O3b mPower satellite communications system kicks off deployment

Satellite telecommunications network provider, SES, is on a mission to get almost the whole globe connected to communications services – what does that mean to countries, more specifically island nations, like the Cook Islands?

SES CEO Steve Collar called the island country in the South Pacific Ocean, an original O3b satellite deployment via Vodafone, during a press briefing for the launch of their second generation O3b satellite communications system.

Conducted in a fireside chat style, he asked Vodadone Cook Island’s CEO Phil Henderson about the impact that O3b’s connectivity services had for them.

“How did it change expectations for people in the Cooks?” he asked.

Phil admitted that signing on a new (at that time in 2012) service provider with a new technology is always a challenge with risk associated with it, “But over the last 10 years, we have grown up with O3b, and probably the most significant change is the developed nation status we have achieved.”

Besides a submarine cable landing and fibre deployment for the capital which came later, satellite connectivity remains the backbone for the rest of the country’s transport network. This nation consists of 15 islands that cover a total of 2.2 million kilometres of ocean.

“You don’t achieve that (status) on the back of poor telecommunications, infrastructure, or service!”

Phil added that the country was served only by O3b satellite connectivity as the main international trunk.

Besides a submarine cable landing and fibre deployment for the capital which came later, satellite connectivity remains the backbone for the rest of the country’s transport network. This nation consists of 15 islands that cover a total of 2.2 million kilometres of ocean.

Many more beams

Steve also explained the new enhancements and capabilities that come with the second generation O3b constellation, mPower. One of the significant capabilities include the many more beams the satellite can power – 50,000 in total – to land connectivity to more locations.

He described, “Where previously we were only able to serve Rarotonga, which is the main capital and the main island, now with mPower we are able to ‘leave no one behind’.”

According to Phil, now Vodafone is able to focus the connectivity beams and land it to each of the 15 islands, via which they can deliver IPTV and Internet of Things (IoT) services “spread out across the country.” This capability is delivered wireless over the service that mPower delivers, and he added that he does not think any other satellite providers can do this.

Digital transformation possible for the Cook Islands

Vodafone has also just signed a four year contract with the Cook Islands’ government that is on a major digital transformation journey to connect every public service with the government network.

“Let’s be clear. It’s not all about Internet. We need to have a network that we can slice and dice and that is the capability that mPower gives us,” said Phil.

The O3b mPower communications system has an initial middle earth orbit (MEO) constellation of 11 high-throughput, low latency satellites, and extensive ground infrastructure across the globe.

The first two of these 11 satellites successfully launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida, on Space X’s Falcon 9 rocket.

(This journalist was an SES guest to this momentous event at Cape Canaveral).