Intellian Technologies - Experts & Thought Leaders

Intellian Technologies Inc., a global provider of resilient multi-constellation, feature-rich satellite user terminals and communications solutions, and OneWeb, the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications company, have announced a new product portfolio of Intellian Flat Panel user terminals for use on OneWeb’s network.   Flat Panel Series Intellian’s Flat Panel Series is a suite of both Pro and Compact user terminals that deliver exceptional performance in sleek, small-footprint, and lightweight form factors. Designed for Land Fixed, Land Mobile, Maritime, and Government markets, they’re a game-changer for customers globally requiring low profile, easy installation, and high performance. Pro and Compact Flat Panels These Flat Panel terminals are meticulously designed to meet the unique demands of end users Through the Pro and Compact Flat Panels, customers have a choice of four different user terminals to address their specific market needs and use cases. Both the Pro and Compact models come in two versatile configurations: a fixed enterprise terminal and a mobility terminal. These Flat Panel terminals are meticulously designed to meet the unique demands of end users, ensuring reliable connectivity everywhere in the world, on land and at sea. Reliable and accurate beam Based on active electronically scanned array (AESA) technology, coupled with proprietary antenna element design, custom vector-amplifier phased array chipset, and proprietary artificial intelligence software algorithms of beam forming and beam shaping, Intellian’s Flat Panel Series is redefining the flat panel product class across the industry. To support the frequent beam and satellite handovers required for OneWeb, Intellian’s flat panel architecture allows for highly reliable and accurate beam pointing with optimized tracking, and ultra-fast, sub-milli-second satellite handovers, even at low elevation look angles as encountered in mobility markets. Critical applications For commercial, private, and government customers requiring fixed, land mobility, or maritime installations, Intellian’s Flat Panel Series is ideal for all levels of connectivity needs including critical applications. The terminals enable connectivity to OneWeb’s network at OneWeb’s Committed Information Rates, even with severe platform motion. Compact user terminals Intellian's global leadership in the maritime communications industry makes the Flat Panel Series, Pro, and Compact user terminals for mobility highly anticipated additions to the OneWeb roadmap by customers looking for reliability and excellence in such challenging environments.   Eric Sung, President and CEO at Intellian Technologies Inc., said, "Our evolution into flat panel user terminals has been an exceptionally exciting and intense development, that has not only stretched the boundaries of our technological prowess but has also redefined the possibilities within the industry." SWAP form factor "With such a sleek, optimized SWAP form factor user terminal that doesn’t compromise on performance, our Flat Panel Series is unlike anything OneWeb’s customers have experienced to date. We’re proudly empowering their connectivity with these initial four flat panel user terminal series." First to market in Q1 2024 is the OW11FL, the Pro terminal designed specifically for fixed enterprise needs with demanding performance requirements such as business continuity, community broadband, and government sectors. OW11FM OW9HM Compact terminal designed for mobility users including blue light services and leisure vessels Shortly thereafter in 2024 Intellian will launch the OW11FM, another Pro terminal, this time tailored for mobility such as shipping, superyachts, transportation, and rail. Maintaining this momentum into Q2 and Q3 2024 will be the launch of the OW9HM Compact terminal designed for mobility users including blue light services and leisure vessels, followed by the OW10HL version for fixed enterprise use such as cellular backhaul, NGOs, and military. Intellian anticipates these will be the foundation for further variants that will allow OneWeb to customize solutions and address other use cases in the future. Dependable and flexible connectivity solutions Massimiliano Ladovaz, CTO at OneWeb, said, "We are delighted to partner with Intellian once again to bring these AESA terminals to the market and add them to OneWeb’s comprehensive suite of terminal solutions." "Intellian’s Flat Panel Series will cater to a range of diverse market segments and uses. By combining Intellian's pioneering technology with OneWeb's fast, reliable, low-latency network capabilities, we will continue to provide customers with dependable and flexible connectivity solutions that meet their needs worldwide.”

The team at Intellian explore how the balance between powerful comms, high-quality service and the smallest possible antennas is vital to delivering essential, aesthetically pleasing, communications for superyachts. Meeting superyacht expectations Owners, charterers, and guests on superyachts have now come to expect internet access at sea The André Hoek-designed superyacht Marie epitomises the best-of-both-worlds principle which underpins modern superyachts. As elegant as she is imposing, her sleek and sculpted lines betray a purposefulness that speaks volumes regarding her capabilities. Hand-in-hand with those dynamic looks, the high-calibre materials which have gone into her construction and lavish interior fittings subtly but firmly emphasize the standard of comfort guests can anticipate, both on charter and the regatta circuit. From the perspective of satellite communications service providers, therein lies the rub. Owners, charterers and guests on superyachts have now, as a matter of course, come to expect internet access at sea on a par with the service levels they enjoy on land. The guest experience is seriously diminished if the high-speed, high-quality bandwidth required for entertainment, communication and social media applications is lacking. Balancing performance and aesthetics at sea By the same token, commerce never sleeps; so dependable and stable connectivity which will support the exchange of time-sensitive business dialogues and enable the real-time oversight required for informed decision-making is essential for owners, crew and guests alike. All of this is, of course, perfectly achievable, as demonstrated by commercial vessels which are routinely equipped with large antennas. Where racing superyachts are concerned, however, the risk of antennas compromising speed or stability and marring the vessel’s aesthetic appearance are primary considerations. Race for seamless maritime internet “On these high-performance racing yachts with their carbon-fibre spars and Kevlar sails, owners don’t really want anything which could potentially interrupt the vessel’s lines or impair efficiency,” says Ben Hextall, founder of maritime communications specialists OceanWeb. “If you could invent an antenna that was eggcup-sized, that’s what they’d all go for. They’ve spent an enormous amount on their yachts, and they’re racing, so putting any antennas on at all is seen as a compromise. However, they need internet, so that compromise has to be made somewhere.” Single-antenna solution Mounting communications antennas on the mast minimizes deck clutter and extends effective horizon It was precisely this issue that faced OceanWeb when it came to specifying an antenna system for Marie during the course of a major refit. Mounting communications antennas on the mast minimizes deck clutter and extends their effective horizon.  The potential trade-off is a reduction in aerodynamic performance owing to the antennas’ weight, windage and position in the sails’ airflow. Nevertheless, a solution needed to be found. Marie’s captain, Chad Murray, had mentioned his dissatisfaction with the superyacht’s existing VSAT installation to Hextall, observing that the service was particularly poor in the Pacific and that a solution was needed to ensure optimum performance in fringe reception areas. Hextall initially suggested that mounting two one-metre antennas on the mizzen mast would be ideal, and mocked up some photographs accordingly which were sent to Murray for discussion with Marie’s owner. However, when the latter expressed concerns about a dual-antenna setup in light of Marie’s status as a performance yacht, all parties agreed to proceed with a single-antenna solution. Connectivity for challenging conditions Hextall opted for an Intellian v100NX antenna with a 25W BUC. “When asked why,” he recalls, “I explained that the high-power BUC would help overcome signal attenuation by the sails and blockage by the mast, improve performance in adverse weather conditions and help acquire a satellite more quickly." “We chose Intellian because we trust them, like their products and have had great service from them in the past,” continues Hextall. “In a previous project – fitting out Black Pearl – the boat had three rotating masts, which obviously creates a tricky scenario in terms of mounting an antenna. We arrived at a solution for that within three weeks. Intellian’s programmers in Korea actually wrote a bespoke piece of firmware for us, and we got the system working.” Essential for business Captains’ reliance upon connectivity for carrying out fundamental daily operations over and above catering for the online needs of their guests cannot be underestimated. “Captains can spend almost the entire day exchanging emails to check that the marina and the guests are ready, as well as sorting out hotels, provisioning and so on. In fact, the core of the bandwidth is used for essential tasks and transactions – these yachts are multi-million-pound business concerns, so dependable connectivity is vital,” comments Hextall. Essential for maritime connectivity Hextall explains that VSAT is the only way to guarantee sufficient communications bandwidth at sea, but notes that some areas in the Pacific are still without coverage, particularly towards the tip of South America and en route to the Galapagos Islands. This situation regularly becomes a deciding factor in clients’ passage planning.“When we show our customers the satellite footprints, they will quite often change their routes, just to maintain high-speed VSAT connectivity.” The VSAT advantage Hextall adds that many customers are also opting to use VSAT rather than shore-based services when vessels are docked, willing to pay the higher costs in return for always-on connectivity. “All the cellular providers will offer a connection, sometimes up to 20Mbps, but none will guarantee quality of service,” he points out, “So we configure the usage according to priority. We might use VSAT for a vital software update, but stream a movie over 4G.” Future-proofing connectivity In conclusion, Hextall points to his choice of the multi-orbit, multi-band Intellian v100NX antenna as a logical strategy with the imminent advent of NGSO networks. “We’re watching networks such as OneWeb and others with interest,” he says. “We hope that LEO networks will allow us to deliver twice the bandwidth to customers requiring large amounts of data for approximately the same cost, and the v100NX permits us to do that without changing hardware.” Investing now in antenna systems that are LEO-ready allows customers to contemplate a time, just around the corner when the hitherto unthinkable concept of genuinely global, high-quality and cost-effective VSAT coverage becomes a reality.

Intellian, the pioneer of mobile satellite communication antenna systems, is unveiling the all new 1m Global Xpress terminal, GX100NX at Intellian Asia-Pacific Partner Event held in Seoul, Korea. Intellian’s all new 1m Global Xpress terminal has been designed primarily for Inmarsat’s high-speed maritime satellite service Fleet Xpress and offers high-speed data rates and global operation with its high-efficient RF design. Cutting-edge modular design The antenna is future-proof supporting 2.5GHz Wideband Ka networks with optimized reflector and radome, and also enables a higher level of bandwidth at sea with a 10W BUC option, which is simply upgradable with no additional components required when replacing. With the new NX platform, GX100NX uses a single coaxial cable, which combines Tx, Rx, and DC power, to simplify installation. A cutting-edge modular design results in lower cost of ownership throughout the entire lifecycle, while improving reliability and streamlining maintenance. Antenna management and control platform The antenna’s new All-in-One GX Below Deck Terminal (BDT) integrates an antenna control unit (ACU), a modem, a power supply, a 4-port switch and a mediator in one to reduce time and cost during installation in Intellian’s Fleet Xpress Rack. Intellian also provides an upgraded antenna management and control platform, AptusNX. This new software presents an installation wizard with a step-by-step commissioning guide for easier setup, and with enhanced diagnostic capabilities, the software can send an alert to the operator when predictive maintenance is required. New Global Xpress terminal Eric Sung, CEO of Intellian, commented, “We’re delighted to introduce the all new GX100NX to the valued partners and customers at our APAC partner event." "With its future-proof and user-friendly design, our new Global Xpress terminal will deliver performance, installation and servicing benefits to diverse customers, especially those in the commercial shipping, oil and gas, and yachting markets.” The GX100NX is planned to be commercially available in June 2019.