ViaSat-1 passes data transmission test
High-capacity satellite to begin commercial service soon
- By Defense Systems Staff
- Dec 08, 2011
Satellite operator ViaSat has transmitted the first data over its Ka-band satellite named ViaSat-1 using the WildBlue high-speed data network, company officials said Dec. 7.
The initial transmissions and receptions, which include e-mail messages, Web surfing, and video streaming, were completed Dec. 2, and the company is working to complete the integration of 20 ground stations into the network that will connect the high-capacity satellite to the Internet backbone, the officials said. The company expects to begin commercial service before Dec. 31.
The U.S. military has expressed an interest in leasing service from ViaSat-1, which offers communications as fast as 140 gigabits/sec compared with the 2.5 gigabits/sec offered by the military's Wideband Global SATCOM satellites.