Introduction

Bonus Circuits iDirect Hub comprises of an Earth station communicating over a EuropeStar satellite for KU Band coverage and PanamSat satellite for C Band coverage, to provide end-to-end IP communication to a large number of Terminals.

The Hub consists of:

KU Band

• A 7.2m Ku-Band antenna, aligned with EuropeStar Satellite located ST Teleport, Singapore
• RF Equipment
• Gateway with interfaces to terrestrial networks

C Band

• A 11m C-Band antenna, aligned with PanamSat Satellite located ST Teleport, Singapore
• RF Equipment
• Gateway with interfaces to terrestrial networks

The Hub provides control and monitoring functions for all transmit and receive operations. It generates control and timing signals for the operation of the remote stations, receives the remote return signals, provides accounting functions and interactive services.

Hub Applications

• Broadband Internet /Corporate Intranet access
• Voice Over IP (VOIP)
• Legacy to IP protocol conversion support (e.g. X.25)
• IP multicasting for cost efficient data distribution
• Media streaming
• Large data contribution to central location
• Backup network for remote to central location
• Virtual Private Network (VPN) Support

Hub Efficiencies

Efficiencies of iDirect Technologies Broadband VSAT Network System

iDirect Technologies broadband IP VSAT network system is regarded as one of the most efficient satellite communications systems in the market. Bandwidth efficiencies on the iDirect system are both at the satellite communications and IP communications level. High bandwidth efficiency ensures lower costs of operations for a service provider or operator. Bandwidth efficiency of any technology should not compromise application performance and at the same time should be cost-effective. In addition to bandwidth efficiency, the iDirect system provides other efficiencies such as IP efficiency, network design, multiple products within one hub, power, space, management, and logistics.

Efficiencies at Satellite Communications Level:

• Turbo Product Codes (TPC) on both outroute and inroute: TPC block based FEC requires lower power for similar BERs when compared to RSV based systems. TPC based systems provide a 1.5db power advantage over an RSV based system. This is about 41% additional power. This allows more user IP bits/Hz.
• Pure IP-over-the-air has the lowest overhead. Compare this to DVB based systems that have additional MPEG framing overhead. When using a normal packet distribution, the overhead introduced by MPEG is between 15- 30%, depending on packet size distribution. Thus more user IP bits/Hz.
• Automatic Remote Synchronization: Automatic Uplink, Frequency and Timing Control allows the tightest TDMA frame structure in the industry. In most cases iDirect guard band is aleast 4 times less. This reduces space segment needed and thus more bits/Hz.
• MF-TDMA: "Fast" fequency hopping ensures optimal load sharing across all carriers. It also minimizes failure of any return carriers. Allows for a more efficient use of available bandwidth which results in more user IP bits/Hz.
• Deterministic TDMA or D-TDMA: Contention-less access scheme has approximately 98% payload efficiency no matter what the congestion state of network. Most competitive solutions have an efficiency of about 60%. This provides an efficiency gain of over 60%, which results in more user IP bits/Hz.
• Carrier Size Granularity: Any carrier in an iDirect system can sized to the closest 1bps rate. This provides a tremendous amount of savings of required satellite bandwidth. Most competitive solutions have a carrier size granularity of 128 kbps, which could result in wasted bandwidth. Thus more user IP bits/Hz.
• Small Minimum Outroute Carrier: iDirect outroute can be configured as small as 256 kbps. This is significantly smaller than a DVB outroute which is a minimum of 5 Mbps. If a network only needed 1 Mbps, then a DVB based solution would have 4 Mbps additional capacity that has to be paid for on a monthly basis. Significantly lower cost of operations.
• 1.2 Carrier Spacing: iDirect technologies advanced digital filters allows for a tighter roll-off factor, while meeting industry standard specifications. This provides a 14.5% savings over systems that require 1.4 spacing. Thus more user IP bits/Hz.
• Automatic Uplink Power Control: Rainfade compensation with automatic uplink power control provides a higher availability of service. This results in more user IP throughput over time or higher utilization of space segment.