E1-E2 (EB)/Broadband VSAT Rev Date 29-03-2011

E1-E2 (EB)

Chapter 5

Broadband VSAT

BSNL, India For internal Circulation Only Page 1

E1-E2 (EB)/Broadband VSAT Rev Date 29-03-2011

5.Broadband VSAT
VSAT technology is a secure and reliable medium to connect geographically
dispersed locations and represents a cost effective solution for users seeking an
independent communication network connecting to the global network. In a situation
where other connectivity options are not feasible, broadband VSAT of BSNL (operating
in Ku band of electromagnetic spectrum i.e. 11 to 18 GHz) offer value added satellite
based services capable of supporting- Broadband internet access, VOIP, video
conferencing, IP multicast, Local Area Network, voice, Fax and can also provide
powerful dependable private communication solutions.
5.1 What is V-SAT?

VSAT stands for Very Small Aperture Terminal. VSAT is a device (also known
as an “earth station”) that is used to send and receive wireless transmissions by satellite.
Millions of VSATs are in use around the world, allowing people to send and receive two-
way data, voice or video transmissions by bouncing signals off of satellites in orbit. The
"very small" component of the VSAT acronym refers to the size of the VSAT “antenna”
or “dish” - typically about 2 to 5feet (0.55-1.8 meters) in diameter for Ku-band systems -
that is mounted on a roof, attached to a wall or placed on the ground and is capable of
both receiving and sending satellite signals. VSAT systems can be designed to serve both
broadcast and interactive applications whether data, voice or video, which are now being
served by terrestrial lines and can be operated in either single or multi-user environment.
In single-user mode it would interface directly to the customer's PC. In multi-user mode,
it will seamlessly integrate into a local area network with its built in Ethernet Interface
RJ-45 (10/100) and also acts as an access router to support services to connecting PCs.
VSAT Equipment is mainly consist of-
ODU ( Outdoor Unit )
IDU ( Indoor Unit ) as shown in Fig.1
Outdoor Unit (ODU):
The outdoor unit system is specifically optimized for use with the Indoor Unit and
consists of:
Transmit / Receive Dish (Antenna) (0.75m - 1.8m)
Block Up-converter (BUC) (1W-2W)
Low Noise Block-Down-converter (LNB)
Feed Assembly

BSNL, India For internal Circulation Only Page 2

E1-E2 (EB)/Broadband VSAT Rev Date 29-03-2011

ODU IDU

SAT Tx

SAT RX
Dish
USB

LNB Ethernet 10/100

BaseT (RJ-45)

Telephone Jack
for VoIP (RJ-11)

BUC
Feed 100-240 VAC
horn (Optional -48V
DC)

Fig. 1 ODU & IDU

BUC
Block up-converter converts incoming I.F. (from IDU) to R.F. transmitting
frequency, amplifies it and passes it to feed.
LNB
LNB amplifies incoming R.F.(Radio Frequency) from feed using low noise
amplifier, converts it to I.F. and passes it to IDU
IDU (Indoor Unit)
On receiving side, converts I.F. (Intermediate Frequency) from ODU to base band
signals which may be data, video or voice. On transmitting side, converts base band
signals to I.F. and passes them to ODU. I.F. is generally in L band. R.F. can be in C, Ku
or Ka bands.
The indoor unit may be a small desktop box, or it may be (as in this case) a
network module integrated with a router providing VSAT network connectivity just as
any other network module and provide flexible Interfaces like Ethernet 10/100 BaseT

BSNL, India For internal Circulation Only Page 3

E1-E2 (EB)/Broadband VSAT Rev Date 29-03-2011

(RJ45), USB with maximum download speed of up to 4 Mbps and maximum upload
speed of up to 2 Mbps.
5.2 Why V-SAT Broadband networking?

V-SAT is generally a very cost-effective medium for broadband data

communications, and has particularly strong advantages in ubiquity (VSAT is available at
any location) and multicast support (sending the same data to tens or thousands of
locations at once). One key advantage of VSAT broadband connections is that service
availability is not limited by the reach of terrestrial telephone or cable infrastructure. A
VSAT earth station can be placed anywhere - as long as it has an unobstructed view of
the satellite. This type of Internet connection is great for areas that are rural or are
perhaps underserved by reliable Internet Service Providers. In areas like this, new
Internet service capabilities are often not cost-effective. Many of these areas cannot
afford to have Internet service that does not have outages. Internet services in these types
of areas can also be expensive and the ISPs do not often have the latest technology to
offer to their subscribers. VSAT broadband is a way to have the latest technology without
having to go through a local ISP. This also serves to make VSAT an ideal choice for
WAN backup and disaster recovery. Because VSAT completely avoids the local area
wire-line infrastructure, it is effectively able to avoid even large-scale local outages or
disasters.
A satellite network can be installed and made operational within a week since
miles of cable need not be installed. And V-SATs are available in remote locations since
it dose not need the infrastructure of a telephone exchange to be present.
“Suppose a Railway department needs to expand its business by deploying 100
new reservation counter within a week, can you imagine the time it will take to wait for
leased lines? In such case, V-SAT Broadband connectivity is the best Option.”
Features Broadband V-SAT system of BSNL:-
Maximum Trans / Receive Data up to 2 Mbps / 4 Mbps with 10/100 Mbps Base-T
Ethernet interfaces.
Supports all IP V4 protocols
Shared and customized Bandwidth for customers requirements (i.e. dedicated or
shared Bandwidth)
Supports Video Conferencing
Built in GRE Tunneling

BSNL, India For internal Circulation Only Page 4

E1-E2 (EB)/Broadband VSAT Rev Date 29-03-2011

Dynamic Link Allocation (DLA) technology which automatically adjusts

modulation, coding, and gain based on the link environment (such as during rain)
to achieve maximum availability
VPNs can be created with VSAT Network, MLLN nodes, MPLS nodes of BSNL
VoIP telephony with add on ATA (Analog Telephone Adaptor)
Transparent to IP Sec protocols
Embedded CPU Turbo Product Coding
Dynamic Link Allocation (DLA) Support ( unique to BSNL Gateway, which no
other VSAT service provider can support in India as on date)
Connectivity to Broadband Internet
5.3 Broadband V-SAT ARCHITECTURE:

V-SAT networks can be arranged in point to point, star, mesh, star/mesh, and
broadcast configurations. The preferred arrangement depends on the kind of information
flow the network will service. A point to point network allows two-way communications
between two VSAT sites. A star network allows any number of VSAT sites to have two-
way communication with a central hub. A mesh network allows two-way
communications between any VSAT sites in a network. A central hub is not necessary.
Each site communicates to another site with a single satellite hop.
VSAT Broadband (Ku band VSAT) networks of BSNL designed in a hub-and-
spoke fashion as shown in fig. 2, with customer locations connecting directly over the air
to a central “hub” facility. The equipment at a customer site is a VSAT receiver/router
(similar to a DSL or cable modem), attached to a small dish mounted on top of or outside
the building. At the central hub facility, a large dish and sophisticated hub RF
components receive and transmit to the remote sites, and route information to and from
the Internet or private networks via leased line.

BSNL, India For internal Circulation Only Page 5

E1-E2 (EB)/Broadband VSAT Rev Date 29-03-2011

Satellite

INTERNET

VSAT
IDU

MPLS

HUB

IDU HUB ATA

Ku
KuBand BSNL
Band
MLLN Gateway,
HUB/Gateway
VoIP ATA- Analog Telephone Adapter
Bangalore

Fig.2 Ku band V-SAT ARCHITECTURE

Internet router is connected to BSNL National Internet Backbone using multiple 2
Mbps leased line. All Remote VSAT locations are having private IP so that remote
VSAT users can connect to Internet.
MLLN customers will connect directly to this routers using lease line and they
will be able to access the VSAT remote terminals. Customers may take 64 kbps or
multiple of it for their main office connectivity.
It will be connected to BSNL MPLS cloud using multiple 2 MB lease lines.
MPLS router will work as CE routers for the MPLS cloud.
BSNL’s Ku Band HUB (Earth Station) at BANGALORE consists of :
Satellite antenna of 8.1 m – Cassegrain feed type.
Ku Band RF equipment and its control systems.
GATEWAY Networking Equipment with interfaces to Terrestrial Networks like
MLLN, MPLS and NIB.

BSNL, India For internal Circulation Only Page 6

E1-E2 (EB)/Broadband VSAT Rev Date 29-03-2011

5.4 V-SAT SERVICES OFFERED

The V-SAT Broad VSAT network allows secure, reliable and cost effective data,
voice and video transmission and enables an organization to deploy nationwide different
services over IP using the shortest time span.
LEASED LINES Through V-SAT on IP PLATFORM: 4Kbps onwards
High speed Broadband Internet
VPN Networking
VOIP Telephony
Facsimile
Telemedicine
E-learning
IP multicasting
Video conferencing
Video streaming
Facsimile
Distance Education
Banking
E-learning
On-demand services for WAN backup/disaster recovery etc.
5.5 Architecture for High Speed Broadband Access

As shown in fig.3 V-SAT (User Terminals) are capable to provide similar

broadband and high speed Internet capabilities available on terrestrial lines anywhere in
India i.e. download speed of up to 4 Mbps and maximum upload speed of up to 2 Mbps.
It delivers bandwidth on demand allowing efficient use of bandwidth making it ideal for
broadband access rollout to Small and Medium Enterprises, Internet Cafes, apartments
and individual users. It allows dedicated or shared bandwidth to match the user’s
requirement. It fully supports standard Internet connection and any IP applications.
VSAT broadband offers top of the line VPN encryption for the security of your personal
information and data. They also offer full services for things like web hosting, net
meeting, etc. A public IP address is assigned to both the VSAT network module and the
router satellite interface. Network Address Translation (NAT) is implemented on the

BSNL, India For internal Circulation Only Page 7

E1-E2 (EB)/Broadband VSAT Rev Date 29-03-2011

Ethernet interface of the router, so that multiple clients can be connected and use the
service.

Satellite

INTERNET

Ku Band BSNL
Ku Band User Terminal
Gateway,
HUB Station
Bangalore

User Terminal

Internet Cafes
User Terminal
HOME

Fig.3 Architecture for High Speed Broadband Access

5.6 Conclusion

The V-SAT Broadband technology is a cost effective solution for those

who want an independent, secured and reliable communications network to connect a
large number of geographically dispersed sites where any other connectivity options are
not possible to implement. This type of Internet connection is also great for areas that are
rural or are perhaps underserved by reliable Internet Service Providers. The V-SAT
Broadband service provides faster speeds, more flexibility, and better performance,
making it an attractive network option for businesses of all types and sizes. V-SAT
broadband is a way to have the latest technology without having to go through a local
ISP. VSAT broadband is definitely a wave of the future.

xxxx

BSNL, India For internal Circulation Only Page 8