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As specialists in satellite communications systems, SatCom Distribution can offer the design
and installation of VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) systems. These provide dedicated,
reliable, cost effective and private communications links for the individual and corporate
users, with the provision of total system capabilities to support high bandwidth secure data,
voice and video communication.

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The use of VSAT systems is growing throughout the world as a way of establishing private
satellite communications networks for large organisations that have several widely dispersed
locations, or providing higher bandwidth for the individual. Depending on bandwidth
requirement (data speed and/or communications channels), VSAT systems can be relatively
small (1 - 2 metre antenna) and easily installed. By linking VSAT terminals to larger hub
stations (or land earth stations), a network can be established inexpensively, although in this
type of configuration, VSATs can communicate only via the hub and not from remote
terminal to remote terminal. This configuration is called STAR configuration. VSAT
networks can readily be configured so that the hub can broadcast data to all the VSAT
terminals at higher rates than they can communicate to the hub.


 

For satellites to gain a foothold in the delivery of advanced broadband services, seamless
interconnectivity with terrestrial networks is imperative. For best results, the network should
be designed to exploit the unique virtue of satellite in geostationary orbit, namely that it can
be a shared resource available, as needed, to many users spread over a very large proportion
of the Earth's surface. This is the concept of bandwidth-on-demand. In an ideal network, each
terminal communicates with all others (full-mesh connectivity), but utilises satellite capacity
only on an as-needed basis. Such an architecture can be implemented if the terminals operate
in a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) mode (transmit in bursts) and are capable of
doing this at a variety of different frequencies (FDMA and TDMA).




A DAMA system is typically a mesh network that allows direct connection between any two
nodes in the network, sharing the bandwidth of a satellite transponder space which can be
allocated to each remote terminal as required. DAMA supports full mesh, point-to-point or
point-to-multipoint communications - any user can connect directly to any other user
anywhere within the network - and the most superior systems achieve this with TDMA. The
result is economical and flexible bandwidth sharing with any mix of voice, fax, video and
data traffic. The key point is that DAMA optimises the use of satellite capacity by allocating
satellite resources to each active node upon demand. By using a DAMA system, satellite
resources can support a very much larger number of users than a Single Channel Per Carrier
(SCPC) system.

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SatCom Distribution's VSAT systems are designed to offer the user a completely private
telecommunications network and accommodate customer exact requirements in size,
operational ability and coverage areas. These systems eliminate the user's reliance on third
party telecom providers, thus security, reliability and capacity can be improved, whilst
operation costs can be reduced. We take great care to ensure that our designed VSAT systems
are extremely flexible and user-friendly. The systems can be configured to integrate
seamlessly to the level the user requires. This can take the form of a solution that would
include interfacing with existing components of local and remote networks, to complete end-
to-end "turn key" solutions. For added security, our systems offer compatibility with
advanced encryption devices. In addition, we can offer a solution with customised PBX and
billing systems for total flexibility. Our systems are designed to be compatible with
technological advances, making future system enhancement easily achievable as
communications technology progresses.

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The installation of a VSAT system need not be an expensive option. With our expertise we
can recommend a system which will cater for your requirements without selling you
technology you have no need for. A whole variety of industries use VSAT systems, such as
oil and gas exploration corporations, banks, insurance companies, general stores,
manufacturing organisations, ATMs and government/military departments, as well as VIPs.
We would be delighted to explain the system in greater depth if you would care to contact us
at SatCom Distribution.

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 ( ), is a two-way satellite ground station or a
stabilized maritime Vsat antenna with a dish antenna that is smaller than 3 meters. The
majority of VSAT antennas range from 75 cm to 1.2 m. Data rates typically range from 56
Kbit/s up to 4 Mbit/s. VSATs access satellites in geosynchronous orbit to relay data from
small remote earth stations (terminals) to other terminals (in mesh configurations) or master
earth station "hubs" (in star configurations).

VSATs are most commonly used to transmit narrowband data (point of sale transactions such
as credit card, polling or RFID data; or SCADA), or broadband data (for the provision of
Satellite Internet access to remote locations, VoIP or video). VSATs are also used for
transportable, on-the-move (utilising phased array antennas) or mobile maritime
communications.

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The concept of the geostationary orbit was originated by Russian theorist Konstantin
Tsiolkovsky, who wrote articles on space travel at the turn of the century. In the 1920s,
Hermann Oberth and Herman Potocnik, aka Herman Noordung described an orbit at an
altitude of 35,900 kilometers whose period exactly matched the earth's rotational period,
making it appear to hover over a fixed point on the earth's equator. [1]

Arthur C. Clarke contributed to the understanding of satellites through an article published in

Wireless World in October 1945 titled "Extra-Terrestrial Relays: Can Rocket Stations Give
World-wide Radio Coverage?". In this article, Clarke not only determines the orbital
characteristics necessary for a geostationary orbit, but also discusses the frequencies and
power needed for communications.

Live satellite communication was developed in the sixties by NASA[2], named Syncom 1-3. It
transmitted live coverage of the 1964 Olympics in Japan to viewers in the US and Europe.
Soon after, on April 6 1965 the first commercial satellite was launched into space, Intelsat I,
nicknamed 'Early Bird'[3]

The first commercial VSATs were C band (6 GHz) receive-only systems by Equatorial
Communications using spread spectrum technology. More than 30,000 60 cm antenna
systems were sold in the early 1980s. Equatorial later developed a C band (4/6 GHz) 2 way
system using 1 m x 0.5 m antennas and sold about 10,000 units in 1984-85. In 1985,
Schlumberger Oilfield Research co-developed the world's first Ku band (12±14 GHz) VSATs
with Hughes Aerospace to provide portable network connectivity for oil field drilling and
exploration units. Ku Band VSATs make up the vast majority of sites in use today for data or
telephony applications. The largest VSAT network (more than 12,000 sites) was deployed by
Spacenet and MCI for the US Postal Service.[4]
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Most VSAT networks are configured in one of these topologies:

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Advances in technology have dramatically improved the price/performance equation of FSS

(Fixed Service Satellite) over the past five years. New VSAT systems are coming online
using Ka band technology that promise higher bandwidth rates for lower costs.

FSS satellite systems currently in orbit have a huge capacity with a relatively low price
structure. FSS satellite systems provide various applications for subscribers, including:
telephony, fax, television, high speed data communication services, Internet access, Satellite
News Gathering (SNG), Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) and others. These systems are
applicable for providing various high-quality services because they create efficient
communication systems, both for residential and business users.

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All the outdoor parts on the dish are collectively called the ODU (Outdoor Unit), i.e. OMT to
split signal between BUC and LNB. The IDU is effectively a Modem, usually with ethernet
port and 2 x F-connectors for the coax to BUC(Transmit) and from LNB (Receive). The
Astra2Connect has an all-in-one OMT/BUC/LNA that looks like a QUAD LNB in shape and
size which mounts on a regular TV sat mount. As a consequence it is only 500 mW compared
with the normal 2W, thus is poorer in rain.
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Maritime VSAT is the use of satellite communication through a VSAT terminal on a ship at
sea. Since a ship at sea moves with the water the antenna needs to be stabilized with reference
to the horizon and True North, so that the antenna is constantly pointing at the satellite it uses
to transmit and receive signals.

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Initially the use of VSAT antennas at sea was for transmission of television signals. One of
the first companies to manufacture stabilized VSAT antennas was SeaTel of Concord,
California which launched their first stabilized antenna in 1978. Sea Tel dominates the supply
of two-way VSAT stabilised antenna systems to the marine market with almost 72 percent of
the market in 2007 compared with Orbit¶s 17.6 per cent.[5] Initially maritime VSAT was
using Single Channel Per Carrier - SCPC technology - which suited large volume users like
oil drilling rigs and oil platforms and large fleets of ships from one shipowner sailing within
one or few satellite footprints. This changed when the company iDirect launched its IP-based
Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) technlogy that dynamically allocated bandwidth to
each ship for shared bandwidth, lowering the entry level cost for getting maritime VSAT
installed, which turned out to be of key importance to small-to mid-sized fleets, and thus to
the market acceptance of VSAT.

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According to the Maritime VSAT report [6] issued by the Comsys Group their research shows
that stabilised maritime VSAT services (not including oil & gas rigs) reached more than $400
million in 2007. In 2010 the COMSYS group released the "2nd Maritime VSAT Report"
where the market estimate had increased to $590 million in 2009 with predictions for 2010 at
$850 m. The estimated size of the market in terms of vessels eligible to get VSAT was in this
report set to in excess of 42.000 with just over 34.000 to go. The major companies market
share in terms of number of vessels in service were in 2009 (2007 in paranthesis) according
to these reports: Vizada: 17,6% (26.0%), Ship Equip: 11.0% (10.7%), Cap Rock 2.8%
(2.9%), MTN 7.5% (6.4%), Stratos - % (3.6%), KVH 5.4% (- %) Elektrikom 4.9% (3.2%),
Intelsat 3.4% (- %), Eutelsat 3.1%, NSSL 3.1%, Radio Holland 3.0%, Telemar 3.0%, DTS
2.6% and others accounted for 32.6% (27.7%). Many of the major providers have branded
their maritime VSAT offering such that Vizada offers its service through the Marlink
division, and the SeaLink and WaveCall products, while Ship Equip calls its offering
Sevsat.[7]