ST-2: A Giant Leap. A Monumental Moment.

SingTel, the only Singapore company to own and operate satellites, has successfully launched ST-2, its second satellite on May 21st. Heartfelt thanks to the 100 distinguished guests, customers, partners and primary students who joined us to witness the historical event at SingTel’s state-of-the-art Seletar Satellite Earth Station, which has gone through a S$20 million infrastructural facelift to better support ST-2’s operations.

The five-tonne S$247 million ST-2, a Ariane 5 ECA rocket, blasted off at 4:38am successfully from Kourou, French Guiana in South America. It safely entered transfer orbit 250 km above the earth and separated from the rocket 27 minutes after lift-off. Barring delays or disasters, the ST-2 is expected to go into service by September and will provide 15 to 18 years of service. It will replace ST-1 which was launched in 1998.

ST-2, which is twice as powerful as ST-1, will provide 20 percent more transponder capacity and a wide-ranging footprint of C-band and Ku-band coverage to include the Middle East, Central Asia, Indian sub-continent, South East Asia and the Mediterranean Sea. In addition to its high-powered beams, its excellent switching capabilities also offer more flexibility in meeting the varied demands required by companies in different geographical regions.

According to Ms Chua Sock Koong, Group CEO, SingTel, “ST-2 will enhance our ability to offer businesses such as shipping companies and Direct-To-Home (DTH) operators a one-stop ICT experience that will empower them to stay ahead of the competition.” Mr Titus Yong, Vice President of SingTel Satellite, added, “It would allow our customers, from oil rigs and tankers in the Pacific Ocean to United Nations missions in Afghanistan, to make overseas phone calls and access the Internet.”

Indeed, the maritime sector is expected to gain from the wider footprint of the new satellite with vessels gaining access to satellite communications over larger geographies while out at sea. With more advanced satellites, cheaper base stations and wider coverage, maritime companies can expect to lower their communication costs.

Customers on land, such as satellite broadcast service providers, will also gain the capability to reach a more geographically extensive customer base. For businesses in war-torn countries like Afghanistan, they can benefit from the availability of satellite communications without having to rely on the often non-existent basic infrastructure to support any sub-marine cables that may have been laid.

For example, there is a national bank in Afghanistan, which has been relying on SingTel’s satellite services for more than 20 sites for their primary network. Another large Australian bank is also utilising SingTel’s satellite infrastructure for all its branch networks in 11 Pacific islands.

To meet the flourishing demand for global data connectivity across the region, the launch of ST-2 is part of SingTel’s strategic investment in 2 satellites. Hot on the heels of ST2, ST-3 is slated to be launched in 2013, focused on covering the African continent. With the launch of ST-2 and ST-3, SingTel aims to tap potential market opportunities worth $620 million, serving users from Central Asia to the Middle East.

Congratulations!
Thank you for sharing in our celebrations and congratulations to the lucky winners of the lucky draw that was held in conjunction with the ST-2 Launch!
Lim Chin Siang – Winner of 1 x Inmarsat Isat Phone Pro
Loke Wai Yew – Winner of 1 x Apple iPad
Mikkjal Poulsen – Winner of 1 x Samsung Galaxy Tab
Larry Austin – Winner of a pair x Grandstand 3-Day Pass for “Formula1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix 2011”

Watch the launch live!
Want to share in this historical moment? MioTV customers can now access the ‘live’ recording of this go-down-in-history moment anytime on-demand under the “Watch it Free” section of the programming guide. To learn more about ST-2, visit www.singtel.com/ST2

Enriching Life at Sea: SingTel Rewrites the Future of Crew Welfare with Technological Innovation.

Recent advances in satellite communications technologies have made broadband communications at sea a reality. With more advanced satellites, cheaper base stations and wider coverage, the communication costs of offering broadband at sea is no longer prohibitive. This heralds a new era in the maritime industry, where maritime companies can truly leverage maritime ICT to enhance crew welfare – with the aim of attracting and retaining quality crew that will stay and grow with the company.  

As Asia’s leading communications company offering both fixed and mobile satellite solutions, SingTel brings more than 35 years of experience in providing customers with end-to-end maritime ICT solutions and services. Having worked alongside our maritime customers over the years, we understand the challenges you face in crew welfare. That is why, we have developed these solutions to make maritime broadband more affordable – so you can truly enrich life at sea for your crew.

SingTel All-In-One Connect Services
Offers unified communications capabilities by integrating voice, data and email on a single platform. Made available via a strategic collaboration between SingTel and Horizon, this bandwidth-efficient solution leverages the ultra-low bit rate codec of its SmartPacket™ compression technology.

SingTel BigValue Maritime Broadband solution
Leverages a vessel’s existing television antenna (TVRO) to deliver cost-efficient, high-speed 2Mbps broadband connection on board. Reduces capital outlay of up to US$100,000 while enabling bandwidth-intensive applications from karaoke-on-demand, interactive games and more.

SingTel e-Surveillance and Asset Tracking solutions
Secures the safety of crew, cargo and assets onboard by providing maritime companies with increased visibility to enable quicker responses during a crisis. Asset tracking also provides additional peace of mind as it provides maritime companies the capabilities to remotely monitor their vessels’ operations and the statuses of valuable cargoes onboard, via the Internet or 3G-enabled mobile phones.

CrewXchange@SingTel portal
Helps crew members stay connected with the maritime community, their companies, and with family and friends via a one-stop web portal. Seafarers enjoy the convenience of checking their emails, surfing the web, chatting with friends and family via messenging platforms, subscribing to news feeds and more – using just one single portal.

To learn how SingTel is rewriting the future of crew welfare with our technological innovations, download the whitepaper here.