The latest high performance 9m Antenna build

Arqiva are proud to support Viasat in building and deploying a brand new 9m Ku band earth station located at our Tier 4 Certified, Chalfont Grove Teleport in the UK. The build of the new 9 meter antenna was recently completed in just 8 weeks, as seen in the time-lapse video which shows the journey of this construction from start to finish.

Viasat are launching a trio of new ultra high capacity satellites that will deliver industry-leading residential broadband services, video streaming for commercial airlines, business jets and high-value government transport across the globe. The Europe and Middle East ViaSat-3 satellite will be managed by the TT&C antenna built here in the UK. Telemetry, Tracking and Command (TT&C) allows the Satellite operator to be able to transmit commands to the satellite for things like Station keeping and to send Ranging commands (Tracking) to measure the exact position of the satellite in space. The satellite itself also transmits a telemetry carrier that gives details of the health and status of the on board systems.

Arqiva’s Chalfont Teleport in Buckinghamshire, just outside the M25 corridor was an ideal choice for Viasat because it meets all the requirements for a best-in-class earth station locations, namely high-level security, space, connectivity and resilience, alongside on-site technical expertise. Additionally, the Chalfont Teleport is a Tier 4 Teleport certified by the World Teleport Association, representing the highest degree of operational excellence. For 2021 the WTA ranked us as No.1 Independent Teleport Operator – a fantastic accolade as they offer the world's only certification program for teleports, covering facilities, technical infrastructure and operating procedures.

Arqiva access 40+ satellites, owns 5 teleports and c 1450 terrestrial broadcast sites across the United Kingdom. Our experience in designing, building and managing critical national infrastructure, underpinned by our technical capability in operating Tier 4 teleports, and commitment to the highest levels of security - makes us an ideal partner to host the ViaSat-3 TT&C antenna. Working closely together throughout the project and ensuring a strong relationship, has led to the success of this new build as we expand our collaboration with Viasat. Rignet, a Viasat Company and offshore service provider, has been a long term customer of Arqiva’s.

We are genuinely delighted to have been given the opportunity to build the new ViaSat-3 TT&C antenna. Ensuring it was successfully completed in just 8 weeks was a major achievement and reflects the excellent collaboration between the Viasat and Arqiva teams.

Lesley Wilson – Head of Satellite Gateway & Data Services

About Viasat

Viasat is a global communications company that believes everyone and everything in the world can be connected. For more than 35 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the world communicate. Today, the Company is developing the ultimate global communications network to power high-quality, secure, affordable, fast connections to impact people’s lives anywhere they are—on the ground, in the air or at sea.

For further information on Arqiva Gateway Services contact Alison.Thorpe@arqiva.com