SATELLITES SEEN SAFE FROM TERRORISM
Compared with many other forms of telecommunications, including fiber and cellular, “satellites tend to be relatively invulnerable” to terrorist attacks, consultant Walter Morgan said. Speaking at Satellite 2002 conference Wed., he said opportunity for rogue nation to jam some satellite systems did exist, but in process, that country would “inadvertently announce themselves to the world” and would inflict only small wound to satellite system: “It certainly [wouldn’t be] fatal.” Possibility of taking control of satellite and steering it off into another orbit is highly unlikely because of command signal encryption, he said.
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“Once a satellite is in space there are only a few things you can do to perturb it,” Satellite Industry Assn. Exec. Dir. Richard Dalbello said. He pointed specifically to personnel controlling equipment and physical equipment located on ground as potential vulnerabilities. Commercial satellite industry grew up as “twin” with military communications satellite and has taken many actions to protect its valuable assets, he said.
FCC is “very bullish” on satellite technologies, said Marsha MacBride, chief of staff to FCC Chmn. Powell: “Satellites from our perspective are a big part of the future of telecommunications.” MacBride said industry must facilitate ways to support first responders during times of emergency in country. Satellites are important part of critical infrastructure throughout U.S. and all industry is looking at what it can do to assess its external vulnerabilities and make its services more secure, she said. Network reliability and interoperability council has been working with companies to educate them about possible vulnerabilities and finding best solutions, she said.
Loral Skynet had to get additional capacity from its affiliated fleet Satmex after Sept. 11, said Joan Byrnes, COO, Loral Skynet. Company’s biggest gain was video distribution, she said. Video teleconferencing became very useful to its customers and was used for its own video teleconferences recently, she said. Direct-to-airplane communications, like Connexion by Boeing and Astrim service, also might emerge, transporting from entertainment to safety and security, Byrnes said. Airport screening, remote monitoring and border surveillance all are applications that Ka-band satellites may play important role in near future, she said.
Iridium phones immediately provided communications through hundreds of handsets in U.S. Sept. 11 and days after, CEO Gino Picasso said. Since then, 24 service partners have deployed phones in Afghanistan or in that area, he said. Half of company’s traffic is with that region and 15% of its overall capacity is being used, he said: “We have a lot more capacity… We're not constrained.” Company “has no idea” whether Al Qaeda or Taliban officials are using its phones, he said. It has to abide by local privacy laws, but is fully cooperating with FBI, he said.
CNN Vp-Satellites & Circuits Richard Tauber said videophones powered by satellites had become latest and greatest technology for media since Sept. 11, and especially since war in Afghanistan began. That technology has almost become requirement for reporters going into areas with nonconventional equipment, he said. CNN had reporter Nick Robertson in Afghanistan shortly after Sept. 11 to cover hostage crisis in which Taliban were holding Christian mission workers hostage. Coincidentally, Robertson had videophone equipment, Tauber said, and network soon recognized its tremendous value in region, showing footage that might not have been possible otherwise.
CNN cooperates with military when in war zone, Tauber said: “They don’t try to control us…they may want to, but they don’t.” CNN is in competition for Inmarsat capacity with other broadcasters, military, health agencies, and “even al Qaeda,” he said.