SwiftBroadband - Inmarsat · Alphasat Satellite payload. Alphasat will provide improvements in power, capacity and available spectrum in the I-4 EMEA region. The improvements include:

SwiftBroadbandTechnical workshopDale IrishHead of Aviation Product Management

Gwenael MarchandAviation Technical Specialist

Current statusRapid growth amongst wide mix of users

Network upgradesRAN 4.0 – a major technology refreshAlphasat

New servicesFlight trackingHigh Data Rate for fixed wing HelicopterSB200 EvolutionMultivoice

Agenda

SwiftBroadband overviewMore than 4000 SwiftBroadband activations since start of service, many in multi-channel installations Installed on a very wide range of aircraft types, including commercial air transport, business aviation, military, helicopters, UAVsCurrently three terminal classes:

Worldwide coverage (apart from high polar regions)Resilient ground network owned and operated by InmarsatSupporting voice, background IP and Streaming IPUnique rate-adaptive air interface that accommodates the range of antenna types and operating environmentsRobust distribution channel, offering a wide range of connectivity solutions

High Gain (Class 6) Intermediate Gain (Class 7) Low Gain SB200 (Class 15)

Network upgrades

RAN 4.0: A major technology refresh Summary Feature DescriptionTraffic management

Traffic on regionalbeam Traffic remains on regional beam for low data rates

Persistent RAB Reduced signallingmaintain UT registered – always on

Traffic w/out TBCNID No limitation on the number of UTs registered

0 kbit/s Always admitted

Priority levels Adaptive bandwidth and priority access

Asymmetric X-Stream Different bit rate forward and return

HDR Different bit rate forward and return

LDR / MUD New bearer types Allows smaller antennas e.g. omniImproved coverage

Multi user detection Scalability and network efficiency

HDR New bearer types Next generation better than X-Stream

Full Channel Better than X-Stream

Half Channel Better than 256kbit/s streaming

RAN 4.0 - StatusOn track for global roll out in the second half of this year• FAT planned completed 1st week June• Test RAN installed at Fucino and currently operating over EMEA• EMEA planned to go live for commercial traffic August 31• Paumalu upgrade for APAC and AMER planned by Sept 30

Supporting service developments by terminal manufacturers• Terminal manufacturer focus is on HDR and helicopter services• LDR services will be enabled once manufacturers have terminal

equipment ready• Please refer to manufacturer presentations at this conference

RAN 4.0 – What does it enableHigh Data Rate services• Higher order modulation and coding to increase data rates• Asymmetric streaming

Helicopter operation• Long-burst interleavers that compensate for rotor shadowing

SB200 Class 4• Adds resilience at low elevation angles (operation down to 5 deg)• Multi-user detection (aka interference cancellation) to increase

efficiency in support of large populations of low-data-rate terminals

Alphasat Satellite payload

Alphasat will provide improvements in power, capacityand available spectrum in the I-4 EMEA region

The improvements include:L-Band aggregate EIRP (power): 60% increaseDSP resources (channels): 20% increase(plus improved efficiency)L-band spectrum: 52% increaseC-Band spectrum: 100% increase

These characteristics will lead to improved performance and capacity in the busiest region, I-4 EMEA

Comparison with Inmarsat-4

Alphasat SatelliteDeployment

The Alphasat satellite is scheduled for launch on the 25 July 2013Alphasat is an ocean region replacement for the current I-4F2 satellite (located at 25°E) Inmarsat intends to transfer all L-band services in EMEA from I-4F2 to Alphasat by the end of 2013, subject to timing of actual launch dateThe I-4F2 satellite will remain co-located at 25°E for a minimum period of six months after L-band services have moved to AlphasatInmarsat has been working with AES manufacturers to ensure the robustness of terminal behaviour in terms of satellite selection, due to the concentrated coverage profile of the Alphasat satelliteAircraft are to be readied for Alphasat operation by 1 Oct 2013

Alphasat satelliteExtended L-band (XL) capable terminals

Requirements for XL support by SwiftBroadband user terminals(Alphasat provides an additional 7 MHz of new spectrum)

New Type Approvals From 2013

Single channel systems only

No requirement for multi-channel SB to support XL due to intermods

New Sales No requirement to modify existing installations or cease onward sale of existing configurations

Install option from airframe manufacturers, where appropriate equipment variants are available

SGSN upgradeInmarsat requires to upgrade the SGSN in order to:

• Enhance features in the current implementation• Maintain a valid support contract with our SGSN supplier

Initial SGSN upgrade performed in May 2012 paused to address compatibility issues with older versions of terminal software stack

• Our understanding is that the terminal upgrades are now largely completed

SGSN Upgrade Status• Upgrade reinitiated in March 2013• SGSN CP00 is currently operational on EMEA (Burum and Fucino).• APAC and AMER (Paumalu) upgrade has now been scheduled for July, waiting for

prerequisite upgrades to be performed first• SGSN CP03 is planned to be rolled out globally starting 2nd September 2013 with the

exact sequence and dates to be communicated over the coming months

New services

Flight trackingService development

Enables GPS information reported by the user terminals to be available via secure portal to DPs who can create value-added services

Users must “opt-in” for the position information to be released to the DP

UTs report GPS position when the terminal first registers on the network and then subsequently, when it has moved at least 10 km (configurable) since its previous position report; typically every 2 minutes in flight.

A trial service is currently in operation. We intend to introduce a wider commercial offering via the SEP platform in 2014

SB fixed wing HDR

Full channel allocated to user supporting data rates in excess of 600kbit/sSupport both full channel (200kHz) and half-channel (100kHz) operationAsymmetric services to cost-effectively map with the user’s traffic flow

Drivers

TimelinePricing to be communicated by JulyRAN 4.0 test release in EMEA by June, first over the air test in SeptService introduction planned Q1 2014

SB Helicopter Operation

BackgroundBuilds on the current Swift64 user base (military + SAR) There are already a number of helicopters that have upgraded to Class 6 and manage limited Background IP connectivity (~150kbit/s)HDR enables error-free streaming class servicesWe envisage a cost-effective concept of operation whereby voice and (background) data connectivity is maintained over the duration of the flight and HDR is enabled for mission critical high-bandwidth apps

StatusRAN 4.0 implementation of HDR bearers in EMEA supports a programme of testing with Eurocopter during September Service introduction planned Q1 2014

Class 6 and Class 7 HDR

SwiftBroadband Multi-channel allocation

Study launched with the University of RomaKick-off 9th May 2013Stage 1: characterisation of traffic pattern from many passengers on an aircraft working through one SwiftBroadband terminalStage 2: characterisation of traffic pattern from many passengers on an aircraft working through four SwiftBroadband terminalsStage 3: characterisation of traffic pattern from many passengers on an aircraft working through one terminal, where the terminal is sharing with other terminalsResults by end of August 2013.

In-service supportContinued support to partners through investigations by Inmarsat Operations and Customer Care

SB200 Evolution

Compact equipment Supporting safety services, multivoice and helicopter operationBlade antenna, with robust operation down to 5 deg elevationSecurity architecture to ensure data segregationAnticipate up to 100 lbs in weight + drag savings

Drivers

RAN implementation of LDR bearers will be validated once terminalmanufacturer equipment is availableSchedule for commercial service introduction is dependent on equipment manufacturer timescales

Dependencies

ARINC 781 configurations agreed and published as A781-6

SB200 evolution

SwiftBroadband Multi-voiceMulti-voice infrastructure established

• Service introduction dependent on terminal manufacturer plans

Two levels of service provision• Standard SwiftBroadband multi-voice – Provide 3 additional lines per

SwiftBroadband channel (4 total)• Enhanced SwiftBroadband multi-voice – Provides the ability to scale up from the 3

additional up to a further 5 additional lines per SwiftBroadband channel (9 total)

First call over AMBE circuit switched voice• Subsequent calls are seamlessly switched to packetized voice infrastructure

Infrastructure will support outbound per line billing from 10 July• MSC upgrade will be required to enable inbound direct dialing to specific handsets

Thank you