Broadband Satellite using an NGSO satellite network is an emerging technology that supports data transmission from remote locations lacking network coverage. This trial demonstrates data transmission speeds and latency, alongside setting up video conference calls and testing high-quality video streaming.
The trial was conducted in one of Aramco's remote sites located in the Shudgm area. It aims to demonstrate the potential use of Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites for broadband coverage in remote areas.
Ground Segment
- Extremely low latency with an average of 32 milliseconds.
- Seamless beam and satellite handovers.
- Accurate antenna pointing and tracking.
- Live streamed video at resolutions up to 1080p (Full HD).
- Test speed rates of more than 400 Mbps (depending on the speed of the public internet connection on the Gateway side).
- Understanding that this is an ad hoc implementation providing higher bandwidth to a single user.
The schematic diagram of the trial is illustrated in the Figure, where the internet data is connected to a OneWeb gateway at the Dhahran site and the user terminal in the Shudgm area. The trial setup can be categorized into two main segments, namely Ground and Space.
Coverage Area
Normal coverage of the Saudi Arabia site is shown here:
- Minimum Elevation Angle (MEA) of 30 deg with a gap due to the GEO arc exclusion zone.
- 100% coverage (in time), with no satellite gap during P5 passes.
- Required MEA at nadir is only 50 deg, and 30 deg at the horizon.
Trial Results
The Test Result of the OneWeb demo on Satellite Broadband:
- Download speed: 2514 Mbps
- Upload speed: 96 Mbps
- Network measurements:
- Round trip latency: 23 ms
- Successful pings: 98%
- Jitter: 2 ms
Successfully tested applications:
- Video Conference meeting
- Internet surfing
- Netflix streaming
- 8K video streaming