Satellite communications specialist Newtec has taken the lead, teaming up with DVB members Arabsat, Cisco, SES and Thomson Video Networks, to get the discussion for an update to the DVB-S2 standard on the DVB agenda. DVB took up the task and has already started investigating the commercial reasoning behind a specific standard for satellite broadcast contribution and high-speed IP trunking and backbone links.
As a first step in extending the current DVB-S2 standard, Newtec is launching its Clean Channel Technology at the up-coming Cabsat and SATELLITE exhibition and conference. Clean Channel Technology further improves satellite efficiency for IP trunking and backhauling, but also broadcast contribution by up to 15 percent compared to the current DVB-S2 standard. Clean Channel Technology will be available as a software field upgrade for existing Newtec equipment.
According to Newtec the time for change is now and there are a number of critical items that can be addressed in the improvement of the current DVB-S2 standard including: an extension to guarantee interoperability and better satellite efficiency for professional satcom applications a differentiation between contribution and distribution to make the greatest efficiency gains by making the standard aware of the application in which it is being used an optimization per application for ranges of typical and realistic conditions an increased number of modulation and coding schemes and FEC choices providing the highest resolution for optimal modulation in all circumstances.
Additionally, adding higher modulation schemes, such as 64APSK, is useful considering the professional applications that could work with improved link budgets provided by, for example, bigger antennas and more powerful satellites. Newtec sees the 32APSK boundary being reached frequently with its FlexACM technology. In these situations 64APSK could provide higher transmission speeds and lower operational costs.
