VSAT Industry Still Unsure About Carrier ID, While Broadcasting Makes Headway

The very small aperture terminal (VSAT) industry remains uncertain of the necessity for carrier ID as a means to mitigate frequency interference, said David Hartshorn, secretary general of the Global VSAT Forum. Hartshorn and others are leading the effort to deal with interference and said the issue represents a growing problem for the satellite industry. Hartshorn spoke about the interference issue in a panel at SATCON in New York and discussed the VSAT concerns with Communications Daily afterwards. Other sections of the satellite industry, including broadcasters and data, have made real progress in dealing with the issue, he said.

The satellite interference effort is divided among three industry groups: Broadcasters, data and VSAT, said Hartshorn. One mitigation technique is the use of carrier ID, which would transmit identifying data so an operator could know who’s interfering and from where. Among the problems raised by VSAT manufacturers, including Hughes and ViaSat, is uncertainty of how large a role VSAT transmissions play in the interference issue, said Hartshorn. VSAT uses relatively low power levels compared to those for the broadcast industry, and the VSAT industry had asked for some proof as to how much VSAT was contributing to the problem and whether carrier ID for VSAT would even help, he said. Hughes and ViaSat didn’t return requests for comment. The VSAT group last met Oct. 7, said Hartshorn.

Also of concern to VSAT makers is the cost of including carrier ID and the implementation, said Hartshorn. VSAT uses short-burst technology and the industry is concerned about being required to give up some space within the short bursts, he said. Some VSAT customers are also wary of providing location information, he said. The addition of carrier ID for VSAT is “feasible” and the VSAT concerns can “possibly” be overcome, said Hartshorn. VSAT should look to operator cooperation within the Space Data Association, in which operators share location information within a “rigorous, legally based” effort, he said.

Meanwhile, the carrier ID effort seems to be making headway within the broadcast industry. Both Eutelsat and SES have announced the required use of carrier ID within broadcasts of the 2012 Olympics in London, said Mark Rawlins, Eutelsat head of payload engineering. “This initiative is gathering pace.” Operator satellite interference is made up of 58 percent technical problems due to human error, he said. Planning problems caused by human error, equipment issues and adjacent satellites make up 9 percent of interference instances each, he said.

Major media customers have long complained about the issue of interference and it’s time those users were involved in the discussion too, said Vice President Richard Wolf of ABC Broadcast Operations. Challenges remain because the industry is largely opposed to the idea of requirements and mandates, he said. Companies will also have to spend money to train technicians to install dishes properly, he said. If there’s a “groundswell among user community,” that could be successful in implementing the new standards, he said. It’s about using the “clout” of major companies to have a “strong voice,” said Wolf.