SatTechnology: VSAT
Martin Coleman, Executive Director, IRG.
VSAT, and in particular TDMA/ Burst Mode networks, remain challenging in the satellite environment. To avoid creating interference problems for other satellite services, it is essential that terminal quality, control and installation be correct. There has been exponential growth of VSATs over recent years, with many providing much-needed communications to often remote areas across the globe. However, with so many units being installed and, in the past, no active monitoring or control of terminal installation quality, bad installations have caused interference problems for the satellite industry for many years. Petter Amundsen, CEO of VeriSat, says: “It is unfortunately too common to perform VSAT installations without the necessary accuracy in antenna pointing and cross-polarisation adjustment. A challenge when pointing the antenna is that an incorrectly pointed antenna can operate fine but still the misalignment can cause significant satellite interference.” He attributes this to several factors: untrained staff, time pressure, inadequate monitoring of installation quality – even the best installer can make mistakes. Indeed, VSAT interference has been on the radar for the Satellite Interference 16 | SatellitePro | November 2016
Petter Amundsen, CEO of VeriSat.
“It has been widely reported that VSAT is the biggest single cause of satellite interference, responsible for around 40% of all interference” MARTIn COlEMAn, Executive Director, IRG
Reduction Group (sIRG) since the organisation was founded 20 years ago. Executive Director Martin Coleman sees it as the major culprit when it comes to interference. “It has been widely reported that VSAT is the biggest single cause of satellite interference, responsible for around 40% of all interference. At the same time, it is also the hardest to solve, hence responsible for the largest amount of downtime. The problem is of course that when these systems cause interference, it