The Canadian MSAT Field Trials Program

The Canadian Department of Communications is providing a multi-year program for implementation of market trials involving the introduction of new MSAT services in Canada. The author describes the Department's Field Trials Program that commenced in late 1990. The Trials Program includes end-users requiring wide-area portable communications or fixed wide-area communications for the monitoring of remote equipment such as weather stations, gas compressor stations and water level monitoring. The Field Trials Program is operated in conjunction with Telsat Mobile Inc., who have introduced Phase I commercial data services using leased satellite capacity from Inmarsat on Marecs B-2 The author describes the existing mobile and fixed satellite terminals and also the results of the Trials Program to date.<
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