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Tag: Mark Dankberg

  • Casbaa to stage satellite industry forum

    Casbaa to stage satellite industry forum

    MUMBAI: The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (Casbaa) will stage the Casbaa Satellite Industry Forum on Monday 14 June 2004 in Singapore at the Fullerton Hotel.

    ViaSat chairman and CEO Mark Dankberg will speak on ground-breaking technologies and regional market drivers such as new broadband applications while Middle East system operator Thuraya chairman Mohammed Omran will deal with the latest operating environment, during the event. Featured speakers also inclde the satellite industry’s US state department regulator Steve Lett, Loral SkyNet president Terry Hart, HBO Asia ceo Jonathan Spink and Telkom South Africa ceo Sizwe Nxasana, informs a press release.

    Topics expected to come under discussion include issues such as the power of direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting and Asia’s improving regulatory environment. The day will also see high-powered ceo forum named “satellites looking up” debating on the Asian satellite industry.

    This will be an exciting and challenging day for the Asian satellite business,” said Simon Twiston Davies, CEO, Casbaa. “Yet again we turn to the experts to give us guidance on the why, when, how and ‘how much’ issues that face the Asia Pacific industry. This will be fun as well as informative.”

    Casbaa has appointed Hong Kong-based specialist marketing agency Branded, to undertake the marketing of the event. Sponsors for the Casbaa Satellite Industry Forum 2004 include ILS, Loral Skynet, AsiaSat, Arianespace, Marsh, Boeing, PanAmSat, Worldsat and Measat. The official media partner for the event is TelecomAsia with other media partners including BroadcastPapers, Content & Technology, Satellite Finance and Satellite Evolution Asia, informs the official release.

    Full details of the programme and registration procedures is available on the Casbaa website

     

  • Intelsat to provide satellite-based broadband direct-to-home service in Middle East

    LONDON: In a joint venture with Orbit Data Systems Limited (ODSL), Intelsat announced plans for a two-way, satellite-based broadband Internet access service to be available directly to consumers and small office/home office users in the Middle East, today.
    According to the multi-year agreement signed, Intelsat will provide the integrated, end-to-end network connectivity, while ODSL will be responsible for sales, marketing and retail distribution of the service in the Middle East region. Intelsat-provided gateway required for ODSL’s service has been installed in Perth, Australia, and is operating a beta service to facilitate the service launch.
    The service is expected to be launched later this year and will provide consumers with capabilities for web browsing, email, file transfer, audio/video streaming and distance learning at high speeds, says a company release.
    The broadband offering will be provided using a platform based on the data over cable service interface specification (DOCSIS) standard and Ku-band satellite capacity on an Intelsat satellite. Existing DOCSIS technology and software, previously used to support cable-based applications, have been modified by Intelsat’s equipment supplier ViaSat, to enable satellite-based broadband access.
    User terminals that incorporate ViaSat’s SurfBeam DOCSIS-based platform will be provided to ODSL by Intelsat. ODSL will be responsible for installing the user terminals and for providing call centers and customer support. ODSL is an affiliate of Orbit Communications Company, a provider of digital pay television services in the Middle East.
    According to ODSL general manager Dr Mohammed Omar, “The combination of teamwork and ingenuity from Intelsat and ODSL on this venture will benefit the industry and its customers by making high-speed Internet available to people living in the Middle East. This service is part of the bundled services Orbit intends to provide to its customer base in the region. A partner like Intelsat, with its strong reputation, regional presence and customer focus, is key to our meeting increasing customer demand for high-speed Internet services in the region.”
    Says Intelsat COO Ramu Potarazu, “This venture represents a significant commitment to making broadband technologies accessible to people living in regions where terrestrial infrastructure is limited. Intelsat pioneered Internet over satellite, so it is only natural that we’d be the company to take broadband technology to the next level, where it can be easily implemented and available cost-effectively to anyone who needs it.”
    According to ViaSat CEO Mark Dankberg, “The deployment of this DOCSIS-based satellite system represents a significant step in working toward establishing a new standard for these types of applications. Additionally, consumers can look forward to paying a lower cost for high-speed access because the SurfBeam terminals are based on the DOCSIS standard, which has been widely used in cable modems worldwide.”