INTELSAT sniffs
pp. 33-37 · Read in the full issue
competition in the air
The world’s largest satellite system has advised its Paci fic signatories that “there would be problems” in us ing Australia’s AUSSAT for regional and domestic satel lite services in the islands.
According to Dr Joseph N. Pelton, director of strategic policy at INTEL SAT, the International Tele communications Satellite Organisation: “We believe
there will be problems in co-ordinating AUSSAT 3 with INTELSAT under Article XIV-D (of the INTEL SAT) because, in particular, of the ‘ prejudice ’ to the creation of direct links through the INTELSAT single global satellite system.”
Article XIV of the INTEL SAT agreement outlines the rights and obligations of the
organisation’s 110 signator ies, which include Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, and Fiji. Section D states that member nations that “establish, acquire, or utilise space segment facil ties” separate from INTEL SAT for international tele communications services “shall furnish all relevant information to and shall consult with” INTELSATs
governing board “to ensure technical compatibility”, “to avoid significant economic harm to the global system of INTELSAT”, and to assure that the separate facilities “shall not prejudice the establishment of direct tele communications links through the INTELSAT space segment among all the participants.”
Dr Pelton made his re marks in an advisory to INTELSAT signatories in Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji as background informa tion for a seminar on Pacific satellite options organised
Continued on page 37
by the International PEACESAT Consortium and held in Fiji from August 19-22.
INTELSAT serves a glo bal network of 170 coun tries and territories, includ ing 24 Pacific island loca tions. Most of its business is in international telecommunciations traffic, but it also leases excess capacity on its satellites for domestic communications services in 27 countries.
The potential conflict be tween INTELSAT and AU SSAT is a result of both organisations trying to sell their communications services in the same market.
Since late 1983, INTEL SAT has promoted its “VIS TA” service as an affordable approach to making reliable communications available to the hundreds of small, sparsely-populated outlying islands that at present suffer inadequate communica tions. A VISTA system would use smaller-scale and lower-cost “Standard D” antennas and leased time on INTELSAT satellites to transmit telephone, data, and eventually television signals between various is lands. VISTA networks are currently under study in Tuvalu, Niue, Kiribati, and Fiji.
While most international communications in the Paci fic are now conducted via satellite (on the INTELSAT global network), most domestic communications between outer islands and their administrative centres are via high frequency radios.
The National Telecom munications and Informa tion Administration of the United States Department of Commerce assessed tele communications require ments in parts of Micronesia during March and April. One of NTIA’s recommenda tions, issued in July, was: “Once small, low-cost (under $40,000), mainten ance-simple earth stations operating with a suitable
satellite system become commercially available, they should be installed in place of HF radios because of their superior transmission qua lity and reliability/’
When INTELSAT officials described VISTA at the 1984 Pacific Telecommuni cations Conference (PTC ’B4) in Honolulu, cost esti mates for the smaller earth terminals ranged from $25,000-$40,000. Accor ding to Dr Pelton’s current report: ‘The original VISTA terminals, with high degrees of redundancy, have tended to range from $120,000 to $200,000. A supplier re cently quoted INTELSAT a price of $BO,OOO for a low redundancy system. Fur thermore, INTELSAT is ex ploring the idea of ‘assem bly-type kits ’ for VISTA terminals that can lower costs by a substantial amount.”
The cost of using the satellite, or space segment, would depend on the size of the VISTA system. For each VISTA channel, INTELSAT charges $265 per month for pre-emptible service and $525 per month for non pre-emptible (three months minimum). Two channels are required for each two way voice circuit.
The simplest VISTA con figuration in the Pacific would be a single voice circuit between an admi nistrative centre and each of its outer islands. The most elaborate, regional network would provide full inter connectivity between seve ral adminstrative centres and their associated outer islands. —Greg Knudsen. *INTELSAT members in the Pacific are Hawaii (United States), Australia, New Zea land, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji. INTELSAT services in the Pacific are also pro vided to American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia (Pohn pei, Truk, Yap, and Kosrae), French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands (Majuro and Ebeye), Nauru, New Caledonia, Northern Marianas, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, and Western Samoa.
An AUSSAT satellite undergoing final tests in the Hughes Aircraft factory in Los Angeles prior to shipment for launch.