ND SatCom: The Face Of Satellite Communication Networks

Alexander Mueller-Gastell, CEO

Winston Churchill believed that no crime is so great as daring to excel. And by far, man’s greatest inventions, technology rollouts as well as innovative business strategies to stay relevant in highly competitive markets is a testament to this belief. The propelling factor for the origin and evolution of satellite communications is no different, and today, the technology’s significance is second to none. ND SatCom has kept this belief alive by continually raising the bar with its innovative solutions for more than 30 years. Today, a renowned name and a trusted and reliable partner in the satellite communications space, the company provides highly secure, tailor-engineered solutions for satellite networks and systems.

As one of the global suppliers of satellite-based broadband VSAT, broadcast, government and defense communication networks, and ground station solutions, ND SatCom is a reliable source of high-quality and secure turnkey, custom system-engineered communication solutions. In today’s digitally-driven world, connectivity, workflow continuity, and security are major concerns for any organization. With its broad portfolio of solutions, ND SatCom aims to support its customers with their critical communication operations. “Being the premier supplier of innovative satellite communication systems, ND SatCom provides the expertise and capabilities as a solution provider that go beyond its leading position in the industry as a high-end modem technology supplier.Our mission now is to turn a technically driven company into a commercially focused company by inserting the customer requirements and market demands in our technology,” asserts Alexander Mueller-Gastell, the CEO of ND SatCom.

"Our mission now is to turn a technically driven company into a commercially focused company with strong technical backing"

SKYWAN: Incremental Innovation in Action

Over the past years, the satellite industry had been rather stagnant and slow in the adoption of new technologies. Traditionally, a key source of innovation for the space sector has been public R&D, which supported the development of next-generation space technologies. A paradigm change is taking place with the introduction of new trends and processes such as mobility, robotization, internationalization of global value chains, and AI. Aligning with this trend and being a customer-centric company, ND SatCom has been on a roll, upgrading its solutions in a short period, and providing and repurposing them in accordance with the market and customer demands.

As a systems integrator, ND SatCom brings to the table its flagship product—the SKYWAN platform—an advanced MF-TDMA VSAT system for establishing wide-area corporate networks. SKYWAN is an extremely versatile and highly flexible VSAT platform that enables thousands of daily users to communicate securely, effectively, and efficiently. SKYWAN can act as either an IP router or Frame Relay switch, or even both at the same time, to support mobile and transportable applications with the smallest antennas and highest performance. The platform provides instant bandwidth-on-demand for superior voice and high definition video quality through its fully dynamic bandwidth allocation scheme.

Evolving customer demands benefit from the new universal and cost efficient SKYWAN 5G that gradually overtakes the field-proven SKYWAN 7000 premium product series whereby the two VSAT system product lines have MF-TDMA in common.

Our SKYWAN 5G is being implemented into the various mobile solutions for the military and government verticals. In addition and as a complementary service, we also provide project management and the implementation of life cycle management for the armed forces

The latest addition as a new satellite communications platform—SKYWAN 5G—highlights unique features, from flexible topologies (star to mesh networks) and powerful performance to its compact portable design. The platform fulfils the connectivity requirements of rugged and remote functional areas, be it drilling, exploration or transport assuring highest performance, quality of service, or reliability. SKYWAN 5G enables agile network connectivity by transmitting data in a single hop directly from origin to destination and provides controlled interfaces to public networks. Point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, and multipoint-to-point connectivity, including automatic routing of IP traffic make SKYWAN 5G the platform of choice for companies whose connectivity requirements may vary widely. A SKYWAN 5G network guarantees the highest availability as it has up to 16 TDMA channels with load balancing, integrated node redundancy, and diversity concepts.

All-Round Technology Stack for Seamless Communication

ND SatCom’s offerings include not only wide-area satcom and smaller corporate networks, but also SNG products, antenna systems, COTM & COTP, portable FlyAway systems, and uplink components such as TWTAs and up- and down-converters. Whether it is system engineering, management, integration, and implementation, or overall system commissioning and testing services, ND SatCom materializes its firm belief in leaving no stone unturned to provide end-to-end solutions. To further extend and enhance their product portfolio apart from SKYWAN Satellite Router, the company also provides high-power amplifiers (HPA), and a wide range of mobile and transportable satellite ground terminals in single band configuration up to Ka-Band as well as tri-band (C-, X- and Ku-Band).

On the HPA front, ND SatCom offers a range of Ku-Band and DBS Band HPAs, which can be delivered either as indoor or outdoor versions. In light of their technology innovations, the company’s high-end antenna systems have gained an outstanding international reputation for its innovative engineering and design. For stable and reliable transmissions, and automatic pointing for SNG or mobile VSAT applications, the company offers antenna subsystems in multiple sizes for Ku- and Ka-band to be utilized accordingly. To cite a customer success instance, ND SatCom assisted a local broadcaster in South Africa last year by equipping 15 of their television vehicles with its modem SNG stack. As a result, they were able to broadcast on the road as they left their premises and while driving to the desired location.

The company understands the importance of effective and reliable communication capabilities for various industrial operations, business continuity, as well as military missions. When it comes to military operations especially, the need for robust and flexible network-centric communication solutions, and 24/7 availability of IP connectivity via fixed, transportable and on-the-move terminals, both for operational control and situational awareness, is a must.

In a nutshell, ND SatCom offers all the core competencies necessary for the design, turnkey delivery, and logistic support of military satcom systems, and has an established track record as the prime partner of large satellite communications networks for various countries including Germany, Sweden, Poland, Canada, U.S., Mexico, and the Middle East region “Our SKYWAN 5G is being implemented into the various mobile solutions for the military and government verticals. In addition and as a complementary service, we also provide project management and the implementation of life cycle management for the armed forces,” explains Mueller-Gastell. Having been in the industry for more than three decades, today, ND SatCom has become a renowned name owing to its result-oriented, innovative solutions.

A Positive Growth Curve

By continually upgrading its offerings, ND SatCom has garnered significant market traction among new and existing users alike. The company’s culture fosters strong collaboration with customers as it holds customer satisfaction as one of the main pillars of its strength. The approach of listening to the customers first and then viewing the market demands, and ultimately responding to the problems with an effective high-end technology solution in a short period, differentiates ND SatCom from other companies in the space tech landscape.

The company also offer a range of training materials and courses that are tailored to their customer’s needs to impart them with the necessary know-how to install and handle systems on their own. Alongside, with a customer support team available 24/7, ND SatCom provides training in several areas including installations, operations, maintenance, and management of its products and solutions.

ND SatCom enables various entities including the governments, broadcasters, and oil and gas corporations to communicate securely, effectively, and quickly, and do business seamlessly. Through products and solutions operating in more than 200 transnational networks, the company effectively delivers, deploys, and sustains secure integrated communications solutions for customers in more than 130 countries. “Our in-house R&D department of 20 people effectively caters to customer and market demands, quickly and swiftly. We do release an update of the SKYWAN 5G every six months including new features as per the market demands. We provide a range of set courses on our products and also arrange private courses including classroom and hands-on training covering installations, operation, and maintenance tailored exactly to the customer’s needs,” states Mueller-Gastell.

For the future, from the products side, ND SatCom will advance SKYWAN 5G, drive forward its antenna systems, and continue providing end-to-end satellite communication solutions. Whereas, on the market expansion side, the company aims to expand its footprints in new international and local regions, including Western and South Africa. With such a proven track record, dedication to product innovation and development, and commitment to customer satisfaction, ND SatCom offers the technology of choice for satellite communication applications. The company’s ideology to be a dedicated partner in supporting its customers throughout the lifecycle of the product or system, with the ability to manage large, complex projects with their software and hardware development capabilities and custom solutions, make it the face of satellite communication networks.

- Clara Mathew
May 22, 2019