Throughout 2018, Newtec has continued to respond to the latest industry trends, cementing the firm’s position as an industry pioneer. The company’s projects and work have been highly focused on the future as operators prepare for the 5G era, the boom in High Throughput Satellite (HTS) services and as the first Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations emerge. Anytime, anywhere connectivity has also been a priority, with Newtec’s work on in-flight WiFi further expanding.
These trends point to a myriad of changes underpinning the satellite industry; however, among them there is a single constant — the need for more. Consumers are using more data and that requires more bandwidth. They want more speed — even a millisecond drop in connectivity is becoming unacceptable and that means connections need to become more reliable. At Newtec, the commitment is to help operators meet this demand by pushing the limits of spectral efficiency to deliver the ultra-connected world all are moving toward.
Future-Proof Mobile Connectivity
Playing, perhaps, the biggest role in delivering this ultra-connected world is 5G. Set to revolutionize all aspects of our lives in all sectors, 5G will bring a huge shift toward a landscape dominated by wireless connectivity, with satellite set to become an essential part of that infrastructure.
The role that satellite has to play in mobile connectivity is already being experienced across the world, with a number of mobile network operators deciding to use satellite for cellular backhaul when delivering 2G, 3G and 4G services.
In example, Mytel — Myanmar’s newest mobile operator — chose to work with Newtec’s long-term partner, Communications & Commerce (Com & Com) (a joint venture company established between Terabit Wave in Myanmar and OSB JSC in Vietnam, to launch a mobile backhaul network. We delivered this solution with Com & Com, which was selected for this project due to their high performance, low operational expenditure (OpEx) and their support of Newtec’s dynamic bandwidth allocation technology, Mx-DMA®.
A number of Newtec MDM3100 Satellite Modems have already been installed, empowering Mytel to deliver 2G, 3G and 4G services across Myanmar and increasing the company’s coverage as it prepares for the expected growth in mobile traffic. Com & Com is responsible for fully managing the Newtec Dialog®-based network, supported by the platform’s network management system. This is Myanmar’s first all-4G network and the project really emphasizes the role satellite has to play in delivering fast mobile internet access at affordable rates.
Mytel is the latest operator in the Asia-Pacific region to select Newtec’s mobile backhaul solution based on the Newtec Dialog platform as part of a larger series of recently installed networks in the region. The number of installations is also increasing in Africa and Latin America, with the latter region being home to one of the world’s biggest mobile backhaul networks in terms of capacity.
Newtec recently signed a new agreement to expand this network, which is currently deployed on Ku-band, to Ka-band. This was the first mobile network deployed over Newtec Dialog, maximizing efficiency and Quality of Service (QoS). Our Mx-DMA technology will be used to support the transition from voice to data-centric mobile applications, providing very high service availability. Multiple mobile technologies, including 2G, 3G and 4G will be deployed, while the multiservice capability of Newtec Dialog will also allow enterprise services to be launched from the same network.
This growth in cellular backhaul projects is linked to the continued growth of HTS constellations, with forecasts predicting that by 2021, 272 Gbps, representing a CAGR of 62 percent, of mobile backhaul traffic will be backhauled over HTS. When doing so, delivering a good user experience is key for MNOs, including the desired level of throughput and reliable services. Optimized OPEX and Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) of the satellite backhaul services is also essential to enable an MNO’s business case. Remote sites are often located in places without reliable power mains, requiring the remote tower to be powered by generators or solar power. Lower power consumption helps to further optimize the total CAPEX and OPEX cost of the remote sites.
To address these challenges, HTS service platforms need to be capable of delivering the throughput and packets per second for even the most demanding sites and include embedded optimization technologies to deliver the required 2G, 3G and 4G user experience. They should also be able to deliver highly reliable services in Ku- and Ka-band, with the lowest possible OPEX and terminal CAPEX.
Pushing the Limits of HTS
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Cellular backhaul is just one example of the range of services that HTS are enabling — but matching the innovation in the sky on the ground is vital for operators to effectively monetize their HTS infrastructures.
This is why an increasing number of operators are selecting the Newtec Dialog mult-service platform, to ensure optimal execution of HTS services strategy by enabling HTS benefits to be maximized and providing unprecedented bandwidth efficiencies and throughputs, thanks to the 500 Mbaud DVB-S2X forward and Mx-DMA® return link. Additionally, Newtec Dialog delivers the best connectivity experience and allows operators to enlarge their addressable markets in key HTS sectors, such as broadband, backhaul and mobility, as well as expand into emerging markets that are enabled by small, electronically-steered, flat panel antennas.
The platform is unique in its ability to optimally address the mix of fixed and mobility services and small and large antennas, all the while removing the dramatic cost increase and operational complexity traditionally associated with legacy VSAT platforms. These capabilities have been proven in a number of markets, with the mobility sector being a prime example and one of particular importance for HTS operators.
Milano Teleport is among the companies that have already decided to work with us in this area. Looking to enrich their services for the maritime market, they deployed a Newtec Dialog this year with two types of Newtec modems. Targeting mainly yachts (via the “Orbis Yacht” brand) and cruise liners (with “iSeaglobal”) — both of which require very high-bandwidth connectivity — a number of vessels are already in service, with Milano Teleport seeing significantly reduced Operational Expenditure (OpEx) as a result of the Newtec Dialog hub located at their teleport in Italy.
Spreading WiFi Wings
Newtec’s work within the commercial aviation industry also expanded during 2018. We operate over high capacity satellites such as Eutelsat 172B, which has been designed with applications such as in-flight connectivity in mind and our partnership with Panasonic is quickly progressing. Since we announced the partnership, Panasonic Avionics now has 350 aircraft flying with the Gen 3 Newtec modem to provide inflight connectivity and the plans are to have 1,000 installed by early 2019. The Newtec modem offers Panasonic’s aero customers as much as 20 times the bandwidth of the original solution and can facilitate the increasing bandwidth coming on stream as HTS and Extreme-Throughput Satellite (XTS) services continue to be layered over Panasonic’s existing global network.
Panasonic’s network is built on their high throughput satellite service, which covers all dense mobility traffic areas around the globe with high throughput spot beams and wide overlay beams that support Panasonic’s global inflight television service. Along with the Newtec modem, this supports the provision of in-flight services such as fast internet, video streaming, VoIP applications, improved TV picture quality and a broader channel choice, the capability to offer 3G phone services as well as greater bandwidth for crew applications.
As Newtec moves into 2019, this area, along with cellular backhaul, HTS technology and broadcast, will remain the company’s focus — the company’s ultimate aim is to meet the needs of tomorrow… today.
