The objective of the project is to enhance existing SatLink VSAT network capabilities by further developing functionality related to mobility, security, and bandwidth efficiency by:
- Further developing seamlessly Global roaming and enhancing the QoE for mobile and maritime customers through Global NMS and Mobility Controller.
- Providing the next generation SatLink VSAT and HUB modems.
- Enabling new Security measures in these areas: communications, encryption and equipment.
- Upgrading forward link to S2X and increase throughput.
- Preparing technology platform for future higher data rates.
It is important to ensure a seamless and cost efficient upgrade path to DVB-S2X for existing SatLink customers by:
- Supporting networks operating DVB-S2 and DVB-S2X in parallel and successively upgrading remotes.
- Enabling option of HW upgrade of existing remote modems by mounting a DVB-S2X Plug-in receiver or use of a new DVB-S2X compatible remote modem.
SatLink beyond 2020 offers:
- Further developed seamless roaming enhancing the QoE for mobile VSAT users through centralized mobility control.
SatLink “proactive beam switching” is a new unique feature that is especially designed for networks with land-mobile and maritime mobile users and aims to enhance the end user experience as well as service provider bandwidth utilization.
- New generation SatLink VSAT and HUB modems.
New modems with state-of-the-art technology, including support for DVB-S2X and higher beam throughput.
- Enabling new Security measures in these areas: communications, encryption and equipment.
Fulfilling customer security requirements to both local and remote connections.
- Preparing technology platform for future higher data rates, with the SatLink Network fully supporting (V)HTS satellites.
SatLink Beyond 2020 supports the following features:
- High bandwidth efficiency through DVB-S2X Adaptive Coding and Modulation (ACM) and DVB-RCS2 ACM.
- Security by protecting administrative traffic over the interfaces and protocols, and by offering equipment security.
- QoS including Stochastic Fair Queuing of Best Effort traffic, improved fair use of resources.
- Automated Pro-active seamless beam-switching, increasing availability and QoE for mobile users. Sustaining the accelerated TCP connections further enhances beam switching within the same HUB by continuing intercepted TCP connections.
- Enterprise networking with transparent user VLAN tagging.
- High utilization of resources through mechanisms like dynamic reconfiguration of carriers and sharing of antenna platform between several VSAT modems.
The SatLink satellite modem networking system provides broadband IP networking capability for operators that offers end-users broadband IP services by using VSATs and geostationary satellites. A modem network can be utilised by a single operator or it can be used to host virtual network operators (VNO) as desired. Each VNO has limited and restricted access to the management system and may manage a subset of the VSAT Modem Units(VMUs). The network is suited for end-users in fixed locations, on maritime vessels and on land-mobile units. Interconnection with terrestrial WAN infrastructure can be provided e.g. by having the hub hosted in a satellite teleport with good WAN interconnectivity.
The satellite networking topology that is supported is hub-spoke networking for IP traffic, using DVB-S2, DVB-S2X and DVB-RCS2 signals.
The project duration is 3 years starting Q2 2020, divided into 3 stages where in addition to continuously enhancing and developing new features for mobility, security and bandwidth efficiency, there is development of new DVB-S2X compatible HUB and VSAT modems, main HW developments per stage are:
- Stage 1: New DVB-S2X compatible Hub Transmitter and a DVB-S2x plug in receiver for remotes.
- Stage 2: New DVB-S2X compatible VSAT modems.
- Stage 3: New combined transmitter and receiver for the Hub.
First stage of development.
