Boeing Satellite to Expand Mobile Communications Services in Asia

A Boeing 702 satellite will expand multimedia communications for mobile users in China, India and other markets in Asia when it enters service in 2018.

New York Broadband LLC (NYBB) is procuring the satellite, and will lease capacity to CMMB Vision to provide a comprehensive suite of media and information services to Asian customers.

“NYBB and CMMB Vision are breaking new ground in mobile media services,” said Charles Naumer, managing director of NYBB. “With the finalization of this contract with Boeing for a 702 satellite, we have significantly moved forward in making next-generation mobile communications widely available in Asia.”

Silkwave-1 will eventually take the 105 degrees east-orbital slot currently occupied by NYBB’s AsiaStar spacecraft, along with its L-and spectrum rights. Silkwave-1 will offer 100 times greater transmission power than the AsiaStar spacecraft that it will replace.

“With this new Boeing satellite, Silkwave-1, we will realize a vision to deliver quality multimedia capabilities to the consumer on the move,” said Charles Wong, chairman and CEO of CMMB Vision. “Video, voice, data and other new digital media will become more readily available than ever before along the Silk Road of Asia, one of the most historically significant routes for commerce in the world.”

A variant of the flight-proven Boeing 702 satellite family, Silkwave-1 will be equipped with highly efficient solar cells, generating 14 Kw of power and carrying a 9-meter reflector.

“The new Silkwave-1 spacecraft is designed to support broadband multimedia broadcasting to mobile users,” said Mark Spiwak, president of Boeing Satellite Systems International. “It will have dedicated beams over China and India and a steerable beam over other Asian countries for independent services for different regions. This optimizes power based on regional needs and multiplies the overall bandwidth delivery capacity.”

The Silkwave-1 is scheduled for launch in 2018, with the launch service provider to be determined by NYBB. Based in Denver, Colo., New York Broadband owns and operates 12 UHF television stations in the United States.

CMMB Vision, based in Cyberport, Hong Kong, is a next-generation mobile multimedia service provider and a principal developer of leading mobile technologies as well as broadcast-unicast convergence technology. CMMB stands for, “Converged Mobile Media Broadcasting”, the mobile handheld TV technology standard in China.