Ship operators welcome the prospect of higher performance and throughput from new high throughput satellite (HTS) networks and the host of new applications that this technology will enable. To meet this demand, service providers are searching for cost efficient models to best incorporate HTS into their existing network infrastructures, particularly given constrained budgets.

Today, Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I), the world’s leading provider of satellite services, introduced IntelsatOne Flex, a customizable, managed mobility service that allows service providers to easily and cost effectively launch services across the maritime, aero and government verticals, as a complement to Intelsat’s existing broadband services to the sector. For maritime service providers, IntelsatOne Flex is an enterprise grade, wholesale Mbps service with tiered Committed Information Rate (CIR) plans that allow service providers to offer unique and tailored services.

IntelsatOne Flex service will enable service providers to:

  • Maintain Control over their network by allowing them to continue to manage the customization, contention and prioritization of end-user terminals without the overhead of multiple network builds and inefficient use of bandwidth.
  • Streamline the management of capacity for geographic expansion and surge, providing flexibility across multiple satellite beams and resulting in a more predictable cost structure directly matched to revenue generating activities.
  • Simplify the aggregation of HTS and traditional wide beam capacity into a single product.
  • Customize the Quality of Service for “wholesale Mbps” procured on a region-by-region basis, bound by a Service Level Agreement (SLA) and underpinned by guaranteed CIRs.
  • Minimize operational costs associated with network infrastructure, allowing service providers to focus on product differentiation, value added services and revenue growth.
  • Lower Total Cost of Ownership through reduction in capital expenditure and elimination of unnecessary bandwidth overhead.

With Intelsat’s global Ku-band satellite fleet and Intelsat EpicNG high throughput satellite platform, service providers using IntelsatOne Flex will benefit from both wide beam and high performance spot beam coverage that combine to deliver high quality, global connectivity with smaller antennas, improving accessibility and user economics. Intelsat’s global terrestrial infrastructure, including teleports, shared hubs and fiber, connects service providers everywhere to the world’s largest integrated hybrid satellite network.

IntelsatOne Flex uses iDirect Velocity®, a ground infrastructure platform designed for large-scale global HTS networks, which has been fully optimized for Intelsat EpicNG to provide scalability, performance and higher throughput. Leveraging iDirect Velocity, IntelsatOne Flex incorporates features that have been optimized to the Intelsat EpicNG environment including next-generation remote and hub processing capabilities that enable significantly higher throughput rates and global bandwidth management ensuring seamless connectivity across multiple spot-beams, and very fast beam switching features. IntelsatOne Flex is fully integrated with Velocity’s companion network management system, Pulse®, enabling service providers to develop differentiated service offerings, create customized applications and system integration through open APIs and provide visibility for real-time monitoring, tracking and adjustment of vessel service levels.

“In order to meet increasing broadband demands, both ship operators and service providers alike need to embrace and leverage the power of the high throughput satellite technologies that are coming to market. However, not all high throughput platforms are the same and not all are able to scale and integrate HTS cost effectively into existing network infrastructure,” said James Collett, Head of Mobility and Energy Services, Intelsat. ”With IntelsatOne Flex, service providers have a new option that will provide a flexible, global managed service that easily scales to meet growing broadband requirements, optimizes bandwidth allocations and ensures available and secure delivery of bandwidth where and when it is needed. Importantly, the power, accessibility and efficiency of Intelsat EpicNG will ensure that service providers future-proof their network with reduced upfront capital expenditure and are able to address fast changing market demands.”

With IntelsatOne Flex, maritime service providers can easily integrate the benefits of Intelsat EpicNG into their own architecture while avoiding major capital investment. Importantly, the flexibility, reliability and scalability of IntelsatOne Flex will allow service providers’ and maritime operators’ network infrastructures to evolve with changing technology needs and stay competitive over the long term. This will enable these users to focus on capturing emerging revenue opportunities and, delivering growth and efficient operations.

For more information, please visit Intelsat at CommunicAsia 2015 from 2 June through 5 June at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, Stand 1S3-01.

James Collett, Head of Mobility and Energy Services will be presenting at the Maritime CIO Forum during Nor-Shipping at the Thon Hotel Arena on Wednesday, 3 June 2015 at 9:10 am in Lillestrom, Norway. The panel, entitled, “How is Innovation Driving the Future of Shipping” will address current maritime satellite communication trends; impact from HTS satellites and new applications changing the shipping industry.

Supporting Resources:

  • It’s Costly to Upgrade a Maritime Network, but Can Service Providers Afford to Put it Off? Chris Insall, Senior Principal Product Manager, Maritime Services, Mobility Product Management, Intelsat http://www.intelsat.com/blog/its-costly-to-upgrade-a-maritime-network-but-can-service-providers-afford-to-put-it-off/
  • Learn more about IntelsatOne Flex for Maritime: http://www.intelsat.com/services/mobility-services/intelsatone-flex/
  • Learn more about Intelsat’s Mobility Services: http://www.intelsat.com/services/mobility-services/

About Intelsat

Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I) is the world’s leading provider of satellite services, delivering high performance connectivity solutions for media, fixed and mobile broadband infrastructure, enterprise and government and military applications. Intelsat’s satellite, teleport and fiber infrastructure is unmatched in the industry, setting the standard for transmissions of video and broadband services. From the globalization of content and the proliferation of HD, to the expansion of cellular networks and mobile broadband access, with Intelsat, envision your future network, connect using our leading satellite technology and transform your opportunities. Envision…Connect…Transform…with Intelsat. For more information, visit www.intelsat.com.

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