WASHINGTON, March 24, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Satellite 2005, Booth No. 635 -- EMS Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:ELMG) announced today at Satellite 2005 that Telesat, one of the world's leading satellite operators, has completed in-orbit testing of a next-generation digital broadband on-board signal processor on Anik F2, the largest commercial communications satellite ever launched. The successful tests of this "broadband switch in the sky" will now enable Telesat to undertake follow-on applications development work.
The experimental "SpaceMux" on-board processor (OBP), designed and supplied by the Space & Technology/Montreal division of EMS Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:ELMG), makes it possible to provide direct user-to-user broadband connectivity for "spot-beam" systems such as the one deployed at Ka-band on Telesat's Anik F2 satellite.
"Anik F2's 'broadband switch in the sky' is a major technological achievement," said Larry Boisvert, Telesat's president and CEO. "Telesat's partnership with EMS Technologies will help us develop the advanced broadband services of the future."
Spot-beam systems are the way of the future for low-cost broadband two-way communications via satellite. The SpaceMux OBP has been designed to permit direct user-to-user communications links for such spot-beam systems. Rather than communicating through gateways on the ground, users that have a need to communicate directly with other satellite users can do so through the satellite OBP. The system will now undergo further testing involving a variety of applications using two Anik F2 Ka-band beams, one in the Toronto-Ottawa area and the other in the Vancouver area.
The SpaceMux technology demonstration payload of the Anik F2 satellite was developed as part of a public-private partnership involving the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the Communications Research Centre Canada (CRC). "The aim of the partnership is to foster the development and testing of new technologies addressing the Government of Canada's commitment to delivering cost-effective, two-way broadband, Internet, tele-health, tele-learning and e-government services to commercial clients and Canadians wherever they live," said Gilles Leclerc, Director General, Space Technologies of the Canadian Space Agency.
"CRC is proud to have been able to provide expert advice and technical guidance to our partners on this project," said Veena Rawat, Acting-President of the Communications Research Centre Canada. "The successful completion of in-orbit testing for this new broadband technology is an important step forward in the development, testing and experimentation of new broadband applications between remote locations."
Manufactured by Boeing Satellite Systems, Telesat's Anik F2 was launched on Arianespace's Ariane 5G rocket from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on July 17, 2004. Anik F2 makes history as the first satellite to fully commercialize the Ka-frequency band -- a breakthrough satellite communications technology for delivering cost-effective, two-way broadband services.
Telesat's Anik F2 payload consists of 38 Ka-band transponders, 32 Ku-band transponders and 24 C-band transponders. The satellite, operating in geostationary orbit from the orbital position at 111.1 degrees West Longitude, will provide service for at least 15 years.
About Telesat (www.telesat.com)
Telesat is a pioneer and world leader in satellite operations and systems management. The company made history in 1972 with the launch of the first domestic commercial communications satellite in geostationary orbit. Today, Telesat competes with other top international satellite fleets in providing telecommunications and broadcasting services throughout the Americas, and is a leading consultant, operator and partner in satellite ventures around the globe. Telesat is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BCE Inc., a leading communications company with shares listed in the United States, Canada and Europe.
About EMS Technologies, Inc.
EMS Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:ELMG) is a leading innovator in the design and manufacture of wireless, satellite and defense solutions, and focuses its unique range of advanced technologies on the needs of broadband and mobile information users. The Company is headquartered in Atlanta, has almost 1,700 workers worldwide, and operates manufacturing facilities in Atlanta, Montreal, Ottawa and Brazil.
For more information, visit EMS on the World Wide Web at www.ems-t.com.
About the Canadian Space Agency
Established in 1989, and with its headquarters in Longueuil, Quebec, the Canadian Space Agency is responsible for coordinating all civil, space-related policies and programs related to science and technology research, industrial development, and international cooperation on behalf of the Government of Canada. The Canadian Space Agency directs its resources and activities through four key thrusts: Earth Observation, Space Science and Exploration, Satellite Communications, and Space Awareness and Learning. With the overall responsibility for advancing Canada's space policy and programs, the Canadian Space Agency leverages international cooperation to champion world-class scientific research and industrial development for the benefit of humanity.
About the Communications Research Centre Canada (CRC)
CRC, an agency of Industry Canada, is the Canadian government's primary laboratory for research and development (R&D) in advanced telecommunications. R&D is used for public policy purposes and to strengthen the Canadian economy through technology and knowledge transfer. Under its four research branches (Terrestrial Wireless, Satellite Communications and Radio Propagation Research, Broadband Network Technologies and Broadcast Technology), CRC specializes in taking an interdisciplinary approach to longer-term R&D in wireless systems, radio fundamentals, communication networks, photonics and interactive multimedia. More information about CRC is available at: www.crc.ca.