Sat-ND, 13.8.97

• from: owner-sat-nd@tags1.dn.net
• Date: Wed, 13 Aug 1997 22:51:04 GMT

 

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LAUNCHES

Iridiums everywhere

The future of the satellite launch bizniz will probably see at least two LEO launch announcements every day. Even now, it's hard to keep track of a system such as Iridium.

Two days ago I wrote that the next Iridiums would be launched by a Russian Proton next September. Wrong again -- the next launch will be on August 17 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, USA when a Delta II rocket will put five Iridium satellites into orbit, just as on May 5 and July 9.

Business as usual? Not quite as it will be the first launch of a Boeing Delta II, following the company's merger with the rocket's manufacturer McDonnell Douglas.

SATELLITES

Global positioning for civilians?

"President Clinton recognises the importance of providing GPS services to both military and civil users," U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater said today. Nonetheless, GPS (Global Positioning Service) will probably not be available to both U.S. military and civil users on the same conditions.

Instead, the latest Federal Radionavigation Plan (FRP) that was released today calls for a second frequency for access by non-military users. The Department of Transportation said in a statement they recognise "that civil users need two GPS frequencies to satisfy many of their requirements. Until a second civil frequency is available, assurances have been given in the FRP by the Defence Department that it will not interfere with civil user access to a portion of the GPS L2 signal, known as the carrier phase, while the Defence and Transportation "Departments work together to implement a second coded civil signal on the future Block IIF satellites. A plan to accomplish this is due to be completed within a year."

This sounds complicated, and that's certainly no coincidence. The current situation is that only the U.S. military can exploit the full precision of the GPS using special equipment while a somewhat crippled signal, allowing significantly less precise navigation, is available to civilian users. The statement did not say whether the additional frequency would result in a higher precision of GPS applications in the civil sector.

Should you want to scrutinise the FRP on yourself, it's available in PDF format at

http://www.navcen.uscg.mil/frp/

...always take the weather with you

And here's our running gag again, China's Fengyun-2 weather satellite. It doesn't just work for China, though.

Australian Senator Ian Macdonald, parliamentary secretary to federal Environment Minister Robert Hill, said Fengyun 2m currently at 104.1 degrees East, would provide valuable data for weather forecasting and climate prediction. His statement came after Australia has received the first pictures from China's weather satellite launched two months ago.

"The Australian Bureau of Meteorology helps maintain FY-2 in orbit through its Turn Around Ranging Station (TARS) at Crib Point near Melbourne, operating under its international agreement with the Chinese Meteorological Administration," Macdonald told Australian Associated Press. "Australia has free access to FY-2 data and both countries collaborate on its use."

Macdonald said FY-2 images were particularly useful because they filled the long-standing gap in coverage of the Indian Ocean and Western Asia.

DIGITAL

Bad moon rising

HDTV? No way. The idea of high-definition television plays no role in current digital plans for terrestrial TV as one HDTV channel takes up the bandwidth of some four usual TV channels.

In addition to yesterday's article, here are some more details on one of the largest owners of U.S. network affiliates, Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc.'s foray into digital terrestrial TV. The company's announcement actually means that it will ignore HDTV and instead plans to offer several digital channels.

Separately, Preston Padden, president of Walt Disney Co.'s ABC network, said ABC is leaning toward using the digital spectrum assigned by the government earlier this year to broadcast several new channels instead of providing HDTV. The other major U.S. networks haven't decided on their digital future yet, but you don't have to be a psychic to predict a trend towards multi-channel broadcasting instead of HDTV on a given bandwidth -- much to the dismay of TV set makers that plan to sell you new, expensive sets that are expected to cost as much as US$5,000.

Under rules set earlier this year by the U.S: Federal Communications Commission, broadcasters can choose between showing a single, high-resolution HDTV picture, or splitting up their spectrum to broadcast several new digital channels.



Must-carry rules for DTH?

More bad news for digital TV, this time for those DTH satellite services in the USA that want to provide local audiences with local channels just as on cable.

Unlike cable networks, however, those DTH services opposed "must-carry" rules as they would mean that a U.S.-wide provider would have to broadcast all local channels available across the country. Unfortunately, this is exactly what the U.S. Copyright Office demands in its recommendations to the Congress.

The proposal in principle allows satellite carriers to retransmit signals to subscribers outside of a local market area for a network affiliate. The National Association of Broadcasters said it "strongly" disagreed with the recommendation.

BUSINESS

The end of the business channel craze?

It seems as though the uncontrolled expansion and multiplication of business and news channels all over the world may come to a grinding halt sooner rather than later. Rumour has it that European Business News (EBN) and Asian Business News (ABN) will soon be taken over by CNBC.

Wishful thinking? Andy Lack, NBC's news division president, reportedly said EBN was showing signs of "tiredness" and that CNBC intended to become the only business news channel in Europe.

EBN and ABN are operated by Dow Jones (70 percent) and Flextech (30 percent.) Flextech looks set to withdraw from the venture to put an end to its losses, while Dow Jones hadn't yet decided how to proceed.

TCI Music goes TV

The Box Worldwide, Inc. ("The Box Worldwide",) which programs and distributes the music video channel "The box," and TCI Music, Inc. signed a definitive merger agreement for the merger of The Box Worldwide into TCI Music.

As a result of the merger, The Box Worldwide would become a subsidiary of TCI Music, and shares of the Common Stock of The Box Worldwide would be exchanged for shares of TCI Music's Series "A" Preferred Stock ("TCI Music Preferred").

The merger would combine the resources and expertise of The Box, which claims to be the world's only interactive, 24-hour, all music video service, with TCI Music, formed earlier this year by Tele-Communications, Inc. ("TCI"), to deliver audio and video music services to residential and commercial customers via television, the Internet and other methods. [Wonder what those will be.]

Last month, TCI Music acquired DMX Inc., which programs, markets and distributes its premium digital audio service, Digital Music Express [apart from DMX Europe which was spun off and went bankrupt soon after. Regards -- a subscriber :-(]

In anticipation of the close of the merger, which is to be completed this autumn, TCI Music and The Box Worldwide will launch four multiplexed music video channels with tightly defined formats. These channels will be uplinked at the National Digital Television Centre in Denver, Colorado and distributed through the Headend In The Sky ("HITS"). Prior to the closing of the merger, The Box Worldwide will also facilitate the creation of the Music Multiplex by lending its expertise in music programming, production and network operations.

FEEDBACK

Sat-ND, 12.8.97 -- Wooribyul

I wrote that "Samsung said it developed two types of microchips with 10 GB of memory for Wooribyul."

"C'mon, you're talking about 10 MB chips here, do you?" asked Mr, Mrs or Ms Schmidt. I haven't got the faintest idea; I just reported what Samsung said according to publicly available reports. Sorry I can't be of any help. -- Ed.

Sat-ND, 12.8.97 -- Skybridge

"There is one (big) mistake in the 12.8.97 issue: the information [contained in a reader's contribution -- Ed.] related to SkyBridge are wrong.

"SkyBridge is a Ku-band (not Ka-band) satellite-based broadband access system using a constellation of 64-LEO satellites. The payloads are transparent (bent-pipe payload without any on-board switching capabilities) and there is no inter-satellite links.

"Alcatel is currently developing SkyBridge, a global broadband communication system for interactive multimedia services using a constellation of 64 low earth orbiting satellites. Service introduction is planned in 2001. SkyBridge is based on a very innovative concept in terms of frequency usage which allows a full reuse of the frequency spectrum in the Ku band. SkyBridge does not require the allocation of an exclusive frequency band and will use the Ku band while fully protecting other users in that band, such as geostationary satellite systems as well as terrestrial services."

(Alain Frizon)

Sat-ND, 12.8.97 -- Filipino satellite confusion

Well, I'm proud of my readers! Two of them have taken the time to update me (and you) about the Philippines' satellite plans. Thank you very much indeed! Here are the contributions; the shorter one first, followed by a more detailed explanation.

There were two proponents for a launch satellite in the Philippines, Mabuhay Philippines Satellite Corp. (MPSC) and Philippine Agila Satellite, Inc. (PASI). PASI is a consortium of Philippine carriers but driven by Domsat (owns more than 60%), a domestic satellite carrier. They intended to call their satellite Agila. This consortium used to be the anointed satellite by the government but due to their inability to meet the APEC deadline (to have a satellite by that time), the government in turn gave the blessing for Mabuhay to use Agila.

Mabuhay is a consortium composed of PLDT (the dominant telco in the country), Everbright Group (Chinese), PSN (Indonesian), GMA-7 (local broadcasting company), Philcomsat (Intelsat signatory for the Philippines). PLDT owns 51% of MPSC. To meet up with the APEC deadline, they bought an old satellite from PSN and moved it to 144 degrees. Can't remember the name of that inclined satellite, but that was only to satisfy the TO HAVE A SATELLITE BY APEC government desire. Anyway, the bottom line is that MPSC can now use the name Agila (means Philippines Eagle) for their satellites. Agila II which is a Loral satellite (30 C band and 24 Ku band) is scheduled to be launch on Aug 14-16 (although this may change) onboard the Long March launcher.

(Joseph E. Nebrida)

I lived in the Phillipines for a few years, and knew all the satellite players, so I can iluminate you a little I hope.

There are two competing consortiums for the "Philippine National satellite".

First was "Agila" consortium, named after the Philippine Eagle Agila, of which a few may survive somewhere. This was formed under the auspices of the Department of Transport and Communications (DOTC), and all telecom carriers were invited to join, with the DOTC getting up to two transponders free of charge for the privilege of using orbital slots filed by them. (Philippines is highly deregulated with numerous telephone companies, telecom carriers, carriers carriers, and mobile phone franchises). However the government decreed that they would not invest, it had to be private sector.

The dominant telecom carrier Philippine Long Distant Telephone (PLDT), sort of like Philippines equivalent of ATT in USA, refused to join unless they had 50% share, which neither the DOTC, nor some of the other carriers wanted, so PLDT formed a rival consortium, The Mabuhay Philippines Satellite Corporation, ("Mabuhay" is Philippine all purpose greeting similar to "aloha"), with themselves as 50% + shares, other shareholders being Indonesian Pacific Satellite Nusantara (PSN), TV broadcaster GMA, a Chinese company, and Philcomsat (the local Intelsat gateway carrier equivalent to Comsat in USA). PSN operates the older Palapa "B" series satellites, owns capacity on the "C" series and is lead shareholder in ACEs, a geo-mobile satellite to be launched in 1998 (with PLDT as another major shareholder).

Mabuhay ordered two satellites from Loral, originally named "Mabuhay-1" the one which is on the launch pad at Xichang and Mabuhay-2 as a backup. They raised the finances through a combination of shareholder's guarantees and US Exim Bank loan. PSN provided the orbital slot, one of their own filings under Indonesia at 144 E. The launch was booked through Long March, and has been delayed a number off times due to LM problems.

The Agila consortium had a LOI with Aerospatiale , but had some problem finding financing as the government didn't want to guarantee. They eventually found Korean financing and purchased an old Gorizont satellite from Intersputnik (one of the former Rimsats) and moved it to 161 E, a Philippine slot filed by DOTC, and renamed it Agila 1. The company has been reorganised with Domsat Phillipines as the majority shareholder. Domsat was formerly the exclusive domestic satellite carrier, but suffered a heavy debt burden after the late president Marcos's cronies were removed from the company and they lost their monopoly during deregulation in the early 90's. Apparently they are re-emerging and also have a contract for an Aerospatiale satellite to be launched in 1998, but I can't confirm that.

Then in a sudden twist of fate, Philippine President Ramos, renamed Mabuhay-1 to "Agila -II" at the inauguration of the satellite control centre last November 18th.

So there you are , two "Agila" national satellites, one is officially PASI/Agila-1, the second Agila-II ready for blastoff at Xichang. As for the other Loral and the Aerospatiale satellites, well let's wait and see.

(Tim Brewer)

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