Friday, July 22, 2016

Second Intelsat EpicNG Launch Expected in August

Intelsat 33e, the second of the Intelsat EpicNG series of high throughput satellites (“HTS”), arrived at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, where it will undergo final preparations before its scheduled launch on an Ariane 5 rocket on the 24th of August, 2016.

Intelsat 33e was manufactured by Boeing and is equipped with the most advanced digital payload on a commercial spacecraft.

Intelsat 33e will extend Intelsat’s high throughput capacity in both C- and Ku-band from the Americas to include Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean regions.

Intelsat said it has a number of customers already committed to Intelsat 33e, some of which include Pakistani Internet service provider SuperNet Limited, African telecommunications providers such as Telkom South Africa, Orange, IP Planet, Vodacom, Dijoubti Telecom, Safarifone and Africell RDC SPRL.; Russian network service providers Romantis and RuSat LLC; and media customers including TV & Radio Broadcasting (formerly Television and Radio Broadcasting of Armenia), and MultiChoice of South Africa.

Intelsat 33e will also deliver enterprise-grade, broadband services to aeronautical and maritime mobility service providers and users, including maritime mobility customers such as EMC, Harris CapRock and Marlink, and aero mobility customers such as Gogo and Panasonic Avionics.

http://www.intelsat.com

First Intelsat EpicNG Satellite Successfully Launched by Arianespace

The first of the Intelsat EpicNG high throughput satellites was launched successfully from French Guiana aboard an Ariane 5 vehicle.

The Intelsat 29e (IS-29e), which is the first of the EpicNG satellites, combines high throughput Ku- spot beams in the Americas to meet broadband demand for carrier-grade telecom and enterprise connectivity as well as Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean coverage for dense aero and shipping routes. It also offers a transatlantic Ku- wide beam overlay and provides efficient broadcast capabilities for in-flight entertainment. C-band wide beam provides full South American continent coverage for media distribution. Boeing served as prime contractor.

“Today’s launch represents a truly ‘epic’ moment in communication’s history, as we begin a new era of high throughput satellite services for our customers,” stated Stephen Spengler, Chief Executive Officer, Intelsat. “This is a testament to the innovation and creativity of the Intelsat team who envisioned the Intelsat EpicNG platform nearly four years ago. Through design expertise and a deep understanding of our customers’ requirements, the Intelsat EpicNG platform will deliver high performance, improved economics and simplified access that will expand the addressable market for our solutions.”

http://www.intelsat.com/Intelsat29e
http://www.arianespace.com/mission/ariane-flight-va228/


  • Intelsat has previously named a number of customers in the region who have already committed to Intelsat EpicNG, include Compania Anonima Nacional Telefonos de Venezuela, BT Latam Venezuela, Anditel, S.A.S, Axesat, Amazonia Cabo Ltda., Cadena Ecuatoriana de Television C.A., Canal 10 CETV, Corporacion Nacional de Telecommunicaciones CNTE.P., Fox Latin America Channels do Brasil, Igrege Mundial do Poder de Deus, Radio e Televisao Banderantes and Telefonica del Peru.
  • In 2012, Intelsat first unveiled its EpicNG platform -- a new approach to satellite and network architecture utilizing multiple frequency bands, wide beams, spot beams and frequency reuse technology. EpicNG will be the company's next generation of satellites, promising higher throughputs and lower cost per bit. It will be a complementary overlay to the company's existing constellation of satellites and global IntelsatONE terrestrial network.

Israel's Bezeq Trials Adtran's G.fast

Bezeq, Israel's incumbent operator, has undertaken field trials of ADTRAN's range of G.fast FTTx solutions.

The tests, in one of Israel’s largest cities, involves a variety of copper loop lengths and Internet speeds. Specifically, Bezeq is currently trialling the 8-port and 16-port ADTRAN distribution point units (DPUs), which are both physical layer and chipset agnostic, ensuring rapid service provisioning and activation.

“Bezeq is committed to delivering infrastructure for a Gigabit society, and it’s clear how G.fast will play a vital role in accomplishing this for many areas throughout Israel, alongside traditional FTTP approaches where required,” said Dr. Eduard Scheiterer, senior vice president, research and development, ADTRAN. “The path to delivering transformative broadband is made even more compelling as Fiber-to-the-Cabinet deployment models are supported with an increase in G.fast equipment port density and enhanced G.fast chipset performance, permitting substantial asset re-use and accelerating the pace of rollout.”

“Our trials have proven G.fast to be both an innovative and a pragmatic broadband technology that creates new possibilities thanks to its flexible deployment capabilities. We are pleased that ADTRAN has enabled us to accelerate the delivery of new transformative Gigabit broadband services,” said Bezeq CTIO, Yaki Zano. “Bezeq’s and ADTRAN’s continued strategic and collaborative partnership is cementing both companies’ commitment to delivering access solutions and technology that best serve customers in Israel.”

http://www.adtran.com

Zayo Appoints Jack Waters as CTO and President of Network Solutions

Zayo appointed Jack Waters as chief technology officer (CTO) and president of Network Solutions, reporting to Zayo’s chairman and CEO Dan Caruso.

Waters and Caruso worked together beginning in 1997 in launching Level 3 Communications and throughout Caruso’s seven years at the company. During Waters’ 18-year tenure with Level 3, he held key leadership and engineering roles and is well known for his role as their long-time CTO.

Before joining Level 3, Waters was an executive staff member for MCI Communications, responsible for network architecture and implementation. He began his career at SURAnet, the Southeastern University Research and Academic Network. Waters serves on the FCC’s Technical Advisory Council and the board of directors for the Colorado Technology Association.

http://www.zayo.com