We are pleased to announce that SMS Teleport has gained a Eutelsat ESVA certification (Earth Station Verification and Assistance) for our LFD-33 antenna. This is one of many antennas in service at our Teleport and our in-house technical team has built and engineered it from scratch.
More about LFD-33
This antenna operates at the DBS (Direct Broadcast Satellite) band frequency and currently, it’s one of only two out of our 50+ antennas that do so, providing video broadcast services. It also has a unique jack design, and thanks to its strategic site location, it has the capability to see in a 120-degree sweep. This gives us access to the full range of satellites allowed by our geographic location. The antenna is fully motorised across three axes, which allows us to control it remotely from its designated site station. In addition, it’s fully integrated into our monitoring and control system, enabling us to monitor its performance from our Network Operations Centre 24/7.
Antenna design, construction, and certification
As we mentioned, our in-house team built and engineered the antenna from scratch. SMS took care of everything from the foundation through to final commissioning and testing. The team responsible for LFD-33 has over 50 years of experience in building satellite antennas.
The ESVA certification was carried out in conjunction with Eutelsat by one of SMS’ newer NOC Engineers. Our lead RF Engineer supervised his work, helping him with ongoing training and development.
ESVA Certification
All transmissions via Eutelsat satellites are subject to certain standards and parameters to guarantee high-quality reception and the safety of the overall system.
The purpose of the Eutelsat ESVA certification is to verify that the antenna has been built to the highest standards. The antenna passed all the tests with flying colours without any adjustments or changes being required.
Now the fully operational antenna has passed Eutelsat’s ESVA certification, it is approved to access the vast Eutelsat satellite fleet and offer services on those satellites.
ESVA certifications are project dependent and aren’t necessary for all services. Over 50% of SMS-operated antennas currently have ESVA accreditation and others can be accredited should the need arise.
Parting words
The LFD-33 is a great example of the high-quality and innovative engineering that takes place here at SMS. We’re always striving to improve our services and offerings, and this antenna is a prime example of that commitment.
If you have any questions about LFD-33 or any of our other antennas, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d be happy to chat!
