INTERSPUTNIK's Role in Supporting Global
Telecommunications in the Third Millennium
of
G.G. Kudryavtsev, Director General
INTERSPUTNIK International Organization of Space Communications
Your Excellency, the Secretary General of the United Nations,
Distinguished Mr. Chairman,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
First of all, I would like to thank the organizers of this conference for theinvitation to address such a respectable audience. Indeed, the third UN Conference on theexploration and peaceful uses of outer space is an epochal event both in terms of thecircle of attendees, who without exaggeration represent the whole of mankind and in termsof the scope of tasks under discussion, which define the main development vectors of theworld Community in the third millennium as well as in terms of the dates of theconference, i.e. on the threshold of the next century.
While several decades ago Outer space was perceived as a boundless and incognizableUniverse, now most of those present see it as a fruitful field, which yields fruit inabundance thanks to man's industrious hands. And the potential of this virgin land isreally inexhaustible.
Today it is an axiom that the 21st century will be a century of informationtechnologies. In the first place, informatization implies the use of high-endtelecommunication technologies which are inconceivable without satellite communications.It is this field, which predetermines our existence in the next millennium, that theINTERSPUTNIK International Organization of Space Communications focuses its efforts on.
The purpose of my statement is to present the new capabilities and services of ourOrganization in the area of transmitting information via satellites, which will be broughtinto use in the near future.
1. INTRODUCTION
INTERSPUTNIK is an international intergovernmental organization operating a globalsatellite communications system.
This Organization was established in 1971 and headquartered in Moscow. At present, 23countries are members of the Organization. The number of users exceeds 100 state-run andprivate companies (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1. Members and users
Fig. 2. LMI Global Communications System
Apart from the LMI series, INTERSPUTNIK will shortly start operating modernized RussianExpress-A satellites jointly manufactured by NPO PM and French companies), new EutelsatSESAT satellites (by Alcatel and NPO PM) and other spacecraft within the framework ofpossible alliances with the Russian companies. In the future INTERSPUTNIK will enter intoother strategic alliances as well (Fig. 3).
Fig. 3. INTERSPUTNIK Services
2. STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR 1999-2001
General changes in the geopolitical conditions in the early 90s as well as very rapiddevelopment of the telecommunications market based on the introduction of new services,deregulation and appearance of new operators, all this leading to more severe competition,made INTERSPUTNIK revise its strategy in order to get adapted to the dynamicallydeveloping environment.
In this situation, INTERSPUTNIK chose a new development strategy on the basis oflong-term strategic alliances with satellite communication operators and manufacturers ofspacecraft, launch vehicles and ground equipment, with Russian, US and internationalsatellite communications entities.
One of this alliances is the joint venture LMI (Lockheed Martin INTERSPUTNIK), whichwas established in 1997. INTERSPUTNIK will be able to offer services using state-of-theart satellites manufactured by Lockheed Martin. The first LMI satellite will be launchedin September 1999. The follow-on LMI-series spacecraft - LMI-2, 3 and 4 - will be injectedinto orbit by the end of 2001 to cover the whole world (Fig. 4.).
Fig. 4. Development Strategy
The new satellite fleet makes it possible to offer digital video, video-conferencingand satellite TV, interactive services, multimedia, high bit rate access to the Internet,extensive use of VSAT terminals, tele-medicine and tele-education, banking services andreliable communication links on a global scale.
3. LMI SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS AND BROADCASTING SYSTEM
Our strategic alliance with Lockheed Martin Corp. will make it possible forINTERSPUTNIK to become a part of a powerful structure with vertical integration rangingfrom the manufacture of launch vehicles and satellites to the allocation of orbital slotsand operation in orbit. As a result, INTERSPUTNIK will be able to provide high-qualityservices based on most advanced technologies.
The first LMI-I satellite with Lockheed Martin's A2100 bus will be injected intogeo-stationary orbit by a Proton rocket in September 1999. It will be deployed at 75 Eastlongitude. This satellite carries 44 high-power transponders both in C and Ku bands. Thelifetime of the satellite is 15 years (Fig. 5).
Fig. 5. Specification of LMI-1
LMI-1 will provide communications and broadcasting over Russia and CIS,Eastern Europe, South East Asia, Africa and Australia (Fig. 6).
Fig. 6. LMI-1 Coverage
INTERSPUTNIK hopes that LMI-1 will help us meet the rapidly growing demand oftelecommunications companies and broadcasters for satellite capacity. -[Tie satellite isexpected to serve as a basis for the integration of different regions into the globalinformation community. LMI-1 offers ample opportunities both to small regional TV networksand service providers as well as to Multinational telecommunication operators.
It is expected that a bouquet of 30 to 40 TV channels will be available inthe Northern Ku band beam on LMI-1. We hope it will be attractive to cable networkoperators and individual users (Fig. 7).
Fig. 7. TV/ Radio Broadcasting
Given the growing importance of the Internet as a mass medium and the rapid convergenceof computer and telecommunication technologies, traditional services are graduallyreplaced by a variety of novelties. Today, telephone, text and data as well as motion andstill images are integrated into what we call multimedia.
Digital TV/radio and Multimedia transmissions via LMI-1 are cost-effective and requirecheaper receivers. Information can be delivered quickly and cheaply to customers whosesatellite dishes are connected to a high-speed PCs.
4. DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS AFTER 2001
The global telecommunications network is an enormous and complex mechanism, which makesit possible to be connected practically with any country. Today, there are about onebillion telephone sets in the world but nevertheless about 7096" of the planet'spopulation do not have access to telephony while 506 require two hours to get to thenearest telephone.
One of INTERSPUTNIK's top-priority tasks at the beginning of the third millennium is totechnologically support telecommunication operators in bridging the gap betweenindustrially developed and developing Countries by means of introducing new technologiessuch as the series of LMI KA satellites utilizing the Ka band (20/30 GHz) with on-boardswitching and signal processing as well as inter-satellite communication capability.
Inter-satellite links in the Ka band permit customers to establish a single hopconnection with any location on the globe while at present one would require multiple hopsemploying several satellites and earth stations. Today, satellite bandwidth needs to beleased on a continuous basis. In the Ka band, the bandwidth and data rates on LMIsatellites will be allocated on demand thus reducing the cost for most end users.
The LMI KA fleet is expected to consist of five satellites with Lockheed Martin's A2100bus. Services will be provided on demand and directly to end users across the world.
Cheap terminals will be used not only inside the system but will have access via largestations to public networks for bi-directional communications, telephony, data and videotransmission. The system offers cheap last mile solutions for optical fiber cableswherever there is no well-developed ground infrastructure for economic or geographicreasons.
The system will provide 16 Kbps to 2048 Kbps telephone and data transmission based onultra small antenna terminals (USAT) with dishes ranging from 60 to 120 cm and transmitterpower from 0.25 to 10W. The cost efficiency of these systems is based oil the fact thatthey will supplement and expand domestic public-use networks mostly in the countries witha less developed infrastructure.
5. CONCLUSION
In conclusion I Would like to point Out that INTERSPUTNIK's 'breakthrough' to aqualitatively new technological level has not taken place as if by magic. It is the resultof enormous work done in the last few years. We conducted a great number of not too easynegotiations in order to find mutually acceptable algorithms of interaction with partners.Today, the Organization is fully commercial and highly competitive. Specifically, we haveradically changed the structure of the Directorate, introduced international accountingstandards and approved a new strategy. A new Operating Agreement will be signed shortly.
All these measures made INTERSPUTNIK more flexible to quickly respond to the changingenvironment. On the threshold of the 21st century we are going to fully renew and greatlyincrease our satellite capacity.
Another important aspect is to work for the future and take into account all thegeneral tendencies in the development of the world telecommunications market. This is thereason why INTERSPUTNIK pays more and more attention to new digital and multimediaservices.
All what INTERSPUTNIK is doing today and what it is going to do tomorrow is aimed atcreating a common global information environment. The closer and more reliable we areconnected with each other, the safer and more stable is our life on Mother Earth. InINTERSPUTNIK's opinion this task can be fulfilled in close cooperation with all interestednational and international organizations, first of all, with the United Nations. As aconcrete contribution to the deepening of such interaction in the interests ofinternational community we propose jointly with the UN Space Affairs Office to hold in2000 a special event under the tentative motto 'Space Against Crime, Terrorism and Drugs'.Being an observer at the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, INTERSPUTNIK isprepared to be the initiator of this forum.
Certainly, the fact that the new INTERSPUTNIK system starts operating exactly at theturning point of two centuries on the threshold of a new millennium is just a coincidence.Nevertheless, this coincidence is inherently symbolic. If INTERSPUTNIK's new projects aresuccessful, the Organization will be able to offer advanced 21st century services alreadyin the near future and will rise to prominence among similar satellite communicationsorganizations. I am proud and optimistic about INTERSPUTNIK's future in the new century.