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12 November 2012
Quality assurance is at the heart of Inmarsat’s
US$1.2 billion Global Xpress system. The launch of
this new satellite service will be enhanced through
the implementation of mandatory earth station
testing requirements. This will be done in
co-ordination with the Global VSAT Forum (GVF), the
international association of the satellite
communications industry.
Through Inmarsat’s testing programme, earth station
products to be used with the 2013 launch of Global
Xpress broadband services will be required to
demonstrate high levels of performance to ensure
customer satisfaction. Inmarsat’s programme will be
aligned with the GVF Product Quality Assurance
Framework, and meet the GVF Quality Products
Industry Initiative.
“Inmarsat is committed to ensuring that our
customers receive high-performance broadband
satellite products,” said Leo Mondale, MD of Global
Xpress. “Our decision to require product testing in
alignment with the GVF Product Quality Assurance
Framework is a clear demonstration of that
commitment.”
“The global satellite
industry is taking next-generation broadband
solutions to a higher level of performance,” said
David Hartshorn, Secretary General, GVF. “Inmarsat’s
requirement for type-approved earth station products
-- and Global Xpress’ co-ordination with the GVF
Quality Products Initiative -- will give customers
the standard of quality that is essential in today’s
demanding marketplace.”
GVF provides earth station
testing through a mutually-recognized type approvals
framework and an industry-authorised network of
testing entities. Major satellite operators rely
upon or conduct their own testing in co-ordination
with the service, which is provided by GVF through
its Mutual Recognition Arrangement Working Group
(MRA-WG).
“Global type-approvals,
which have a major bearing on industry profitability
and competitiveness, have gained in importance as
demand for satellite-based systems and services have
increased and volumes have risen,” said Colin
Robinson, Chairman of the MRA-WG. “Inmarsat’s
support for the industry’s quality-assurance
initiative is well timed to address that trend.”
The MRA-WG maintains procedure GVF-101, which
defines a set of standard tests that an antenna or
earth station manufacturer must perform in order to
apply for type approval from any satellite operator
who is a member of GVF. Use of this procedure
assures the quality of the ground communication
equipment and provides the earth station operator
with a complete set of measured and verified test
data. This helps reduce the time and cost required
to bring new ground-segment technology to the
market, provides credible measured performance data
for use in developing link budgets, thereby
advancing the competitiveness of satellite
communications services.
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