Australian Satellite Services

PanAmSat in partnership with Australian Satellite Services, provides global video and data broadcasting service via satellite and fibre to over 98 percent of the world’s population. As one of the world’s leading satellite providers, with 24 satellites currently in orbit, PanAmSat provides a true global network.

PanAmSat provides communications links to a Who’s Who in the entertainment, broadcasting, direct-to-home satellite, government services and telecommunications industries including:

• Entertainment companies: such as Time-Warner, the BBC, Fox, HBO, China Central Television, Starz-Encore, Disney, NHK, Showtime and MTV.
• Broadcasters and News agencies: Like ABC, CNN, NPR, the Associated Press, Bloomberg and Reuters.
• Direct-to-home satellite providers: including DirecTV and Multichoice.
• Corporations: such as General Motors, Daimler Chrysler and Walgreens.
• U.S. Government: from the Departments of State, Defense and Army, to Homeland Security.
• Telecommunications Service Providers: like Arch Wireless, AT&T, British Telecom, Hughes Network Systems, Japan Telecom and Telstra among many more around the globe.

PanAmSat serves the Australian, New Zealand and Pacific markets with the PAS-2 and PAS-8 satellites.

Service Areas

The PanAmSat On Demand Service is provided in the Australian, New Zealand and Pacific region on the PAS-2 and PAS-8 satellites.

Australia and New Zealand coverage in provided on the PAS-2 Ku-Band footprint.

Australia, New Zealand, PNG and Pacific coverage is provided on the PAS-8 C-Band footprint.

Or alternatively the PAS-2 C-Band footprint.

At the present time due to satellite coverage and also regulatory environments PanAmSat does not offer coverage of; the Cook Islands, Samoa, or Tonga.

On Demand Service

The PanAmSat On Demand Service is a totally IP based service providing users with the flexibility of a “one socket” (Ethernet) interface for all IP applications.

PanAmSat has chosen technology from Vipersat Networks to provide the On Demand service. The Vipersat system utilizes a derivative of TDMA technology to provide the “inbound” data link from the remote user sites to the Network Hub based at Australian Satellite Services in Adelaide, South Australia. The Vipersat STDMA inbound link is configured to a data rate selected by the user(s) to provide the IP data throughput required. The remote user is also provided with an “outbound” TDM link from the Hub at a rate again designed to provide the IP data throughput required.

An example could be a TDM Outbound link at a rate of 1Mb and an STDMA Inbound link at a rate of 512kb. Both links in this example would be shared by up to 10 remote users only. The network in this example would operate in a similar mode to a terrestrial DSL network based on the Uplink and Downlink speeds of the network. As the network is wireless and totally IP based it can also be likened to a terrestrial WiFi network.

The major difference between the PanAmSat on Demand service, terrestrial DSL and other satellite networks is that while the users will typically operate within the STDMA network the system is designed to switch the user to a dedicated link should an application or load require this. The benefit of this system is that the user operates in a true IP Bandwidth on Demand environment where bandwidth can be allocated “on-the-fly” and scaled as applications or load change. Bandwidth is billed in 1kbps increments by the minute and has a minimum bandwidth allocation of 10kbps and a maximum of 5Mb (currently).

The above diagram shows two remotes communicating with the Network Hub. One remote is operating on the STDMA inbound link (red dotted line) as the remote only has a LAN Client application running. The other remote has been switched to a dedicated link (solid green line) as an application (Video Conference) has dictated that more bandwidth or a higher data rate is required.

The above diagram shows the network having switched to the MESH mode. In this example both remotes are communicating directly with one another for a VoIP and IP Video Conferencing link while still maintaining connectivity with the Hub for network LAN or Internet traffic.

Australia & Oceania on Demand Service

The PanAmSat on Demand platform servicing the Australia and Pacific region is controlled from the PanAmSat Hub situated in Adelaide, South Australia. The Hub is located at the Australian Satellite Services Teleport in Thebarton a suburb of Adelaide. The service is currently carried on the PAS-2 satellite in Ku-Band (Transponders 6K and 7K) and provides coverage of Australia and New Zealand as well as the potential for Trans Tasman links for users requiring this facility.

Australian Satellite Services is operating the on Demand service in partnership with PanAmSat and will be acting as an Australian reseller of the service. The Australian Satellite Services facility offers connectivity to the Australian Internet Backbone through a local fibre connection and is operated with provisions for redundancy in power and transmission. A full Help Desk facility is being established and will be run by Australian Satellite Services.

PanAmSat plans to add the on Demand service to the PAS-8 satellite in C-Band in the near future and also to PAS-2 C-Band as the requirements arise. Provision has also been made for a smaller Hub to be established in New Zealand for this market as customer need dictates.

Remote Terminal

The costing of a remote terminal varies depending on the facilities required at the remote. That is, whether the remote will operate in STAR (Remote-to-Hub) or MESH (Remote-to-Remote) configurations. The operation of a MESH system will require an additional satellite modem/router at the remote. Or more than one if multiple MESH applications are required. Other factors such as where the remote terminal is situated in the satellite footprint will dictate what size antenna and transmit system (BUC) is required.

The following diagram shows a typical remote configured with a 1.8 Metre Antenna to operate on Ku-Band with 4 Watt Ku-Band BUC, LNB and CDM-570L modem/router. The diagram also illustrates an additional (optional) modem/router for MESH operation.

PanAmSat and Australian Satellite Services welcome the opportunity to discuss with customers the possibility of incorporating the terminal price into a total monthly user fee

It should be noted that a number of Service Providers in Australia and New Zealand offer a TDMA VSAT product that offers similar features to the standard PanAmSat STDMA service. The prices offered for the remote terminals to operate with these systems can be considerably lower than the PanAmSat product. However, with these systems the user is locked into the TDMA Inbound link and if it is oversubscribed or suffers from throughput throttling then the user will suffer this degradation without remedy. None of these TDMA VSAT systems offer “dedicated” IP Bandwidth on Demand. It should also be noted that VoIP and IP Video Conferencing suffer degradation in a TDMA environment due to packet loss and latency issues.

PanAmSat and Australian Satellite Services offer a true “Enterprise” solution where it is possible to set QOS levels on VoIP and Applications so that a switch to dedicated “On Demand” bandwidth is always made without compromising the user’s requirements.

If you would like to discuss your requirements with us, please Contact us.