CURRENT GEO HTS SYSTEMS 35th AIAA ICSSC Colloquium: High Throughput Satellite (HTS) Broadband Opportunities: Orbits, Architectures, Interference and Markets

Sonya Amos

Eutelsat Proprietary

CURRENT GEOSTATIONARY HTS SYSTEMS

Since 2005 Satellite Operators have been benefiting from the advantages offered by High Throughput Satellite systems

Over 80 systems in orbit or in procurement, delivering approximately 3.5 Tbps of throughput

As technologies, requirements and

systems evolve, HTS systems continue to innovate, finding cost-effective solutions that satisfy diverse applications

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HTS SYSTEM ADVANTAGES

CURRENT GEO HTS SYSTEMS: ADVANTAGES

High frequency reuse via

multiple small spotbeams

High throughput, spectrum

efficiency, beam & data connectivity

Wide-ranging capabilities & applications

Large geographical

reach leading to global coverage Low cost per

bit

Eutelsat Proprietary

4 Eutelsat Proprietary

GEOSTATIONARY HTS CAPACITY EVOLUTION

2017: SES 12, 14, 15 ViaSat-2, Thor 7, NBN, GX F2 & 3, Turksat 4B

2017: 2144Mbps

Capacity

2005: iPSTAR, Spaceway, Anik F2 2005: 70Mbps

2010: KA-SAT, Hylas 1

2015: Thor 7, NBN, GX F2 & 3, Turksat 4B

2010: 227Mbps x3 amount of capacity

2015: 834Mbps x 10 amount of capacity since 2005

Year

Further 1.5Tbps in procurement

Eutelsat Proprietary

RAPID EVOLUTION IN HTS THROUGHPUT

Available capacity has evolved over the years Current Geo HTS systems:

Years

If we include capacity in procurement scale starts to change as we see the impact of VHTS systems

TH

RO

UG

HPU

T M

bps

6 6 Eutelsat Proprietary

KA-BAND AND BROADBAND CONTINUE TO DOMINATE

Total HTS capacity Split by frequency band (in Gbps)

Total HTS capacity Split by main application (in Gbps) • Largest growth expected in

2017, where HTS capacity will double over one year

• Ka-band will continue to be the preferred band for HTS systems, mainly for broadband services

* CAGR

7123266216

2017 2018 2016

1 883

1 610 (86%)

1 677

1 461 (87%)

877

755 (86%)

1 854 (86%)

2 166

306 (14%)

+35%*

2019

C Ku Ka

2019

2 166

650 (30%)

1 516 (70%)

2018

1 883

567 (30%)

1 316 (70%)

2017

1 677

472 (28%)

1 205 (72%)

2016

877 281

(32%)

596 (68%)

+91%

+14%

Non-Broadband

Broadband

Source: Eutelsat

7 7 Eutelsat Proprietary

CONTINUED STIMULATED GROWTH OVER NEXT THREE YEARS

Total HTS capacity Split by region (in Gbps)

• By 2019 almost 50% of HTS supply will be in North America and Latin America

• An extreme increase is expected from 2020 with next-gen HTS systems such as Viasat-3

* CAGR

290

691 711 721

308 353 364

278137

154

173

104101100

55

24

112

129118119

111

3218

8

8

8

23

42

125

+35%*

2019

2 166

92 66

73

79 64

2018

1 883

70 61

74 61

2017

1 677

38

2016

51

877

51

32 47

88 46 72 95

24

OP

SEA

NEA

China

SA

SSA

MENA

RCA

CEU

WEU

LATAM

NAM

2023

≃ 12,000**

**Includes constellations

Source: Eutelsat

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THE KEY TYPES OF CAPACITY

Widebeam HTS Access HTS Data

System Architecture Open Few Gateways are serving several

(5-10) beams = Star topology (access)

Interconnected beams

Network End customer defined Operator-defined End customer defined

Type of Usage Versatile Star & Meshed Networks

Provide IP access to consumers through Gateways connected to

the Internet Backbone

Data: Interconnection of terminals distributed among several beams

Frequency Band C, Ku-bands Minimal Frequency Reuse

Mostly Ka-band Frequency Reuse High Efficiency

C, Ku & Ka bands Frequency Reuse High Efficiency

Satellite Technology Simple Complex Complex + Processor

Capacity (Gbps) Cost

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However, as technology evolves, the line is becoming less distinct as systems capitalise on technological innovations

Eutelsat Proprietary

APPLYING TO A VARIETY OF MARKETS

Characteristics Main market Main objective Examples

High Capacity HTS

• High number of Spots • Frequency plan maximizing

frequency reuse • S/C design driven by available RF

power and accommodation • Typically star network

• Consumer broadband, SoHo, SME

• Professional

• Cost per bit as low as possible

• Ka-Sat, • Viasat, Wildblue

Flexible HTS • Cross-connectivity between spots • Bandwidth and EIRP flexible per

spot • Flexibility in down-link coverage

• Uncertain and heterogeneous markets

• Mobility

• Provide bandwidth for a lower price than traditional FSS systems while keeping commercial flexibility to adapt to customers’ needs and evolution thereof

• Epic, • Global Xpress, • Hylas, • Spaceway

Traditionally capacity could be split into two main applications serving distinct markets:

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EXAMPLE APPLICATIONS OF KA-SAT

Video Surveillance of Remote Sites

Broadband for Trucks Backhauling and Back-up for PMR infrastructure

Redundancy for Terrestrial Infrastructure

Temporary Broadband Links For Disaster recovery

Connection for Remote Sensor Networks

Eutelsat Proprietary

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Classical satellites providing shaped coverages over specific regions are not ‘simple’ to manufacture & provide a vital role for key markets Example waveguide routing from

classical Widebeam satellite

But compared to HTS satellites they are certainly less complex! KA-SAT waveguide

EVOLUTION IN COMPLEXITY

Eutelsat Proprietary

Eutelsat Proprietary

DIFFERENT SYSTEMS WITH DIFFERING APPROACHES

KA-SAT ViaSat-1 & 2 Global Xpress EPICNG

Broadband Broadband Mobility Professional data & mobility

- Consumers - Business

- Consumers - Business

- Maritime - Aeronautical service provider

- Telcos - Corporate Networks

- Maritime - Aeronautical service provider

Very low cost per bit Very low cost per bit Flexibility introduced into Viasat 2 Global coverage Backward compatible (Ku)

Adaptable to customer needs

13 Eutelsat Proprietary

KA-SAT & EUTELSAT 36C

Eutelsat’s HTS systems offer a variety of services for differing coverages and applications

Accommodation constraints are leading to single aperture solutions Eutelsat’s HTS systems are designed to match their market, applications and optimise satellite resources

KA-SAT: EVOLUTION IN HTS systems with HIGH CAPACITY OVER EUROPE from dedicated satellite

EUTELSAT 36C PROFILED COVERAGE OVER RUSSIA

Single Feed Per Beam Antenna Technology Multi-Feed Per Beam Technology, reducing antenna footprint*, optimised antennas for frequency bands

*R. Gehring et al, “Trade-off for overlapping feed array configurations,” ESTEC 2007

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EUTELSAT 3B

Meshed system providing over Earth steerable coverage

Allows Inter & Intra spot and mixed connectivity

Eutelsat Proprietary

Relatively simple payload design Compact antenna design Coverage flexibility

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EUTELSAT 65 WEST A & AFRICA BROADBAND SATELLITE

EUTELSAT 65 West A and Africa Broadband satellite are systems that offer broadband coverage to geographically disperse regions EUTELSAT 65 West A:

Launched March 2016 Combines HTS mission with C-band & Ku-band payloads Ka-band Single Feed Per Beam antenna array over diverse beams

serving most densely populates areas of Brazil & Latin America

In procurement by Thales and due for launch in 2019, the Africa Broadband satellite is a dedicated mission that will offer operational flexibility and accelerate the broadband connectivity across the African continent.

Eutelsat Proprietary

EUTELSAT 65 West A manufactured by SSL/MDS

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KU-BAND: EUTELSAT 172B & EUTELSAT QUANTUM

Software reconfiguration Whilst not designed as a HTS specific system, technologies and

functions on Eutelsat Quantum translate to HTS and VHTS systems. Flexible Uplink and Downlink antennas combined with Beam Forming

Networks, flexible pool of power and spectrum make it ideal for covering and reconfiguring over diverse regions, respond to changing requirements or peak surges Beam hopping, geolocation and interference mitigation make it

applicable to a variety of applications

Eutelsat Proprietary

Power flexibility for mobility markets Utilising a multi-port amplifier & 3 small array fed

reflectors provides a powerful & dynamic Ku-band mission for aeronautical routes over the Pacific

EUTELSAT QUANTUM: Beam hopping examples, where technology transfers to (V)HTS systems

EUTELSAT Quantum manufactured by ADS EUTELSAT 172B manufactured by ADS

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HTS & VHTS SYSTEMS: KEY POINTS MOVING FORWARD

18 Eutelsat Proprietary

APPLYING TO A VARIETY OF MARKETS

As we move forward, HTS systems continue to evolve.

Dynamic reallocation of resources: Bandwidth moved in real time Capacity redistribution reflecting high demand regions

High gain spot beams: Enable the development of smaller user terminals and therefore new opportunities More resilient to jamming with improved link budgets, increased roll-off

Reducing the cost per bit: High throughput Reduced satellite costs Ground segment optimisation

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Ongoing quest for lower service cost. Larger systems help. VHTS designs typically have regional coverages with capacity of many hundreds of Gbps & hundreds of spots System spectrum for terminals must be maximised especially for the FWD link Gateway site diversity required

New technological challenges & developments are emerging Phased array antennas break the relationship between # HPAs & # of spots Increasing capacity density = larger antennas 5m reflector => 0.2° spot size , requiring pointing and tracking accuracy of such small beams Antennas are becoming a driving element in the system

Q/V-Band: Utilising higher frequencies will free up Ka-band spectrum in favour of users Significant effort has been put into advancing propagation knowledge of operating at higher frequencies

and developing technology to a reasonable TRL Beam hopping: Beam-hopping techniques deliver considerable flexibility in the allocation of capacity

VHTS SYSTEMS

Matching geographic capacity demand to available system capacity remains a challenge It is essential that as much as possible of the available capacity can be commercially exploited

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ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES

Market Payload Features Enabling Technologies

Consumer Broadband

Larger Bandwidth Q/V-bands

Smaller Spot size Larger antenna reflectors

Wideband operation Ka-band LTWTA

Higher Output power Increased Ka TWT/ Q TWT

Beam-hopping architecture SFPB/MFPB

Reconfigurable antennas

Professional data & Mobility

Flexible coverage

Flexible bandwidth management

On-board processor Cross-connectivity between beam

Flexible power management

Multi-Port Amplifier, Flexible TWTA, Active antenna

Multi-port Amplifiers, MPA’s, facilate power management on a beam or coverage basis.

The use of Digital Transparent Processors, (DTP), enables optimisation of spectrum to the business case and adapting to heteregenous traffic profiles

Hybrid solutions that combine analogue & digital attributes are becoming more attractive as operators look to combine flexibility and performance

Future HTS systems will rely on a suite of technologies and systems, on the satellite and on ground to meet cost-per-bit requirements

Some technologies overlap and enable further flexibility and functionality

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Beam-hopping techniques deliver considerable flexibility in the allocation of capacity. Combining beam hopping capabilities with Multi Feed Per Beam antenna configurations could minimise the on-board antenna real estate.

ENABLING FUNCTIONALITIES

The flexibility & approach is application based: E.g. Eutelsat Quantum = allocation of capacity in response to geographical demand. E.g. (V)HTS applications have a fixed coverage set of beams and the fill factor is maximised within this definition In both cases the capacity is optimised to the User requirements/geographical definition. Beam hopping can be particularly useful for areas of dense population and high capacity requirements where hopping of nearest neighbouring beams can improve the C/I.

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CONCLUSION

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HTS MEANS IP EVERYWHERE, ANYWHERE & has seen distinct evolutions

GEO SATELLITES WITH HTS SYSTEMS CONTINUE TO

INNOVATE & OFFER COST-EFFECTIVE

SOLUTIONS

GEO SATELLITES PROVIDE GLOBAL

COVERAGE TO DISPERSE

REGIONS WITH HIGH DATA

RATES

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Thank you for your attention

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