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An Executive Interview with Viasat

A look at satellite communications with Robert Feierbach – Managing Director of ViaSat’s VSAT Networks for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

O&G. Could you outline some of the difficulties that oil and gas industry when it comes to connecting its remote sites with headquarters and regional offices? How can these problems be best solved?
RF. Connecting very remote sites from any company is always a challenge, particularly in harsh environments like the oil & gas sector. Stabilised (motorized) satellite antennas are necessary for installations in the offshore platforms, and strict operational & safety qualifications must be met by the integrators in order to be allowed to access and install these systems in the platforms. More and more, the industry is using shared-hub broadband VSAT platform systems, like our LinkStar technology, to provide competitively priced services to this sector, rather than the more expensive dedicated SCPC links of the past.

O&G. With the industry being such a competitive market, oil companies are going further and into more hostile environments in the search for hydrocarbons. What impact does this have on communications?
RF. In very hostile environments one may encounter limited connectivity from ground-based infrastructure or even from appropriate satellite coverage. The challenges lie in finding the right solution for the location, which may involve a combination of terrestrial and/or satellite solutions to get the job done.

O&G. How does fast and accurate communications help those on the ground and back at headquarters evaluate real-time data, and therefore work more efficiently and make more informed decisions?
RF. Satellite VSAT networks typically perform very well for collecting real-time data from remote locations, and they can be set-up much quicker and economically than the equivalent terrestrial alternatives. Large telemetry connections can be established rapidly for monitoring & collecting data from temporary installations on remote sites (ie., construction sites, Formula 1 races), but also for permanent links (ie., pipelines, gas lines, remote power stations, off-shore stations).

O&G. Explain how your products and services are aiding the oil and gas companies operate around the world 24/7?
RF. The satellite industry has adapted very well in providing all the necessary application support for corporate clients, in order to furnish robust connectivity for VPNs, internet access, VoIP, etc. Coupled with lower cost on the VSAT hardware and small hub networks, many service providers are now able to offer worldwide specialized broadband service for this industry sector.

O&G. What does the future hold in this space for the oil and gas industry? Are there any new technologies on the horizon that ViaSat is excited about?
RF. Currently, there is a shortage of satellite space segment capacity practically worldwide, and some important satellite networks are being delayed because of it. Our company has recently announced its plans to launch its own Ka-Band satellite, ViaSat-1, in the United States. It has also negotiated an agreement with the European satellite operator Eutelsat, to launch a similar powerful satellite, Ka-Sat for broadband services in that territory in 2010. These two satellites will have such tremendous capacity at a fraction of the current satellite bandwidth prices, that the satellite broadband industry will be forever transformed.

Robert Feierbach, a well-recognised satellite industry veteran, joined ViaSat with an impressive track record in satellite television and data services around the world. He held various executive positions, among others, with Echostar Corporation in the Netherlands, SES-ASTRA in Luxembourg, and more recently, he was the Director General and Member or the Board at Skylogic, EUTELSAT’s broadband services affiliate based in Italy. Feierbach holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and an MBA in International Management, and speaks seven languages fluently.