Page 85 - SAMENA Trends - April-May 2021

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China Joins the Global LEO Satellite Race

China has established a new state-owned a degree of independence in sourcing, as champion. Unlike the new satellite player,
satellite company that looks set to drive well as giving the same status as the big China Broadcast Network (CBN) remained
its national LEO broadband efforts. The three telcos. The SASAC announcement under the control of the cable ministry and
State-owned Assets Supervision and follows a series of other steps that make continually struggled to get funding. But
Administration Commission (SASAC), clear China's ambition to set up its national CBN's $15 billion recapitalization last year,
which manages national-level state satellite company, known as a guowang, to with investments from big private and state
enterprises, announced the formation of bridge the LEO gap with foreign players firms such as Alibaba and utility company
the new China Satellite Network Group such as Starlink and OneWeb. The new State Grid, is a likely model for funding
Co. on April 30. SASAC did not provide any five-year plan sets down the intent to build China Satellite Network. It's not clear
detail, in particular on how the new SOE "an integrated communications, earth whether the new company will wholesale
will be funded, or whether it will supersede observation and satnav space system with its capacity to telcos, or sell direct to
existing broadband satellite projects. China global coverage," Curico said. Currently consumers, or perhaps both. But the target
already has two LEO satellite programs China has all of those pieces except the market will be twofold. First is China's
underway at state-owned aerospace communications part. China last year remote and rural customers. Despite
conglomerates, China Aerospace Science applied to the ITU for 10,000 LEO slots. In the extensive reach of China's networks,
and Industry Corporation (CASIC) and March Bao Weimin, science and technology mountain, grasslands and deserts account
China Aerospace Science and Technology director at CASC and a member of the for around 60% of China's land area. The
Corporation (CASC). CASC was due to put Chinese People's Political Consultative second will be the "Belt-Road" countries, in
the first of 320 satellites into orbit last year Conference, foreshadowed the formation particular central and southwest Asia, the
but so far none have left the ground. As of the new satellite operation. For satellites, Middle East and Africa. The core premise
China space industry consultant Blaine the state will also set up a guowang of the BRI is that China will supply or fund
Curcio pointed out on his Dongfang Hour company to be responsible for the overall key infrastructure to drive global economic
podcast, the problem with these vendor- planning and operation of space internet growth and integration. With SpaceX and
driven projects is they can procure only construction," he told a newspaper. The OneWeb well advanced with their plans,
from their parent company, ruling out pivot to a single national satellite company and with high-level political backing in
competition at the construction stage. But has some echoes of the decade-long effort Beijing, the China Satellite Network project
Curcio said it's hugely significant that the to weld the provincial cable MSOs into looks likely to move ahead quickly.
new entity is under SASAC, which gives it a single national broadband and pay TV

Hughes Launches S-Band Satellite/Cellular Hybrid Terminal

Hughes Network Systems (Hughes) the terminal moves in and out of terrestrial terminal contains an embedded SIM
confirms the availability of the Hughes mobile coverage areas, the S-band satellite for global 4G operation and as its IP67-
4510 satellite/cellular hybrid terminal for service automatically takes over, ensuring rated and thus environmentally sealed,
its European customers. The dual transport constant connectivity. “Hughes has the terminal features an omnidirectional
terminal intelligently routes IP traffic embraced multi-transport innovation as satellite antenna and requires low power.
via terrestrial or mobile satellite system essential to enabling the most reliable and Operators can manage the 4510 terminal
networks, ensuring reliable and ubiquitous cost-effective connection anywhere in the and update firmware remotely, and auto-
connectivity for critical applications. As world,” said Graham Avis, vice president of context activation automatically restores
MobileSat at Hughes Network Systems. power and connection following any
“The unique features of the 4510 terminal disruption – without human intervention.
allow for ubiquitous service for critical Earlier this month, Hughes Network
applications for vehicles or boats that pass Systems, one of OneWeb’s shareholders,
in and out of cellular coverage areas, and secured a contract with the US Air Force
for remote fixed sites that rely primarily on to use the satellite network in the Arctic.
solar or battery power.” EchoStar Mobile, Under the agreement, Hughes will test
Hughes’ sister company, uses the 4510 and implement these end-to-end services
to enable its new EM SYNERGY service, on the OneWeb system between selected
which delivers hybrid connectivity to US Northern Command locations, which
customers across Europe in both dense OneWeb describes as “a first step in
urban areas to rural locations using harnessing the power of LEO satellites
S-band satellite service in combination for high-speed, low-latency broadband
with pan-European mobile roaming. The access in the Arctic”.

85 APRIL-MAY 2021