PARIS — The world’s three biggest commercial satellite fleet operators and their major ground hardware providers have completed the task of upgrading their Earth stations to permit them to identify the source of transmissions and reduce interference between satellites, the companies announced.
In a joint statement issued July 17, Intelsat, SES and Eutelsat said they have met their commitment, made in September 2011, to adapt their networks for Carrier ID in time for the London Olympics, which begin July 27.
The three companies, which operate more than 130 satellites and account for more than half of the global commercial satellite telecommunications bandwidth, said their transmission equipment suppliers have completed a similar effort.
Carrier ID embeds an identification code into a satellite uplink signal, identifying the source of the signal and permitting satellite operators to track down unintentional signal interference that much more quickly. Satellite operators say more than 95 percent of all satellite signal interference is accidental, often the result of an inexperienced Earth station operator badly orienting an uplink antenna.
The three companies said equipment suppliers that have upgraded their products for Carrier ID include Adtec Digital, Comtech EF Data, Ericsson, Fujitsu, IDC, Newtec and Vislink. Numerous television broadcasters have similarly adjusted their networks to accommodate Carrier ID.
“Never before have broadcasters, satellite operators, uplinkers and manufacturers collaborated with the sole objective of improving the quality of satellite television services for millions of views,” said a joint statement issued by the Satellite Interference Reduction Group, the Global VSAT Forum and the World Broadcasting Unions.
