THE ANIK F2Could this be Canada's Broadband Solution
When Telesat's Anik F2 satellite soars skyward in 2003, the Communications Research Centre (CRC) will toast the spacecraft's ascent with good cause. Working on behalf of the Canadian Space Agency, CRC is overseeing the development of advanced made-in-Canada technology that will debut on Anik F2.
In addition to carrying traditional C-band and Ku-band payloads, Anik F2 will be the first North American satellite to incorporate an advanced, spot beam Ka-band payload. This feat will enable Telesat to provide high-speed broadband services to customers throughout Canada and the continental U.S.
Thanks to the CRC and the Canadian Space Agency, Anik F2 will fully capitalize on its Ka-band capabilities. The satellite will carry two Canadian-built Ka-band innovations, one from EMS Technologies and another from COM DEV International.
EMS Technologies is developing an experimental onboard processor that will enable two remote earth stations to communicate directly with each other using Anik F2's Ka-band spot beams. The other Canadian technology to fly on Anik F2 comes from COM DEV International. This company is building a system to funnel traffic from various remotes to a given Ka-band gateway. Dubbed BEAM*LINK, this multiplexing system will be part of Anik F2's commercial payload.
"Putting these two Ka-band systems on Anik F2 will allow Telesat, the manufacturers, and the satellite industry to assess the equipment's in-flight performance," says Ken Gordon, Director, Broadband Technology Development with Telesat. "By coordinating the projects, CRC is playing an important role in the development of Canadian satellite technology."
Ka-band offers Telesat some important advantages. First, it allows the company to cover the serving area using some 45 spot beams that concentrate satellite power on relatively small zones. This concentration enables customers to use compact, low-cost satellite terminals, and it equips Telesat to offer bandwidth-hungry applications such as videoconferencing and high-speed Internet access.
Second, Telesat can reuse a given Ka-band frequency five or six times - a characteristic that keeps transmission prices low. This efficiency occurs because a beam serving, say, the British Columbia lower mainland won't interfere with one of the same frequency serving, say, the Winnipeg area.
The CRC has been instrumental not only in coordinating the two Canadian technology projects, but also in developing the types of advanced broadband applications that Anik F2 will support. Telesat and CRC have worked together closely for several years to bring medical, educational, judicial, Internet, and other services to remote Canadian communities via satellite.
"CRC has been outstanding," says Mr. Gordon. "They're extremely responsive and professional - an ideal partner in every sense. They do an excellent job helping remote communities use satellite to get access to advanced broadband applications."
Who knows what satellite advances await down the road? Anik A1's designers would have marveled at Anik F2's power, size, and capabilities. Wherever the satellite industry is headed, however, one can be sure that CRC and Telesat will be at the fore, helping Canadians and others around the world to communicate evermore efficiently and cost effectively.
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