N° 22–1993: Advanced Video-conferencing via satellite :

The European Space Agency (ESA), in cooperation with the European Telecommunications Satellite Organisation (EUTELSAT), Matra Marconi Space (France/UK) and Joanneum Research of Graz (Austria), will be conducting daily video-conferences by satellite from Kiev (Ukraine) to various sites in Austria, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom during the NeoCom'93 exhibition and congress taking place in Kiev from 11 to 13 May 1993.

The wide coverage and point-to-multipoint capabilities of the EUTELSAT satellites provide unique possibilities for multi- location video-conferencing. These features are valuable world-wide but they are particularly important when the existing ground infrastructure is not fully developed, for example, between Western Europe, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. EUTELSAT has made particular efforts to respond to the needs for an instant telecommunications infrastructure. In particular, EUTELSAT II-F4 and F5 have been modified to bring Eastern Europe as far as Moscow into the nominal service area.

Developed on behalf of the European Space Agency by Joanneum Research and Matra Marconi Space, the DICE system can simultaneously link up to four sites having DICE Earth stations employing antennas of only 1.5 to 2.4 metres in diametre and located at users' premises. It allows each of up to four participating groups at great distances from one another to be simultaneously present with the others as though they were in the same room. This is achieved by use of high- quality multipoint video, sound and data exchange techniques. With digital compression techniques, up to 6O DICE carriers can be accommodated on a single satellite transponder, thus keeping operating costs within reasonable bounds. Many DICE units are now in operation via EUTELSAT satellites. Thanks to this flexible and mobile system, satellite video-conferencing is offered by Matra Marconi Space and Joanneum Research to business and other users throughout Europe.
During the NeoCom congress, trade and other visitors will be able to talk with engineers and managers in Western Europe, eye to eye, via satellite, over distances of nearly 2000 kilometres.

Note to editors : The DICE system is marketed by MATRA MARCONI SPACE and JOANNEUM RESEARCH, which can supply further product information. For television stations : a 10 minute video on DICE is available from ESA in BETACAM-SP and VHS formats. This press release is issued jointly by ESA, EUTELSAT, MATRA MARCONI SPACE AND JOANNEUM RESEARCH.

For further information, please contact :,br> ESA Public Relations - Tel: +33.1.42.73.71.55 - Fax: +33.1.42.73.76.90
EUTELSAT Press Service - Tel: +33.1.45.38.47.57 - Fax: +33.1.45.38.37.00
MATRA MARCONI SPACE - Tel: +33.1. 34.88.38.99 - Fax: +33.1 34.88.43.43
JOANNEUM RESEARCH - Dr. O. Koudelka
Tel :+43.316.465.746 - Fax: +43.316.463.697