ADVERTORIAL
THE INTRODUCTION OF KA-BAND So how does the introduction of Ka-band satellite services impact the current telecommunications scenario in sub-Saharan Africa? Going back to basics and looking at the metrics used in the business case for a satellite in geostationary orbit, there are a number of trade-offs to be made. The life of the satellite is determined by the quality of the launch and how much fuel remains after the satellite has finally manoeuvred itself into its given orbital position. The remaining fuel is used to keep the satellite in its orbital position by correcting for drift. The commercial lifespan of a satellite is usually 15 years or more. Given that a launch rocket has a limit on the payload it can deliver into space, the maximum mass of the satellite is fixed. Within this mass limit, trade-offs such as lifespan, availability of service, band of operation and the amount of bandwidth available for sale are made,to satisfy a business case for a given market (or markets) that the satellite will serve. The increased spectrum available at Ka-band when compared to C-band and Ku-band makes the move to Ka-band a natural choice given the strong demand for connectivity. Smaller end-user antennas, increased mobility and higher bandwidths make Ka-band satellite capacity an attractive offering to many sectors. Ka-band promises to trigger a step-change in the African satellite communications industry, presenting challenges as well as opportunities and business models for both existing and new satellite operators. It will open up new satellite possibilities as applications including trunking and cellular backhaul services, broadband access, video distribution, enterprise networks and government communications will demand more Ka-band capacity in the future. Ka-band is therefore the logical successor to Ku-band and will evolve into the delivery band of choice for emerging markets and high demand regions throughout the world.
JABIRU SATELLITE PROGRAM NewSat will be expanding its satellite capabilities with the Jabiru Satellite Program, beginning with the launch and operation of Jabiru-1, Australia’s first Ka-band satellite. Jabiru-1, a large next-generation satellite, will provide superior coverage over North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. Jabiru-1 will provide “new” capacity to these regions through a range of multi-spot, regional and steerable beams. NewSat has rights to eight premium orbital slots and its fleet of next-generation geostationary satellites will lead Australia’s space quest.
AFRICA AS A GROWTH MARKET Considering all the above, there is no doubt that the African market is grossly under-serviced by the telecommunications industry. Judging by the amount of fibre connectivity, GSM and new satellite services coming into the region, one must assume that the various operators have done their homework before committing resources to the region upfront. However, growth in the market is product- and price-sensitive and these should be considered as primary drivers.
The fact that governments have not delivered services successfully into rural areas, and that the issue is becoming politically sensitive, should not be overlooked. Where terrestrial services such as wireless and GSM are subscriber-density-driven, there will always be gaps in the coverage where it is uneconomical to invest in additional equipment to fill those gaps. These are both opportunities for immediate satellite growth.
IS RAIN FADE REALLY AN ISSUE? In the analysis of rain fade, two approaches need to be examined – one considering the average rate of rainfall within the signal path between the satellite and the ground station, and the other considering the energy scatter associated with the droplet size. Rain in the sub-Saharan region is generally characterised by downpours and thunderstorms. Both types of rain have large droplet sizes when compared with the wavelengths of Ku-band and Ka-band. Taking some licence, it can be assumed then that both bands will be affected by rain, with the difference in time (a matter of second) between Ka-band and Ku-band breaking the link being marginal. Furthermore, the use of Adaptive Coding and Modulation (ACM) by modern ground equipment maintains the energy per bit of information transmitted at the expense of transmission data rate to maintain link availability. This technology is available in both bands and will minimise perceived differences in link availability.
CONCLUSION The success of Ka-band consumer broadband systems in North America and Europe has resulted in Ka-band equipment being manufactured in large quantities. Accordingly, the cost and availability of Ka-band equipment is no longer the barrier to adoption it once was. In addition, current-generation modems are more cost-effective and capable of delivering two-fold bandwidth efficiency when compared to older-generation equipment. This will certainly offset the cost of the upgrading of existing networks and not hamper the decision to do so. Fundamentally, Ka-band has the ability to enter the African market and clearly differentiate itself from existing bands. It introduces “new” capacity, higher bandwidth, smaller end-user antennas and lower-cost network deployments. Ka-band also provides the flexibility that network operators need to adapt products to a changing market. Provided network operators take a more holistic view of the product and market requirements, it can be expected that satellite services will become stratified. As a result, new market segments will be created that can service lower-income groups in volume. Ka-band is set to secure the future of satellite communications into the next decade.
Scan the QR code with your smartphone to download a white paper on Ka-band and its advantages, or visit newsat.com/ ka-bandwhitepaper
Issue 27 AFRICA TELECOMS 43