Africa turns to Ka band capacity

In Africa, the telecom industry enjoyed strong growth during the 80’s which spurred demand for satellite communications. Despite the more recent economic setbacks across the globe, the need for satellite capacity has remained. The present Ku band and C band will inevitably be saturated, and the number of orbital slots will decrease with every passing launch. This is why African governments and operators are looking at the potential of Ka band satellite capacity to deliver additional bandwidths and flexible payloads to supply the growing demand.

The new generation of Ka band satellites are also ideal to the growing IT-based industries and digital economies of the continent. Through the said satellite technology, applications like backhauling, internet on satellite, and even government communications will be made possible. Since deregulation, many operators are now facing tough competition, not to mention the challenge of making their services more affordable. Bandwidth cost had risen over the years, adding to the money already spent in changing or upgrading satellite equipment.

Ka band, according to NewSat Regional Head Steve Rich, will “trigger a step-change in the African satellite communications industry.” The Ka band technology will open up more cost-effective network deployments since it support smaller VSAT systems while delivering increased bandwidth capacities. Because of the low cost of network deployments, mobile operators that will take advantage of Ka band can now take a more “holistic view” of the market products and requirements. Certainly, Ka band will be playing a crucial role in the future of satellite communications in Africa.

Ka band strengthens internet from satellite technology

The rise of powerful ka band satellites are also encouraging the growth of internet from satellite. Since the new generation of birds have high-throughput capacity and paves the way for smaller, mobile, and thus more cost-effective end-user terminals, accessing the world wide web through satellites is not only conceivable, but even ideal.

Remote locations may benefit the most from the rise of the ka band spectrum. Since the c and ku band frequencies are reaching saturation, many operators are investing on the next spectrum – in this case Ka band – to drive robust growth in the satellite industry. The portable VSAT terminals can uplink to the new satellites offering higher-bandwidth capacity enabling Internet connections that is reliable, and even comparable to urban locations.

In Australia, for example, remote locations beyond the reaches of NBN’s fibre optic cables or fixed wireless solutions will be services through satellites. NBN Co. had already announced that ten satellite ground stations will be constructed to uplink to the Ka band satellites also being built and slated for a launch come 2015.

Clearly, the ka band spectrum is presenting great opportunities not only for the rise of internet from satellite solutions, but also factors that would drive growth for the industry. Innovation in satellite technology is necessary, especially when it’s clear that the rise of powerful communications devices have created a surge in data traffic and bandwidth-intensive applications. Ka band satellites will certainly play a crucial role for remote connectivity in the near future.

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