What are they?

The major Satellite operators, companies like Worldskies, Intelsat, Eutelsat, Satmex and Telesat Canada provide two common types of commercial frequency to choose from. Our clients choose from either C-band or KU-band service. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. KU-band provides very high frequency transmissions well suited to TV transmission or credit card validation applications. cband a lower range frequency better suited to voice and ISP needs.

Ku band normally has much higher signal strength in areas of spot beams; this means that a signal can be received on much smaller dishes (antennas). Antennas of 1m diameter are often used for Ku transmissions. The downside to Ku is that bad weather can cut off the transmission, leaving your clients without service until the rain passes. The initial cost of a KU Band system is less than the cost of a comparable C-Band system, being smaller the KU Band system costs less to ship and in normally easier to install.

In the wet tropical regions our clients all use C-Band because C-Band is much less subject to rain fade; the downside is that is does require a larger antenna. Our smallest C-Band systems use a 2.4m antenna, many of our clients chose a larger 3.8m antenna in order to allow for future growth.

Broadcast truck operators favor KU Band because the smaller automatic antennas mount easily on trucks or even Sprinter vans. Because rain can degrade the KU band satellite transmission the broadcast truck operators normally have very high powered amplifiers in the truck giving them the ability to punch through the most difficult weather. A commercial installation such as an ISP or Cyber Café cannot justify the high cost of powerful amplifiers and therefore if they are operating in an area of heavy rainfall it is wise to choose C-Band from the outset.