Ground Control Systems

Ground Control’s Football Global Hotspot Suitcase

2011-06-01T14:16:00.000-07:00

Simply turn a key on the front of the Football, and this self-pointing satellite terminal will establish a wireless hotspot in 60 seconds, globally.

I'm really excited about this product as it addresses a number of the concerns some satellite internet users deal with. We do not all have the ability to point VSATs, or have vehicles to mount auto-deploying units, or even have the time to point a portable BGAN antenna - in many cases network access and communications need to be immediate. The Football is truly as easy at it gets. If you can turn a key, you can become a Football expert! Here is some information from our most recent press release:

Ground Control Systems, a leader in mobile and portable satellite Internet solutions, today announced the immediate availability of The Football 3.01, hardened BGAN case, service and support. The Football is ideal for first responders, or other professionals that require a reliable broadband satellite Internet connection quickly, and without complexities. Just turn the system on under an open sky for full wireless Internet connectivity.

”Satellite is the only sure way of staying connected no matter where you are, especially during a localized disaster where power is unavailable.” Says Mark Wright, Founder of Ground Control Systems. “The suitcase sized Football provides automatic satellite connectivity, and then it becomes a wireless access point for any in range laptop, smartphone or other internet capable device. It really is just that simple.”

The Football BGAN Terminal features can be found at http://www.groundcontrol.com/football , and include:

► Up to 460 Kbps broadband Internet speeds (up and down).
► Fully automatic - No Pointing or aiming. Simply place under an open sky.
► Create a wireless access point in 60 seconds for any in-range device.
► Operates for 9.5 hours on a single charge.
► Ruggedized, operates in extreme environments.
► Full IP compatibility – Internet, SMTP email, File Transfer (FTP).
► Operates Globally (except for the extreme polar regions).

The Football uses Inmarsat BGAN satellite L-band technology giving it superior performance in sever weather compared with much larger satellite systems. BGAN Service is provided for by Ground Control for pre-paid or monthly contracts. Information on BGAN service from Ground Control can be fount at http://www.groundcontrol.com/BGAN.htm

Faster Speeds with Satellite Internet - Upping the Ante!

2010-04-14T10:29:00.001-07:00

Being a veteran in the Satellite Internet industry for nine years, Ground Control has heard its fair share of speed and capacity concerns. Let me start from the beginning so you can see just how the satellite networks at Ground Control have evolved.

Most everyone who has shopped for satellite internet has heard of Hughes and Wildblue. Unfortunately most of those that have actually used Hughes or Wildblue have been disappointed in some fashion. Are these bad satellite networks - no. We have hundreds of customers who use Hughes and are, for the most part, happy with the service. With that said, we have had hundreds of customers that have been very disappointed with the service. The customers that are happy with it fall into a usage pattern that works well with Hughes, and they use the system at optimum times during the day. These users do not exceed the daily transfer limit and therefore do not get their speeds throttled down. These users also use the system at times when the network is not as congested as it can be. The problem is, most of these users are either consumers or are using the network for small amounts of data spread out during the day. Where the main problems lie is when a company or agency is looking purely at the economics of the various satellite networks. The consumer based networks are much cheaper and usually have some sort of equipment subsidy built in. When the customer starts using the system, the speeds that were advertised are not as attainable as the end user would like. This is due to the low monthly rates and the need for the satellite operator to place a large number of users on each transponders to make financial sense.

What to learn from this? Know your bandwidth requirements. If you travel in an RV across the country and can deal with spotty or slow service from time to time, the consumer grade bandwidth providers may be a good fit. But if you have business critical or emergency responder bandwidth needs, spend a little more and get a solid network built with you in mind. Speaking of - this leads me to our new Professional Grade iDirect Network available this Spring.

First off, what makes the iDirect platform unique? To make things simple, here are two ways it will greatly affect you in a positive manner. The iDirect technology minimizes the latency that effects many of the VPN, VoIP and cloud based computing requirements of many of our customers. Another major advantage is the frequency hopping ability. An easy way to visualize this is by thinking of a five lane freeway. With some satellite networks you are assinged to lane #1. You are stuck in lane #1 with many other drivers no matter what the conditions. Problem is, if all of the other drivers go to work the same time you do, you have a traffic jam. Lanes 4-5 could be completely empty but you cannot take advantage of that. With iDirect, we continually allow youto jump from lane to lane, multiple times per second, insuring that you have the least congested lane available - without the traffic accidents!

Now that you have a basic understanding of some of the differences in satellite networks you can see that satellite is truly a "you get what you pay for" type of service. Space segment is a commodity and the satellite owners sell it to operators with the intention of allowing them to manage the traffic. They can resell their space to 1000 users and drive the average price down, or they can sell it to 1 user at a large premium. The advantage of the iDirect model is it allows for higher speeds, but the efficiency of the networks allow you to keep the pricing in a reasonable range.

In late Spring of 2010, Ground Control will open up their new 5Mpbs/2Mbps Professional iDirect Network. This is an upgrade from the 2/512Kbps and 3/1Mbps network that we have been offering. All three will still be available and depending on your equipment and needs, you will be empowered to choose your speeds. But be careful! One of the mistakes of acquiring more bandwidth is using more bandwidth. What I mean by this is, IT Managers have to manage their network to make their systems work with the speeds and bandwidth allowance they have each month. The knee jerk reaction to a faster network is to add users or increase the number of bandwidth stealing applications. A similiar phenomenon is letting your expenses grow to your income - at some point if the income goes away, the result is a much larger issue. The same needs to be taken into consideration with more bandwidth. If your goal is to make your applications run smoother and faster, then adding more users may not be the right move. Either way, you now have more choices with Ground Control.

Visit Ground Control to find out more about satellite internet and our line of Mobile Satellite Systems - the Toughsat.

The Hughes 9350 In-Motion Satellite Antenna

2010-02-23T14:24:00.000-08:00

Hughes has come out with a new version of their popular in-motion satellite antenna - the 9350. The 9350 provides high-speed broadband access up to 464 Kbps while traveling anywhere. With its build in wireless access point, anyone in the vehicle may connect. The 19" dome antenna may be permanently or magnetically mounted to the roof of a vehicle, truck, bus or RV. Operation is as easy as plugging into a 12 or 31 Volts power source and turning it on. The Hughes 9350 automatically locks on satellite for broadband connectivity moving or parked.

With new features, such as power over ethernet, higher available streaming speeds, multiple IP's allowed and a built in external wireless antenna make the new ruggedized version a feature rich unit.

The antenna is built to work with Inmarsat's network of satellites that allows you to take the terminal virtually anywhere in the world. Hughes' terminals are being utilized all over the world in disaster relief such as Haiti. The terminals can be easily transported and allow you to pass data, check email, place phone calls and stream video.

For more infommation on this and other BGAN terminals visit Ground Control for hardware and bandwidth options.

Live Webcasting via Satellite from LiveBeam.tv

2010-02-04T11:28:00.000-08:00

Did you catch the 40th Anniversary Woodstock Concert? Or see the latest Motocross series in California? With the ever growing world of web casting, all of these events are now viewable by anyone with a computer. Now, anyone with a camera, simple encoder, Internet connection and distribution network can stream live events - even create their own private Pay-Per-View channel.

LiveBeam.tv has been created to show you how this is all possible. In one location, you can learn about what is needed on the video production side - how to stream to the Internet via Ground Control's mobile satellite system, the Toughsat, and how the content is distributed to anyone, and now, allow the producer to monetize their content with Pay-Per-View options and sponsorship capabilities.

For under $35,000 you can run an entire event out of the back of your car - literally! NewTek, makers of the Tricaster camera switcher, recently went out on tour with their new HD Tricaster and had a mobile production facility loaded up in their Mini Cooper - complete with a satellite antenna on top! Think about it - an entire professional studio for under $35,000. The days of needing a multi-million dollar production truck are dwindling. Of course you won't see the Super Bowl being broadcast from the back of a car anytime soon, but second tier events that garnish a lot of interest from around the world are prime candidates for producers that have this capability.

Producers simply compile their preferred video equipment. They can purchase a block of dedicated satellite bandwidth which guarantees them service from anywhere and never have to share it with anyone - just like the networks. The signal gets sent to LiveBeam's content distribution network which allows the broadcast to be viewed by any number of people without crashing the producers website. This is the key. Typically when you stream something on your site, you only have so much bandwidth to and from your site. If you have 1000 people tuning in for your event, chances are the site will crash. LiveBeam's content distribution network (CDN) allows you to have an off site channel viewer available with all the bandwidth you need for any amount of viewers. If you are charging $10 to see a show, you definitely do not want a cap on viewers or a site that will crash! LiveBeam also takes care of the credit card transactions, viewer technical support and gives the producer full reporting on events and payments. The producer branded channel also alows for paid sponsor windows to help cover production costs.

It's already happening! Your local High School games are probably live on the web. Your cousins wedding in Italy could be seen live in California. With the cost to enter into the world of production, most every minor and major event will be online and available live or whenever you feel like watching it.

Check out LiveBeam.tv for more information.

Fleet Broadband Equipment Sale

2009-12-07T09:19:00.000-08:00

Life at sea mirrors more and more the everyday life ashore when it comes to communication. Why settle for less on sea than at home? Now you can look after your business in the middle of the Caribbean Ocean. For the first time in history it is possible to get affordable IP communication on board. For most smaller vessells, the term affordable, however, is all too relative. For larger shipping and cargo companies, the advent of the Fleet Broadband Network has dropped prices on equipment and service - saving them thousands per month. For the casual sea going vessel, the investment in the equipment is a large hurdle to overcome.

For the month of December, 2009, Ground Control, a leading Satellite Internet provider on land and sea, is selling the full line of Sailor Fleet Broadband equipment at the lowest pricing available. Users will be able to not only stay in touch via crystal clear phone, calls, but be able to handle all of their IP traffic as well - making it possible to share crucial data, or the latest sunset photo.

The Sailor Fleet Broadband equipment is comprised of the 150, 250 and 500. The smallest in the family, the Sailor 150, now on special for $5,200, is capable of speeds of to 150Kbps with simultanous voice and data capabilities. The Sailor 250, on sale for $8,550 has speeds up to 284 Kbps and the Sailor 500, sales price $13,777 can reach up to 432 Kbps. For a detailed product comparison, visit Fleet Broadband Equipment.

In addition to the Sailor Fleet Braodband equipment, the Skipper 150 is a great way to save some money - now on sale for $4,700, the Skipper is the least expensive Fleet Broadband terminal.

Visit Ground Control for all the details of the special pricing and information on the full line of Sailor products.

Ground Control is a full-service satellite Internet provider that offers high-speed fixed, mobile, portable and maritime solutions for organizations throughout the world. Founded in San Luis Obispo California in 2002, Ground Control manufactures the MSS mobile satellite systems
as well as provides connection services for all of our product offerings. Our clients come from all sectors including federal, state and local governments, educational institutions, oil & gas, emergency and disaster services, fortune 1000 businesses, small businesses, professionals, and RVers. They also work with a number of third party developers that specialize in solutions specific to their area of expertise.

Broadcast Satellite Internet – the 1.2 Meter Mobile VSAT Broadcaster

2009-11-12T13:29:00.000-08:00

Broadcasting and Satellite News Gathering (SNG) is taken to another level with the Broadcaster, from Ground Control Systems. With mobility and agility being a driving force in today’s world, the Broadcaster is designed to be a compact yet powerful and affordable solution to demanding transmission requirements.

Large broadcast vehicles and trailers are giving way to smaller, self-contained vans that house entire media solutions – including the satellite antenna. With the ability to hold up to a 400W amplifier (BUC) on the ruggedized arms, the Broadcaster can transmit superior HD quality video in any kind of environment. Staying on signal is crucial so the zero backlash and ability to withstand extreme weather and wind makes the Broadcaster the perfect choice for video. With the touch of one button, the Broadcaster will find the satellite and connect in less than five minutes – all from a simple rack-mountable control panel.

Starting at under $22,000, the Broadcaster is an affordable solution in today’s broadcast industry. With the ability to hold between a 4 and 400 watt amplifier, the Broadcaster is not solely for video, however. Emergency responders and industries such as Tele-Medicine, Oil & Gas and Agriculture all have a need for communications on the go and the Broadcaster can withstand the elements while being priced below comparable satellite antennas.
For more information, please visit Ground Control.

Ground Control wins State of Oregon Contract

2009-10-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

Ground Control Systems, Inc., Awarded Oregon Satellite Contract - ATASCADERO, CA, October 26th, 2009 –

Ground Control Systems, Inc., a leading satellite internet and phone provider, has been awarded a contract from the State of Oregon to provide Satellite Services. Under the new contract, agencies will be able to access Broadband Internet where no current infrastructure is in place. Network redundancy will also be possible utilizing Ground Control’s fixed VSAT hardware. In the event land lines fail, the Ground Control network can serve as a primary data and voice link.

Agencies using the Ground Control network as a primary connection will be able to take advantage of the iDirect technology which Ground Control leverages to lower bandwidth costs, while providing users with close to T1 speeds. With a voice optimization package, users have uninterrupted voice over IP calls with minimal latency. As a network backup, the State will be able to pay a minimal fee for a live connection, and then pay for usage as needed. This network insurance policy will allow for critical data and voice communications to continue in the event of interruption in their main service.

About Ground Control Systems, Inc.

Ground Control is a full-service satellite Internet provider that offers high-speed fixed, mobile, portable and maritime solutions for organizations throughout the world. Ground Control manufactures the MSS mobile satellite systems as well as provides connection services for all of our product offerings. Our clients include federal, state and local governments, educational institutions, oil & gas, emergency and disaster services, fortune 1000 businesses, small businesses, professionals, and RVers.

TripleA Auto Acquire Antenna - a Motorized VSAT!

2009-10-15T15:07:00.000-07:00

The TripleA Motorized Satellite Mount is a new and cost effective approach to broadband satellite communication at any location because it eliminates the requirement for a certified satellite technician for installation pointing, re-pointing, or transporting it anywhere. The fact that the TripleA is motorized means it is able to find and lock on any KU or C band satellite at the touch of a button.

You have the option of using a certified installer for placing your system, but if you don't have access to one, you may install it yourself. Ground Control tests each TripleA and confirms it passes all requirements prior to shipping. We are shipping you a mobile system that is already activated. If you are in a harsh environment, the TripleA is rated for operation in environments that range from -40° to 132° F (-40° to 55° C).

Never again will you need to have a technician respond to your system to repoint it for being misaligned from high winds or other event. Simply press the "Search" button at any time and the dish will find and lock on the satellite in minutes. Gone are the days of network downtime from a satellite dish misalignment.

Bottom line - the unit is easy to assemble and it points itself. If you have an impending disaster, such as a hurricane, you can remove the mount and electronics - keep them safe - then reassemble when the coast is clear. No need for a technician!

You can see all of the bells and whistles at http://groundcontrol.com/TripleA_AAA-Fixed-Satellite-Mount.html