AEROTHAI provides satellite communication services to both domestic and foreign users in the Southeast Asia region. The Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) services, namely the air traffic service direct speech circuits (ATS DSC) and the aeronautical telecommunication network (AFTN), are provided to the following civil aviation agencies as follows:
- 2 routes in Bangladesh: Dhaka – Bangkok and Dhaka – Yangon.
- 1 route in Cambodia: Phnom Penh – Bangkok.
- 2 routes in Laos: Vientiane – Bangkok and Vientiane (North) – Bangkok.
- 2 routes in Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur – Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur –Ho Chi Minh.
- 1 route in Myanmar: Yangon - Bangkok.
- 2 routes in Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh – Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh – Bangkok.
References:
Customers who use VSAT services include:
- The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, Bangladesh
- Cambodia Air Traffic Service, Cambodia
- Air Traffic Management, the Laos People’s Democratic Republic
- Telekom Malaysia, Malaysia
- The Department of Civil Aviation Myanmar, Republic of the Union of Myanmar
- Vietnam Air Traffic Management, Vietnam
Background
AEROTHAI implemented a ground satellite communication systems in 1994. The system is comprised of two parts - the multi-channel per carrier (MCPC) component and the personal earth station (PES) component. AEROTHAI also acquired additional channels for transmitting information by renting 1/4 transponders on a Thaicom satellite, while also installing 25 additional client stations to enhance the efficiency of air traffic control and domestic and international flight communications.
In 1996, the company increased its use of satellite communication networks by providing automatic dependent surveillance (ADS) services, which links together the Network Management Data Processing system (NMDP) with the remote ground station (RGS).
In 1999, the company acquired an additional ground satellite communication system, the Telephony Earth Station (TES) system, to raise the efficiency of satellite communication network services. All 3 communication systems were designed to support both data and voice transmitting services. Furthermore, the company began using channels previously unused to provide additional services to other domestic agencies and other agencies in the Southeast Asia region, such as the Air Traffic Service Direct Speech Circuit (ATS DSC) and Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication networks (AFTN).
In 2011, the company installed a ground network station which utilizes IP broadband called Linkway, as a substitute for the PES system, at its headquarters at Thungmahamek in Bangkok and four additional client stations.
In 2012, the company installed a geographic redundancy hub back-up ground network station at Suvarnabhumi Airport and 9 additional client stations.
In 2015, the company installed the Linkway system at 3 stations: Tungmahamek, Suvarnabhumi, and Donmuang to replace the TES system and 27 ground network stations over the country. Also, the company procures the other system to replace the prior system in other countries: Bangladesh, Indonesia, Lao, and The Philippines.
In 2016, the company installed Linkway at RADAR sites across the country to be redundancy hub for the RADAR system
In 2017, the company installed the Linkway system at 2 stations: Cambodia and Laos to replace the TES system.