MeCA proved its capabilities in 2005, when Telesat began offering Internet services to passengers aboard Canadian ferries (see related links top-right). The new agreement with the Canadian government will require Telesat to provide satellite equipment to selected Coast Guard vessels, which can be used to access e-mail, watch satellite television and use VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phones.
"This is significant for folks who serve at sea for long periods of time," said the Honourable Loyola Hearn, the Canadian Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. "E-mail and TV news are so important to help people stay in touch with their families and events from home. I'm glad that we can invest in our employees in this way."
Canadian Coast Guard vessels must operate in remote areas
The project has recently completed the first Phase at a Telesat testing facility. In Phase 2, which began earlier this month, a vessel is the first to be equipped with the satellite equipment. A follow-up Phase 3 will involve installation and training as well as introduction of the system to the four remaining Coast Guard regions: Newfoundland, Quebec, Central and Arctic and Pacific.
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For each ship, Telesat will provide a satellite terminal with a full-motion antenna system and modem which is connected to Telesat's teleport. "Coast Guard vessels come in all shapes and sizes", said Ms Anne Marie Sekerka-Bajbus, project manager for the Canadian Coast Guard's 'E-mail Aboard Ships', "This will be a new national system that will be the same in every region and the same on every ship. We expect full rollout to be completed within two-and-a-half years." |
A total of about 2200 Coast Guard employees will receive e-mail accounts accessible through a Web-based mail system. They will also be able to watch television and have access to satellite channels. "E-mail is our primary concern," said Ms Sekerka-Bajbus. "The whole impetus for this project is to keep our crew in touch with their family and friends, because they're away from home for periods of more than three weeks."
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The satellite signal will be delivered via Telesat's Anik F2 satellite (image left). The satellite uses Ku-band and is capable of delivering Internet speeds of approximately two megabits per second (mbps). "There should be no downtime at all," said Dave Lahey, vice-president of business development for Telesat. "MeCA has been made to be an extremely robust, fully redundant system that should guarantee extremely high availability." |
To read more about MeCA click under related links at the top-right of this page.
Images courtesy Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Telesat
