New Solutions for Cruise with Jo De Loor, VP. Business Development at Newtec High Capacity Modems, Channel Bonding and New Waveforms As the cruise industry's demand for bandwidth soars, serving this industry presents greater and greater challenges to satellite operators and hub and modem infrastructure providers. There are several requirements that are key to satisfying the cruise customer. Above all is the need to provide a home-like user experience. This involves the need to provide massive throughput, affordability, and delivery of bandwidth capacity wherever a cruise ship is located at any point in time. For example, a cruise ship might be at sea, near shore, or in port. This means that optimum satellite waveforms need to be deployed based on demand. Also, flexibility is a key concern in serving the connectivity needs of the this community. So, there are several aspects to the challenge. Essentially, there are two solutions for achieving ultra high capacity using HTS satellites, channel bonding and advanced high capacity modems, and there are several waveforms that can be deployed to maximize efficiency, DVB-S2X on the forward link, and TDMA, Dynamic SCPC and SCPC on the return link. While channel bonding has demonstrated downlink capacities in excess of 3 Gbps, it generally requires access to more than one satellite which limits its use due to the changing location of the vessel. That's why it is currently impractical to provide very high bandwidth in this manner, since users would experience significant variability of service from as the vessel transit from one location to another. In addition, channel bonding requires the use of multiple antennas and modems which can be another limiting disadvantage. With this limitation in mind, we spoke to our friends at Newtec to see what kind of solutions that can generate maximum throughput from a single transponder, and they were kind enough to put us in touch with Jo De Loor, their VP of Market Development, for a discussion of potential solutions. SMW: Jo, given the limitations of channel bonding in an environment where a cruise would travel hundreds of miles per day across varying
satellite environments, what can be done with today's technology to generate the kind of capacity that cruise vessels require from a single satellite? JDL: The first challenge is how can we maximize throughput and leverage the lower cost per bit capabilities of the new high throughput satellites. These satellites are unique in that most legacy widebeam Ku-Band satellite transponders are limited to 36 or 72 MHz, while transponders on the new HTS satellites can be as large as 500 MHz allowing for a single, 500 MHz carrier. You will note that satellite operators have directed these HTS spot beams over areas of very high cruise ship activity, principally the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. That?s how you can get higher throughputs at lower cost per bit to each of the cruise vessels. However, the challenge is to have the hub and modem technology that can handle a 500 MHz carrier and maximize bits per second output. For example, each of our modems has a demodulator inside which can decode a 500 MHz "...the challenge is to have the hub and modem technology that can handle a 500 MHz carrier and maximize bits per second output." carrier, so we no longer have to combine multiple smaller carriers into these large HTS transponders to achieve higher throughput, thereby maximizing efficiency. SMW: So, as I understand it, the key to maximizing throughput is the ability to successfully decode a 500 MHz carrier. Is that correct? JDL: Yes and no, given that available capacity we now have to explore how to deliver the maximum number of bit per Hertz, and that takes us into a discussion of possible waveforms to deploy on the forward and return links. On the forward link, we use the latest satellite transmission standard, DVB-S2X, which is a highly efficient broadcast technology. Using it along with our Equalink carrier optimization technology, it is now possible for us to generate speeds up to 2 Gbps all from a single 500 MHz transponder on a single satellite, depending on the link budget. On the return link, with the larger transponder sizes, its possible to achieve some very compelling advantages. As you know, in the cruise
environment, it has become very important to offer a very high speed return link given the increasing demands of passengers who which to upload their content, images and videos to their social networks. SMW: I have heard that in these high demand environments, traditional TDMA solutions aren't the best fit. Is that true? JDL: That's correct. While TDMA is a very appropriate technology in scenarios where a lot of users use small amounts of bandwidth intermittently or in varying time cycles, in high demand markets, the bandwidth "overhead" associated with its use makes it not so efficient. So, there is a new solution available in the market that uses a dynamically variable SCPC link that adjusts the size of an SCPC link on demand while doing it with higher efficiency and much less overhead than TDMA. We call our version of this Mx-DMA. Using MxDMA, its possible to provide uplink capacity up to 75 Mbps. However, as in some instances, a ship may want even higher bandwidth on the return link, our modems can actually switch to a dedicated SCPC link offering up to 250 Mbps is required. So, while a cruise ship at times of peak demand might require a 250 Mbps SCPC uplink, during the night or when the ship is in port, dynamically allocated SCPC would be an ideal solution. So, essentially, when these new waveforms are deployed with satellites and modem infrastructure capable of supporting 500 Mbaud/2 Gbps carriers, maximum efficiency and ultra high bandwidth can be achieved in both forward and return links. Of course, in a mobility environment, there are other considerations that must be addressed to maximize performance and lower costs, and these are generally relate to the integrators management of the network. SMW: Yes. We seem to have neglected that area in our discussion. In terms of network management,
what sort of advantages can these new technologies and platforms provide? JDL: Alan, first of all, these solutions minimize the number of transponders required thereby reducing transponder lease costs. For example on the forward link, a single 500 MHz transponder using DVB-S2X could service both high and low demand markets at the same time. So cruise and cargo ships could share the same transponder. On the uplink, the satellite bandwidth can be shared to deliver MF-TDMA, MX-DMA and SCPC simultaneously, In both forward and return links, these solutions represent significant strides ahead in enhancing efficiency and lowering the cost per bits per second. Of course, in mobility, there is another aspect to consider, advanced mobility management. That's about customized beam switching. You may recall that traditional beam switching in a mobility environment relied upon the use of satellite footprint maps stored in the modems and switching parameters were fixed. We developed management tools to customize the beam switching using more advanced business logic. For example, adjusting the beam switching parameters could be used to minimize the excess capacity in a mobility network thereby limiting the number of transponders leased and maximizing available capacity. SMW: So, given the rapid evolution of this technology, do you feel hub and modem providers can keep up with the cruise industry's very increasing demands? JDL: We drive to meet those demand through the provision of innovative solutions. We have developed the technology to maximize the HTS satellite beam throughputs and efficiency and at the same time, we are adding modems like the MDM501, capable of delivering 500 Mbps to 1
About Jo De Loor: Jo holdsthe position of VP Gbps of capacity Market Development at to an individual vessels. Newtec and leads the teamwe ofwill enable modems to Looking forward, market directors have theaddressing full 2 Gbps carrier capacity delivered Newtec?svertical markets: to a single vessel if needed. When even more Broadcast, Government & Channel bonding using capacity is required, multiple transponders or satellites could still be Defense, Broadband, use.cellular In that regard, the MEO and LEO Enterpriseofand constellations hope... Backhaul. Jo'spersonaloffer focus ison HTSSo and farenterprise we have done well, but we will continue markets. to push the limits of innovation as required, to meet the ever escalating demand for bandwidth In hisprevious role as at sea. Product Manager, he was SMW: Jo,product Thank you. I think our cruise industry responsible for the readers and integrators serving the definition and marketthose launch industry will benefit from your comments. of Newtec Dialog, Newtec?s scalable, flexible and bandwidth efficient multiservice platform. It gives operatorsthe power to offer a variety of services on a single platform while assuring the most optimal modulation and bandwidth allocation. Jo hasover 20 yearsof experience the industry. He 2018 Satellitein Mobility World September began hiscareer at Newtec in 1996 with different Click to Subscribe