Sat@Once is currently a free service that distributes, by
satellite and at high speed, the most popular parts of the
most popular websites and newsgroups from the Internet. In
less than 6 months after launch the operators SES ASTRA and
the CSP research centre in Turin (Italy) clocked 13,000
registered users.
The service is available to the general public at the same
time as being used in two pilot studies as part of a project
jointly financed by SES-Astra and the European Space Agency
(ESA). The aim of the trial is to investigate how far this
technology can offer a solution to organisations with a
need to share information and to distribute large files be
it data, video, audio, or graphics.
The service is based on the Digital Video Broadcasting
(DVB) standard which is deployed Europe-wide (and is
becoming accepted as a worldwide standard) for digital
television. It allows the user to receive Internet services
anywhere in Europe. All that is needed is a DVB-satellite
dish (normally used for receiving television broadcasts),
a PC equipped with a standard DVB/IP satellite reception
card and the free download of Sat@Once software (5.8 Mb).
Using statistical webcasting technology based on keywords
set by the user, the local PC automatically determines and
filters the huge amounts of broadcast data (20 GB a day)
and picks out those pages that are interesting to its
owner. This set of preferences is kept local and private.
The sites selected are renewed periodically at no
recurrent cost.
By selecting categories of interest in the left-hand list
on the Sat@Once portal, the user can browse offline the
sites of interest. Links that are not sent by satellite
can be retrieved seamlessly using a classical Internet
connection (modem, ISDN, ADSL, etc.).
Users of the Sat@Once service made available to the
public can offer suggestions for sites that could be
included in the broadcast. The more ‘votes’ a site gets
the more likely it will be included in the next broadcast.
When users stop voting for a site, it is removed from the
broadcast.
In the frame of the ESA project (within the User segment
programme line of ESA Telecommunications), two concurrent
pilot studies are currently underway in the Italian region
Piedmont. The mountainous terrain of the region makes
this technology especially useful where cable Internet
connection is often not possible. In these trials, a
number of schools and public offices are using the
technology. Schools are accessing web materials and
courseware, public offices have been able share databases.
These trials will run until March 2003.
Related links
* ESA Telecom homepage
http://telecom.esa.int/
* SES-Astra
http://www.ses-astra.com/
* CSP
Sat@Once
* Sat@Once download
http://www.sat@once.csp.it
* Sat@Once project page
http://telecom.esa.int/telecom/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=514
IMAGE CAPTIONS:
[Image 1:
http://www.esa.int/export/esaSA/ESA60KTHN6D_telecom_1.html]
The Sat@Once project is jointly financed by SES ASTRA and
the European Space Agency (ESA). Sat@Once distributes, by
satellite and at high speed, the most popular parts of the
most popular websites and newsgroups from the Internet.
Trials are investigating how far this technology can offer
a solution to organisations with a need to share information
and to distribute large files be it data, video, audio, or
graphics. Credits: SES Astra
[Image 2:
http://www.esa.int/export/esaSA/ESA60KTHN6D_telecom_1.html#subhead1]
Courseware for schools can be broadcast via satellite and
accessed via the Sat@Once portal.
