From www.itweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_con...lecoms&Itemid=59

Up to seven satellites from satellite service provider Intelsat will be available to the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

“We have several satellites that we use for occasional-use TV,” says regional VP of Intelsat in Africa Flavien Bachabi. “We also have Intelsat's 706 (IS 706) available. On that satellite we have some capacity reserved for customers, specifically the South African-organised World Cup.

“Collocated with IS 706 at 72 degrees east, we have the IS 709 to provide backup capacity for the 706 and additional capacity for customers.”

The last satellite to be used is a new one that has not as yet been assigned any specific functions, according to Bachabi. The IS 25 will be used alongside three to four occasional-use TV satellites and the 706 and 709. It is currently drifting towards 328.5-degrees east, from which point it will be able to provide capacity for the World Cup as well. Bachabi says it is expected to reach the destination in April.

He emphasises that “...there is no dedicated satellite. It's just where we have lots of capacity. On 706 and 709 there are still other services running, but we will just use some for the World Cup and after the World Cup they will be redistributed to their normal duties.”

World Cup broadcasting

Bachabi says Intelsat is working with state-owned signal distributor Sentech to provide all the transmission capability for the event.

“We will have some broadcasters using satellite and some using cable. Cable is good for point-to-point applications and satellite is good for both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint applications.”

He adds that Intelsat may be working with some broadcasters that want to use fibre, since the company does have telepoints in some countries, like Germany. Therefore, in addition to the satellites, the company also has its terrestrial infrastructure in place for the World Cup.

Intelsat will provide capacity worldwide for the event and Bachabi feels confident about the service. “Intelsat has been involved in World Cup and Olympic Games and other similar events since 1968, and so we can anticipate the needs of the customers. We will be providing capacity globally, to Asia, Europe, America and Africa.”

He adds that Telkom has a lot of capacity with Intelsat and so it's up to it to use the capacity as and when it likes. Telkom does have cable, but the satellite capacity can be used as backup.

“We believe that satellite will remain a key component of the value chain,” says Bachabi.

Additional uses

Since none of the satellites are dedicated solely to the World Cup, they all have additional functions they serve. This is with the exception of IS 25, which has yet to be assigned.

“Outside the World Cup, the satellites have several functions. They help mobile operators extend their reach in their various countries, help with broadband, serve corporate functions and are used for telephony,” says Bachabi.

He explains that Intelsat has 55 satellites and 24 of these serve Africa, so the World Cup's usage of these satellites won't affect their current functions.

“That's the advantage of having a large fleet. We can play around with the capacity to meet customers' needs. While the satellites are being used for the World Cup, we can move the customers' functions around.”