Millions of VSAT terminals around the world comply with the DVB-S standard for video and data transmission. Simply put, this standard allows operators to save costs on remote equipment and to gain improved efficiencies through the ability to offer data and video on the same channel.

Now the DVB-S standard is growing up. The next generation of the standard, called DVB-S2, goes beyond the original to offer benefits such as higher throughputs, better coding efficiency, and improved satellite resource utilization. In addition, low-density parity check (LDPC) coding, whose complexity has previously limited its use, is significantly improved in the new standard, providing a high level of flexibility for satellite operators.

The Adaptive Coding and Modulation (ACM) feature of DVB-S2 is particularly useful in interactive data applications by allowing the satellite operator to dynamically adjust coding and modulation based on signal quality feedback from remote terminals. This feature optimizes transponder resources under varying conditions, such as rain fade and geographically diverse locations.

Combining LDPC and ACM brings even greater benefits by enabling operators to intelligently design their networks and truly optimize their space segment resource utilization. And because the DVB-S2 standard provides a backward compatibility mode, it enables DVB-S operators to smoothly transition their networks to the new DVB-S2 standard, enabling them to offer their customers bundled data and video services.

Since not all equipment vendors support the powerful ACM feature, the benefits gained from the new standard depend in part on its implementation. The Hughes HN7700S satellite router, which supports the ACM feature, allows operators to gain significant bandwidth efficiencies while providing highly available services to their customers. The new HN series of routers enables applications ranging from high-speed Internet access and video services, to polling, e-learning, customer relationship management (CRM), and multimedia streaming.

Hughes not only leverages important international standards but is also a key contributor to many of these standards, including DVB-S2. The LDPC component of the DVB-S2 standard was invented at Hughes and is a key element in the efficiency and economy of this standard. In addition, the Hughes air interface, IPoS (IP over Satellite), which is the global standard approved by the TIA, ETSI, and ITU organizations, now supports the DVB-S2 channel standard. With nearly one million terminals shipped globally, IPoS is the most widely deployed standard for satellite communications.