Spaceway, the Internet-via-satellite venture, will not provide 2-way internet access for DirecTV, says the Wall Street Journal. Interest in DirecTV’s 2-way broadband service, using the Hughes Spaceway platform, is now focused mostly on delivering HDTV.
The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that DirecTV would drop Spaceway, prompting one analyst — Vintage Research’s William Kidd — to write in a note, “No change to valuation. We continue to value Spaceway at zero.”
Broadband Reports says it ain’t so. DirecTV reaffirmed it’s satellite broadband commitment.
Chase Carey, president and CEO of the DirecTV, issued a statement concerning the company’s plans for its forthcoming Spaceway satellite broadband Internet service.An article in the Wall Street Journal, “contained or implied a number of inaccurate statements from unnamed sources regarding Spaceway, as we have previously stated, our goal has been to utilize the satellites for both DirecTV’s video business and broadband purposes”.
DirecTV spent more than $1.5 billion to develop Spaceway, but the market is mostly limited to the 20% to 25% of U.S. homes where wired options don’t exist since hardware costs remain high.
Australia’s News Corp. canceled their plans to use Spaceway. NewsCorp is the biggest U.S. satellite-to-home TV broadcaster and had designed its Spaceway venture to provide broadband links to businesses and residential customers. The company also had hoped Spaceway would set an industry standard for such Internet-via-satellite initiatives.
But News Corp. officers began to doubt projections of market demand and profitability used to justify their original investment, reports the Washinton Times. News Corp. now plans to launch at least one Spaceway satellite — but use it only for TV broadcast rather than high-speed Internet service.
Spot Beam Satellites were supposed to change everything. Spot beams on the Ka band promise fast, economical, nationwide service because the limited, shared bandwidth can be re-used. They offer VSAT point-to-point and multi-point distribution.
- SpaceWay will provide up to 1.5Mbps up and 5Mbps down using spot beams which should make a better business model since spectrum can be shared by more users.
- Wild Blue: The Canadian-built Anik F2, is expected to launch soon with 52 Ka-band (30 Ghz) transponders at 111.1 degrees allowing consumers with mini dishes to receive both broadband Internet access and satellite television from DirecTV or EchoStar’s DISH Network. Wild Blue will reportedly lease 30 of the 45 Ka band transponders on F-2 for 2-way internet access. When they get their own satellite launched, WildBlue will use F-2 as a back-up.
The Spaceway launch is due soon. The $1.8-billion, three-satellite Spaceway Internet system, was planned to employ Ka-band spot-beams for businesses and homes.
Anik F2, scheduled to be launched this year, will initially be used by WildBlue. It features an advanced Ka-band payload with 45 spot beams for 2-way communications using small terminals.
Hughes Network Systems, under the DIRECWAY brand, introduced DIRECWAY Wi-Fi Access, a Hot Spot solution for the enterprise market, including restaurants, coffee shops, gas stations, convenience stores, hotels, auto dealerships, truck stops, RV parks, and marinas.
Motosat’s Datastorm (right), requires no cellular upstream unlike other “two-way” satellite systems designed for RVs. Motosat’s Datastorm uses an unfoldable small dish - but connections are not available while moving and the antennas is not a phased array unit.
If you want true, 2-way, internet access WHILE in motion, it will cost you. Boeing’s Connexion is said to run a cool million bucks a pop.
The KVH TracNet ($3500), may be the world’s first and only low-profile, phased array satellite TV system for vehicles. The 5-inch high antenna can receive satellite television WHILE in-motion, from DIRECTV. TracVision A5 uses KVH’s hybrid phased-array technology to create an antenna with a rugged, 5-inch high design and the ability to receive more than 300 channels of satellite TV
It does not offer 2-way internet access. Two-way internet connections are available for RVs using KVH TracNet ($6000), but it uses a cellular link for upstream access.
Related DailyWireless resources includes Mobile Satellite Access, Nomadix + Hughes Direcway, MPEG-4: Satellite, Cable & Wireless, Satellite TV on Cell Phone?, Sprint Bundles EchoStar, Satellite WiFi, DirecWay Modem Shares Access, Sharing a satellite connection from a van, Tachyon & Datastorm Satellite News, Sharing Community Satellite Networks and Transit Wireless.
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