satellite

The 24th edition of the Annual Meeting of the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology in 2008 was held this week in Barcelona where the ATiT team set up a very successful live demonstration session linking 3 operating theatres in the Istituto Dexeus with the conference venue in Forum de las Culturas 2004. These live surgery sessions were very popular with practitioners and provided a first hand view of some of the most recent practices and procedures in the area of human reproduction and embryology.

The Web-Sat DVB S2 development project has now been concluded successfully. ATiT staff supported Web-Sat in the management of this project which begun in June 2006, testing and piloting with the service have been on-going since July 2007 and were completed at the end of February 2008.

As a result of this development project, the forward link has been upgraded to the DVB-S2 standard, leading to an immediate increase in capacity and the potential for future increases using the ACM (Advanced Code Modulation) option. Suitable DVB-S2 data receive cards have been sourced and satellite trials performed successfully to date using 8PSK modulation. The return link has also been upgraded with the development of a new transmit card. The new transmit card employs a digital signal processor (DSP) and provides greater flexibility in terms of the supported modulation schemes (BPSK, QPSK, 8PSK etc..). It has been designed so that software/firmware upgrades can be easily applied when new features are required.

One of the key advantages of the development is that the new transmit card’s firmware can be upgraded remotely in a matter of seconds to add new features such as SCPC (single carrier per channel) mode.

These developments have been integrated into the overall service chain to include all the necessary software services necessary to operate a full end-to-end service. Further information, contact info@web-sat.com

Mathy Vanbuel described his experience in the provision of educational services to remote schools in Europe in a keynote presentation given on 15th May during an International Conference held in Athens. This conference called "Bridging the Digital Divide in Rural Communities; Practical Solutions and Policies'' brought together project leaders of several pioneering projects many of which are using the latest developments in satellite technology to provide solutions for remote and rural school communities in Europe and elsewhere. Organised in the Ellinogermaniki School in Pallini, this event brought together policy makers, academics and field practitioners from Europe and beyond who share an interest in promoting the use of ICT by rural citizens of all ages. See the Conference web site for more information.

ATiT staff recently spent several days in Greece providing support to the HERMES project funded by the Greek Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs. HERMES is a pilot project providing two way interactivity based on DVB-RCS technology to remote Greek schools, many of them located in areas for which satellite is the only access option possible. This project will contribute to a national roadmap on how schools Internet access can be provided on a nationwide basis.

Mathy Vanbuel and Sally Reynolds contributed to the recently published EuroPACE publication, "European Networking and Learning for the Future. The EuroPACE Approach". This book collects articles from different authors involved in the development of the EuroPACE network and positions EuroPACE in the landscape of international networked e-learning. The articles give an overview of the history of the EuroPACE network and the changes that took place in the field of technology enhanced education and training over the past 20 years. For further information about this book including how to order it, visit the EuroPACE web site.

ATiT has updated the ESA User Support Office Tutorial on VSAT Licensing, which provides end users with basic information about regulations and licenses for the sue of VSATs (Very Small Aperture Terminals). Available since Autumn 2002, this module has been revised and updated with the latest available information on national licensing. Four countries have been added to the list (Latvia, Lithuania, Malta and Slovakia), which now describes the regulatory situation in 28 European countries. The VSAT tutorial can be found on the ESA Telecom website under http://telecom.esa.int/vsat.

On Tuesday 20 June 2006, ATiT produced the interactive satellite TV programme with live demonstrations of operative technologies for surgeons during the 2006 ESHRE Conference in Prague. Well over 1000 people attended these live demonstrations that were transmitted live from the Mother and Child Institute in Prague. This part of the conference was organised by Prof. S. Gordts from the Leuven Institute for Fertility and Embryology (L.I.F.E.) and included demonstrations by Dr. R. Campo, Dr. E. Kucera, Dr. Ferro and Professor Gordts.

ATiT has now concluded its evaluation report on how satellites can be used to connect Higher and Further Education Institutions and individuals. Some areas in England, Scotland and Wales are at present underserved by traditional telecommunication means. From Mid 2002 until May 2004, 17 institutions and individuals based in these remote areas used two-way satellite terminals to connect to the Internet, and to the Janet and Campus networks. This evaluation report highlights the importance of the right match between user requirements and the offered service. Read the full report...

On Friday 8 October Mathy Vanbuel and Sally Reynolds led a workshop, hosted in the Ministry of Transport and Communications Athens and organised by the Lambrakis Foundation in Greece, on the ways in which satellite technology can support education. This workshop attracted people from industry, government agencies and the education and training sector.