At the Satellite 2013 conference, NSR analyst Patrick French will lead an important panel session examining the impact of High Throughput Satellites (HTS) on the enterprise market. The session is on Wednesday, March 20 at 10:15 am in room 201 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C. Among the expert speakers will be iDirect’s CTO, Dave Bettinger. We sat down with Dave to get a preview of what he plans to share.

What’s the HTS session about?

HTS has certainly been the most significant recent development in the satellite industry. It’s also a very complex topic, and many questions need to be explored. Will HTS overcome longstanding limitations of space segment cost and network performance and position satellite as a mainstream technology? Will it lead our industry to major growth? How will it change how satellite operators and service provides run their operations and serve customers. And specifically, we are looking at the enterprise market as a source of significant business opportunity.

How will HTS impact the enterprise market?

Originally, much of HTS capacity was intended for the consumer market. Recent market projections by NSR, though, show that close to 50% of all HTS revenues will come from enterprise-class and military applications. These applications offer a much higher value per bit and will be a very significant source of revenue for service providers. Read More

Pole mounted iDirect X1 outdoor remote & power supply using a .75M antenna

iDirect attended a regional Utility Telecom Council (UTC) event promoting that VSAT solutions are a viable communications technology for implementing utility smart grids. On March 6, Ken Harris, sr. sales executive, iDirect, attended the UTC Region 3 event in Gainesville, FL and spoke with many utility customers about the value of VSAT technology.

He discussed several use cases with multiple utility professionals including:

• Backhauling
  • SCADA data for Substation Automation
  • Smart meter data for Smart Meter Backhaul
• Communications enabling
  • On-the-go Mobility
  • Disaster Recovery

Ken showcased the X1 outdoor, the rugged satellite router that withstands extreme temperatures and is pole mountable for increased flexibility and convenience. He had many conversations with local utilities on their communication needs and the fit for VSAT solutions. Read More

CTO Dave Bettinger to speak on High Throughput Satellites and network security trends; iDirect to preview iDX 3.2 and X7 remote

Washington, D.C., March 18, 2013 – VT iDirect, Inc. (iDirect), a company of VT Systems, Inc. (VT Systems), today announced that several of its company executives will be featured speakers at the Satellite 2013 Conference and Exhibition. The event, which is one of the world’s largest gatherings of satellite industry professionals, runs from March 18 to March 21, 2013 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. iDirect is a world leader in satellite-based IP communications technology.

Below is the schedule for iDirect’s speakers, including session topics, times and locations:

Monday, March 18, 2013

• CTO Roundtable Breakfast – Network Security: Beyond Equipment, Software & Encryption with Dave Bettinger. Room 202B at 7:30 am.
• Segmenting Maritime Sector Communications Trends: Understanding Who Wants What, Where & For Whom with Terry Neumann. Room 209 at 10:30 am.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

• High Throughput Satellites (HTS) – Changing the Paradigm with Dave Bettinger. Room 201 at 10:15 am.
• Squeezing $$ from MHz – Examining the Latest in Spectral Efficiency and Bandwidth Optimization with David Nemeth. Room 201 at 1:45 pm.
• Wireless Backhaul via Satellite: Moving to 3/4G and HTS with Richard Deasington. Room 201 at 4:45 pm.

At Satellite 2013, iDirect will also preview its software release, iDX 3.2. This software will feature Adaptive TDMA and the high performance X7 remote that can reach 100 Mbps on combined data throughput.

Mobile operators have long wanted to extend their networks beyond saturated core markets to rural and remote locations. Some have built out 2G networks with the help of satellite backhaul. The increasing use of mobile devices to connect to the Internet, though, has made geographic expansion potentially more valuable.

Several billion people in developed nations have voice service only, and as such, they are prime prospects for data service. A billion people in developing countries lack any connectivity at all, and mobile devices are may be their best option for Internet connectivity. Cisco projects that mobile data traffic will increase 18-fold worldwide by 2016, compared to 2011 figures. And the number of mobile connected devices will surpass 10 billion.

Historically, expanding into remote and rural markets has carried a high price tag. It’s not cheap to build cell towers across thousands of miles of terrain to reach towns and villages with small populations. And satellite bandwidth is not cheap either, especially when it comes to backhauling data traffic. It’s hard for mobile operators to see how they can service remote and rural areas while making a profit.

This picture is quickly changing today. iDirect director of market development, Richard Deasington, is set to explain at Satellite 2013 how several technologies are coming together to lower the cost of serving remote and rural markets and unlock new revenue opportunities. Here’s a quick look at what he plans to share. Read More

Terry Neumann, director of market strategy at iDirect, will be speaking at Satellite 2013 on maritime VSAT trends. We talked to him about VSAT’s growing dominance in the market, emerging end user needs and how HTS will drive broader adoption.

How is VSAT performing in the maritime sector? 

VSAT has clearly become the standard for onboard communications, taking significant market share from pay-per-use L-band. The latest COMSYS market report confirms that there were nearly 12,500 vessels equipped with VSAT by the end of 2011, driven by a five-year compound annual growth rate running of 19%. COMSYS also projected that VSAT adoption will double by 2016, expanding to more than 26,000 vessels with market revenues exceeding $1.2 billion.

Are different segments beginning to emerge now with distinct needs?

We’re seeing two general camps: those who have adopted VSAT and want to run more bandwidth-intensive applications on their networks, and those who are waiting for better economics to install VSAT on their vessels.

This first group includes major shipping companies, cruise lines, oil and gas operators, mega-yachts, and military organizations. Shipping companies are moving beyond basic voice and data connectivity for crew. Increasingly, they want to leverage VSAT for route planning, engine diagnostics, weather applications – all to improve productivity and actually lower operational costs. Cruise ships are expanding in size and taking on more passengers, who now want to stay connected through social media. Oil and gas companies are turning to VSAT to send large data files such as seismic images, operate ROVs, and support greater use of video for multiple applications. All these scenarios are testing the data throughput limits of current VSAT networks.

Other segments of the maritime market – including mid-sized shipping companies, ferries, fishing vessels, yachts, and other specialized vessels – are holding out on VSAT until they see more favorable economics. For this segment, High Throughput Satellites (HTS) will very likely encourage them to move forward. Read More