K-Net prepares to move all partner satellite earthstation sites from Anik F2 satellite to Anik F3
The satellite dish realignment project ...
The K-Net team is preparing to move all the satellite earth stations on the Kuhkenah Network from the Anik F2 satellite over to Telesat's new satellite, Anik F3. Click here to see the pictures from today's training session preparing the team for this work.
With the purchase of two additional transponders, the NICSN (National Indigenous Community Satellite Network - http://smart.knet.ca/satellite) consortium needs to be using Telesat's F3 satellite. To complete this move ALL the satellite earth stations on the network must be moved to be pointing at the proper satellite to access this new bandwidth.
In Ontario, the K-Net team is working together with our partners to make this dish realignment project a success. We are bringing two northern First Nation technicians (Jesse Fiddler, Muskrat Dam and Wayne Slipperjack, Eabametoong) into Sioux Lookout for the training that is necessary to properly use the equipment and processes required to move and re-point all the dishes on the Ontario portion of the network. Today they work with the members of the K-Net Sioux Lookout and Thunder Bay team lead by Adi Linden and Terence Burnard. The other three members of the team involved with this work are Jamie Ray, John Moreau and Lyle Johnson.
In Ontario, the realignment project means moving the satellite earth stations in thirteen NAN First Nations as well as moving the 7.3 hub station in Sioux Lookout. The hub site will be moved first thing on Monday morning, Nov 19. The team is flying in pairs into each remote First Nation to work with the local First Nation technicians to move their earth stations to get them back online as quickly as possible.
As an example, from Thunder Bay, Jamie Ray will be flying into Eabametoong on Monday morning to work with Wayne to get Fort Hope back online. Then they move to Webequie that afternoon to get them back online. They return to Thunder Bay on Monday night. On Tuesday, they fly to Attawapiskat and then to Peawanuck where they spend the night before heading off to Fort Severn and Shamattawa before returning to Thunder Bay.
We are hoping the weather and everything works in our favour and all fourteen communities will be back online by Wednesday evening.
As we are moving the dishes in our partner Ontario First Nations, our partners in Quebec and Manitoba will be sending their crews to get their dishes back online as quickly as possible. In total, 45 communities are involved in this project.
This project is very important for many reasons but most important it is the communities and the people involved who are working together to make this all possible.