectrum Initiative

SDA

Network Validation

www.gvf.org

Training & Certification – GVF Basic Installer Certification; GVF Advanced Installer Certification;

Technology Specific Specialist Certification; all through online instruction & testing plus Hands-on-

Skills-Test (HOST); Supplementary Instructor-led Classes; Training Centres Worldwide; 5,000

technicians enrolled; NEW Auto-Deploy Operator Certification.

Product Quality Assurance – GVF PQA Framework – A Strategic Plan for a Global Satellite

Industry Arrangement to Facilitate Earth Station Design & Production; outsourced equipment type

approvals through GVF MRA WG (Mutual Recognition Arrangement Working Group) appointed ATEs

(Authorized Test Entities).

Carrier ID – Technical feasibility established for Video Encoder implementation – now underway;

GVF VSAT Group established in 2009; working with sIRG (Satellite Interference Reduction Group)

[www.suirg.org]; Root-Cause Analysis underway.

Spectrum Initiative – IMT/BWA in C-band downlinks; WBU-ISOG endorsed GVF C-band paper –

submission to national spectrum & inter-governmental proceedings; enforcement of WRC-07 C-band

decision; now focused on WRC-12 & defence of Ku-band and Ka-band.

SDA (Space Data Association) – Automated space situational awareness system to reduce risks

of on-orbit collisions and RFI [www.space-data.org]

Network Validation – GVF piloting new Network Validation Service (2011) – network optimization

and interference prevention; Report finalized and presented to network operator & end-user

Solutions – Key Points

www.gvf.orgSub-Standard Equipment Trends

• Increasing Attempts by Inexperienced Manufacturers to Try Production of Transmiting VSAT Antennas

• Designers often unaware of how accurately installers must align the antenna to prevent ASI and cross-pol interference

• Now, Auto-Deploy Is Being Added to the Mix

• Reduced Satellite Operator Provision of Type Approvals for VSAT Earth Station Equipment

• Vacuum in Technical Know-How and Deployment of Systems That Spray Orbital Arc with Interference

www.gvf.orgProduct Quality Assurance... Overview

• GVF Now Provides Outsourced Type Approvals

• Intelsat and Eutelsat First to Embrace the Solution

• GVF ‘Authorized Test Entities’ Available to…• Assist Antenna Manufacturers with Design• Conduct Type Approval Testing• Using Satellite Operator Specs• Provide Type Approval for Compliant Systems

• Now: Global Product Quality Assurance Framework

www.gvf.org

www.gvf.orgAddressing Sub-Optimal Networks

• New: GVF Network Validation Service

• Service Pilot: Team Evaluated VSAT Network in 27 Countries

• Service Pilot Findings: Most/All Facets of Interference-Mitigation Initiative Would Help Network Performance

• Report Submitted to Owner on How to Optimize Network and Prevent Interference

• Network Validation as Latest Feature of Interference-Prevention Initiative

www.gvf.orgSatellite RFI: Breaking It Down… Again

• Problems:

1. Improper Installations

2. Sub-Standard Equipment

3. Unidentified Carriers

4. Wireless Interference

5. Information Sharing

6. Dysfunctional Networks

• Solutions:

Training & Certification

Product Quality

Assurance

Carrier ID

Spectrum Initiative

SDA

Network Validation

www.gvf.org

Thank You!