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Telesat
pioneers next-generation EMS technology on Anik F2 satellite
EMS-designed
"switch in the sky" paves the way for future broadband services
Satellite
2005
OTTAWA,
ON, March 24, 2005 - Telesat , one
of the world's leading satellite operators, today announced
that it has completed in-orbit testing of a next-generation
digital broadband on-board signal processor on Anik F2, one
of the largest commercial communications satellites ever launched.
The successful tests of this "broadband switch in the sky"
will now enable Telesat to undertake follow-on applications
development work.
The
experimental "SpaceMux" on-board processor (OBP), designed
and supplied by the Space & Technology/Montreal division
of EMS Technologies , Inc. (NASDAQ: ELMG),
makes it possible to provide direct user-to-user broadband
connectivity for "spot-beam" systems such as the one deployed
at Ka-band on Telesat's Anik F2 satellite.
"Anik
F2's 'broadband switch in the sky' is a major technological
achievement," said Larry Boisvert, Telesat's President and
CEO. "Telesat's partnership with EMS Technologies will help
us develop the advanced broadband services of the future."
Spot
beam systems are the way of the future for low-cost broadband
two-way communications via satellite. The SpaceMux OBP has
been designed to permit direct user-to-user communications
links for such spot beam systems. Rather than communicating
through gateways on the ground, users that have a need to
communicate directly with other satellite users can do so
through the satellite OBP. The system will now undergo further
testing involving a variety of applications using two Anik
F2 Ka-band beams, one in the Toronto-Ottawa area and the other
in the Vancouver area.
The
SpaceMux technology demonstration payload of the Anik F2 satellite
was developed as part of a public-private partnership involving
the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the Communications Research
Centre Canada (CRC). "The aim of the partnership is
to foster the development and testing of new technologies
addressing the Government of Canada's commitment to delivering
cost-effective, two-way broadband, Internet, tele-health,
tele-learning and e-government services to commercial clients
and Canadians wherever they live," said Gilles Leclerc,
Director General, Space Technologies of the Canadian Space
Agency.
"CRC
is proud to have been able to provide expert advice and technical
guidance to our partners on this project," said Veena Rawat,
Acting-President of the Communications Research Centre Canada.
"The successful completion of in-orbit testing for this new
broadband technology is an important step forward in the development,
testing and experimentation of new broadband applications
between remote locations."
Manufactured
by Boeing Satellite Systems, Telesat's Anik F2 was launched
on Arianespace's Ariane 5G rocket from Europe's Spaceport
in Kourou, French Guiana, on July 17, 2004. Anik F2 makes
history as the first satellite to fully commercialize the
Ka-frequency band - a breakthrough satellite communications
technology for delivering cost-effective, two-way broadband
services.
Telesat's
Anik F2 payload consists of 38 Ka-band transponders, 32 Ku-band
transponders and 24 C-band transponders. The satellite, operating
in geostationary orbit from the orbital position at 111.1
degrees West Longitude, will provide service for at least
15 years.
About
Telesat (www.telesat.com)
Telesat
is a pioneer and world leader in satellite operations and
systems management. The company made history in 1972 with
the launch of the first domestic commercial communications
satellite in geostationary orbit. Today, Telesat competes
with other top international satellite fleets in providing
telecommunications and broadcasting services throughout the
Americas, and is a leading consultant, operator and partner
in satellite ventures around the globe. Telesat is a wholly-owned
subsidiary of BCE Inc., a leading communications company with
shares listed in the United States, Canada and Europe.
About
EMS Technologies, Inc. (www.ems-t.comm)
EMS
Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ELMG) is a leading innovator in
the design and manufacture of wireless, satellite and defense
solutions, and focuses its unique range of advanced technologies
on the needs of broadband and mobile information users. The
company is headquartered in Atlanta, has almost 1,700 workers
worldwide, and operates manufacturing facilities in Atlanta,
Montreal, Ottawa and Brazil.
About
the Canadian Space Agency
Established
in 1989, and with its headquarters in Longueuil, Quebec, the
Canadian Space Agency is responsible for coordinating all
civil, space-related policies and programs related to science
and technology research, industrial development, and international
cooperation on behalf of the Government of Canada. The Canadian
Space Agency directs its resources and activities through
four key thrusts: Earth Observation, Space Science and Exploration,
Satellite Communications, and Space Awareness and Learning.
With the overall responsibility for advancing Canada's space
policy and programs, the Canadian Space Agency leverages international
cooperation to champion world-class scientific research and
industrial development for the benefit of humanity.
About
the Communications Research Centre Canada (CRC)
CRC,
an agency of Industry Canada, is the Canadian government's
primary laboratory for research and development (R&D)
in advanced telecommunications. R&D is used for public
policy purposes and to strengthen the Canadian economy through
technology and knowledge transfer. Under its four research
branches (Terrestrial Wireless, Satellite Communications and
Radio Propagation Research, Broadband Network Technologies
and Broadcast Technology), CRC specializes in taking an interdisciplinary
approach to longer-term R&D in wireless systems, radio
fundamentals, communication networks, photonics and interactive
multimedia. More information about CRC is available at: www.crc.ca.
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