Satellite Service Conserves Cash

 
Published: 15 June 2004

In April, operations personnel completed a series of cost-saving data communication changes at the ARM Climate Research Facility Southern Great Plains (SGP) locale. The T-1 telephone lines at the four SGP boundary facilities were replaced with satellite dish technology. This change still allows large data sets to be transferred at acceptable bandwidth but at substantial savings.

Inexpensive satellite services now meet data transmission needs at the SGP boundary facilities.

Huge amounts of data are collected daily by SGP site instruments. These data must be transmitted rapidly and reliably from remote measurement locations to the central facility computers. For years, transfers were made via high-speed T1 telephone lines (usually fiber optic) at a rate up to 1.5 megabits per second. Though fast and reliable, T1 lines can be quite costly. The recently removal of an instrument from each SGP boundary facility greatly reduced the demand for dedicated, high-capacity T-1 data transmission lines. Communications specialists found a cost-effective way to replace the T1 data lines with satellite internet service. Although data transfer via satellite is slower than with T1 lines, the rates are still adequate for SGP transmission needs.

Testing for acceptable performance of the newly installed satellite internet was completed in May. The T1 lines will be disconnected at the end of June, and data transfers will then be made by satellite communications. The SGP site will realize savings of about $100k per year by switching to the satellite-based internet link.