"Rain fade is still a considerable issue for users of Ku-band satellite services in areas where wet weather is extremely common, causing disruption of services that cannot be delivered through any other means", commented Jean-Claude Bisenius, Managing Director of atrexx. "This can cause problems for important public services that rely on satellite-based services as an alternative to terrestrial that cannot reach certain areas or is too expensive to roll-out."

Due to the much lower frequency range of C-Band, the margin for weather degradation is often only 1 decibel (dB), but in Ku-band it can be 6 to 10 dB in subtropical and tropical regions. Power losses of 10 decibel in Ku-Band equate to the need of a tenfold power increase or an antenna diameter of 3.80 m in tropical regions instead of 1.20 m needed in drier regions - for the same service availability!

The 2way2sat services offered by atrexx are based on the iDirect iNFINITI platform over the Intelsat 10-02 satellite. Intelsat 10-02 boasts very strong C-Band coverage over all of Europe, the entire African Continent and the Middle East and comprises 45 C-Band transponders. The offering fills a gap that atrexx had previously been identified for iDirect-based services in C-Band over Africa.

The key advantage for customers is that there is no requirement to invest in any new equipment when opting for 2way2sat via Intelsat 10-02. atrexx is ready to begin the service with users' existing hardware that typically includes an iNFINITI Series 3100 modem, a 2.4 meter C-Band antenna and a 5 Watt Block-Upconverter (BUC).

On the forward channel, the iNFINITI platform does not include automatic adaption to changing weather conditions at the remote site. However in C-Band, due to the low weather sensitivity, such adaption is not necessary.

"atrexx is targeting the African region with this new C-Band service, where upgrading equipment is often not an option due to cost. We expect to see significant business in West Africa ", continued Mr. Bisenius.

"Weather attenuation is a considerable issue for people in the tropics and we are pleased to be offering a service that can address the issue and assure access to highly valuable communications. Applications supported include voice, data, video and Internet ".

For new investments, atrexx provides 2way2sat services for Africa in Ku-Band based on the recently introduced iDirect Evolution series. They feature Adaptive Coding and Modulation (ACM), translating into stable Ku-Band communication links - even in tropical regions.

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