World’s largest commercial satellite dish to be replaced by fibre optic c@ble

[Analoguesat]

It's out with the old and in with the new as c@ble & Wireless begins tearing down its satellite dish, the Standard A Earth Station antenna.

The dish has been a Devonshire landmark for 24 years and is visible from North Shore and Middle Roads.

A new 800-mile submarine c@ble that will replace it is due to be operational by the end of October.

It has 700 times more capacity than the old c@ble it will replace, and will link all of C&W's customers with access to their global network, the company said.

Like the satellite dish, the telecom firm's existing undersea c@ble is obsolete and will be replaced by its new next-generation 'Gemini Bermuda' c@ble.


In its heyday the dish could carry 400 simultaneous circuit feeds to 15 different countries, and could withstand hurricane winds of up to 180mph, the company said.

As telecommunications technology evolves, dismantling outdated equipment like the dish marks the end of an era for Bermuda and indeed the world.

Weighing 400 tonnes and boasting a diameter of 300 meters, the 30-metre-high structure is the largest commercial satellite dish in the world.

"The new undersea c@ble will satisfy the growing demand for diverse, reliable high-speed data and broadband services which cannot be provided by the restricted capacity of the current c@ble," said Eddie Saints, C&W's CEO. "This investment is one in a series of capital investments planned for the Bermuda marketplace in the near future in order to deliver truly world class communications services."

He assured reporters gathered at the facility for a press call yesterday that the transition from ageing cables and satellite transmitters, to state-of-the art fibre optic cables would be seamless.

"It's extremely reliable and has withstood hurricanes," Mr. Saints said. "If one unit fails, a separate and equal (secondary) satellite takes over."

He said the company will continue to use the 400-tonne base of the station as high-speed data processing centre.

C&W has commissioned M.R. Construction to tear down the dish.

The $750,000 dismantling project, which began three weeks ago, will take another seven weeks to complete. "It cost money to put it up and it costs money to take it down," Mr. Saints said.

Most of the scrap metal will be recycled, some of it here, but most of the materials will go elsewhere.

"Carbon steel remains will be recycled as local mooring weights, [but some material will go to the] landfill," Mr. Saints said. "Other materials such as stainless steel and aluminum will be recycled in the United States."


(www.bermudasun.org)

[madrat]

I wonder what they will be doing with the old dish :spite:

[Analoguesat]

Its probably getting very friendly with a gas axe

Its a big bu99er - although I think there is an extra 0 in that paragraph that says its 300m across :roflmao:

http://www.bermudasun.org/main.asp?S...22&TM=75238.56

[$ly]

Yes, a 300m dish would have been jumped on to save by every radio astronomer from here to Mlilyways.


L.

[BGonaSTICK]

I wouldn't get out of bed for a dish much less than 300m Ø

[nanochickin]

It would look great in my garden

Do you think i could get Nilesat on it

300m dish would have been jumped on to save by every radio astronomer from here to Mlilyways.

A ha another fan of Hitch Hikers guide to the Galaxy



Nano

[madrat]

Could always try and connect it to your brain and try mind controle

[diapason]

Surprised that it's not in Analoguesat's back garden by now!!

[madrat]

Originally Posted by diapason

Surprised that it's not in Analoguesat's back garden by now!!

:clap:

[BGonaSTICK]

AS has gone on his hols now, so feel free to create a whole library of insults and mick-takes ready for his return.