During deployment are you maximising the Wi-Fi service available to you.

Paradigm is constantly looking at ways to enhance the services available to deployed troops and their families. The Wi-Fi service available has become extremely popular, to make sure you are maximising the service available, please be reminded of the following useful tips at main operating bases:

1. Use only as a messaging service and not to browse the web or download information

2. Use the mobile version of websites, e.g. instead of www.facebook.com, go to http://m.facebook.com

3. If you experience trouble logging on to the Wi-Fi network, this may be because an Op Minimise has been enforced; check for details in theatre

4. If you have any auto updates active other than your antivirus software, ensure that they are turned off

5. Follow the steps in your user guide which is available from the Paradigm engineers on site or via the Bastion or Kandahar WelComE centres

If you are still experiencing problems with the service, please contact the WelComE Customer Contact Centre (WCCC). Telephone: Dial *0 on any Paradigm provided telephone only, or 0800 4334 993*

Excellence in customer service is extremely important to Paradigm. Whether you are a member of the armed forces deployed on operational duty or a family member back home, your feedback is important to us; please do not hesitate to let us know your experiences of the WelComE Wi-Fi service.

You can contact us by: • Telephone - 0800 4334 993* - From any Paradigm provided phone in theatre, dial the access code for the service being used + *0 • Email: customersupport@paradigmservices.com

WCCC opening hours: (UK) Mon – Fri 06:00 – 22:00

*Calls to 0800 numbers are free from a UK landline. Mobile and international call costs may vary. You may wish to check this with your mobile/service provider.

Friday 9th July 2010, BBC Radio 4's 'Today' programme, Science Minister David Willetts openly discusses the benefits and considerations for pursuing further programmes similar to Skynet for the future of Science in the UK:

"I'm similarly keen on pursuing further programmes along the lines of Skynet, the UK's single biggest space project system and the provider of secure satellite telecommunications for Britain's armed forces. With Skynet, the Ministry of Defence purchased a service, and requests further capability as necessary, but does not own the hardware. Instead, Astrium can sell spare bandwidth to other government departments and friendly states, thereby reducing MoD costs. Skynet is an example of smart public sector procurement. Instead of buying a satellite, the MoD bought a service and created a commercial opportunity at the same time. Spending about £220 million annually, it's vital that the public sector uses that purchasing power effectively. There is a lot more that we can do here both to back SMEs and to back innovation. A purchasing contract can be as effective a way to get money to an innovative small business as a grant or a capital investment: this is particularly important at times when banks are so reluctant to lend."

For more info, please visit: http://www.bis.gov.uk/news/speeches/david-willetts-science-innovation-and-the-economy

Paradigm is supporting Armed Forces Day which will take place on the 26th June 2010 by holding a promotion from the 21st - 25th June 2010.

Paradigm launches 0800 number for families and friends of deployed personnel with access to the WelComE service

9th June 2010, Corsham. Paradigm has today launched its new FREEPHONE number for the WelComE (Welfare Communications Everywhere) service.

Families and friends of deployed personnel will now be able to contact the WelComE Customer Contact Centre (WCCC) for free using this service. The new contact number for the WCCC is:

0800 4334 993*

*Calls to 0800 numbers are free from a UK landline. Mobile and international call costs may vary. You may wish to check this with your mobile/service provider

The introduction of this number means that the customer experience of Paradigm’s WelComE service will be improved.

The WCCC is open from Monday – Friday, 0600 – 2200.

The WCCC team is able to assist with: • Answering any questions you might have regarding the service • Card enquiries • Private account enquiries and top-ups • Family and friends enquiries and top-ups • Fault reporting • Equipment enquiries • Call charge enquiries

Deployed personnel wishing to contact the WCCC from theatre should still dial *0 from any Paradigm provided telephone in theatre.

Business calls for Paradigm’s switchboard should still be made to the following number: +44 (0)1438 282 121.

Excellence in customer service is extremely important to Paradigm, and the launch of this number is an example of how Paradigm is constantly looking at ways to enhance the service it provides to deployed troops and their families.

Whether you are a member of the armed forces deployed on operational duty or a family member back home, your feedback is important to us; please do not hesitate to let us know your experiences of the WelComE service.

You can contact us by: • Telephone - 0800 4334 993* - From any Paradigm provided phone in theatre, dial the access code for the service being used + *0 • Email: customersupport@paradigmservices.com

Bethesda, MD, March 15, 2010 -- Intelsat General Corp. and Paradigm Secure Communications, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Astrium, have teamed to develop broadband satellite service to the United States Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.

The contract is with the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center of Charleston, SC, for the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs, which operates the South Pole facility. Recently, engineers successfully completed testing of a satellite connection between the Oakhanger ground station southwest of London and the South Pole station using a small fly-away terminal delivered to the South Pole on short notice. This important first step demonstrates how Intelsat General could provide connectivity to the station using Paradigm’s Skynet-4C satellite and the Oakhanger ground station in tandem with Intelsat’s global fiber network.

“Our partnership with Paradigm positions us to again provide this critical service to scientists working in the harsh conditions of the South Pole,” said Kay Sears, President of Intelsat General. “Our global infrastructure coupled with Paradigm’s satellite capacity allowed our engineering staff to create a turnkey communications solution.

The population at the station ranges from around 50 in the dark winter months to over 250 scientists and support staff in the sun-lit summer. The station relies on satellite links for transferring scientific data to researchers at universities, phones calls home, video conferencing, software updates, and emergency telemedicine.

Sustaining the broadband IP networking connections to South Pole Station is essential for supporting advanced scientific research programs and station operations. Major astronomy and astrophysics research projects, such as the IceCube neutrino observatory and the South Pole Telescope, depend on broadband data communications for their success.

Because of its location on the southern-most point of the Earth, satellite dishes at South Pole Station are out of view of station-kept communications satellites orbiting the equator. However, the 20-year-old Skynet-4C satellite is in an inclined orbit and drifts slightly above and below the equatorial plane as it orbits the Earth. With its inclination now at 10.3 degrees, the satellite will barely clear the local horizon and be visible to the South Pole for five hours each day. As the satellite ages, the daily visibility will grow as the inclination increases. Skynet-4C could supplement the existing communications services provided to the South Pole station through GOES-3, a semi-retired weather satellite now managed by NSF, and part time coverage by NASA’s TDRSS fleet.

"We are delighted to be able to prove the reach of our secure communications capability to another continent,” said Dr Phil Wadey, Head of Space at Paradigm. “We take great pride in never retiring an ageing satellite when it has useful life left in it. Proving the potential of these vital communications to the South Pole has been an exciting challenge for our engineers and one which we are happy to have accepted."

Portsmouth, 9th March 2010 – Paradigm, a wholly owned subsidiary of Astrium Services, has signed a contract with the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) to extend and enhance the Skynet 5 private finance initiative (PFI) programme. This will involve the manufacture, launch, test and operation of a fourth satellite, Skynet 5D, and the extension of the Skynet 5 contract by two years until 2022. The contract extension will guarantee UK MOD additional capacity on the Skynet 5 constellation. Eric Béranger, CEO of Astrium Services said: “The Skynet 5 programme was a pioneering step in the provision of milsatcoms via a commercial operator. In the past six years we have not only met the exacting requirements of UK MoD, but have also provided a comprehensive and flexible service to allied nations worldwide. “The demand for a fourth Skynet 5 satellite demonstrates the growing global demand for the services we can offer and proves that we have successfully implemented a truly innovative approach to milsatcom procurement.” Since 2003, the groundbreaking Skynet 5 programme, managed by Paradigm, has provided UK MoD with a suite of highly robust, reliable and secure military communications services, supporting operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans. The programme commenced by using the legacy Skynet 4 satellites and then augmenting them with a fully refurbished ground network before launching the Skynet 5A, 5B, and 5C satellites between 2007 and 2008. The Skynet 5 PFI programme has been a huge operational success for the UK MOD, and has reduced or removed many of the technical and service risks, whilst ensuring unrivalled secure satcoms to UK forces and the best value for money for UK MOD. Over the past six years, the continued success of the programme has acted as a catalyst for an increase in satcoms usage and the introduction of a fourth satellite will satisfy these increasing future capacity requirements. The extra capacity will ensure that British and allied troops have instant access to the necessary communication resources when and where needed most The introduction of additional Milsatcom capacity to the Skynet 5 fleet also means that Paradigm will continue to have the ability to address the needs of a growing international Milsatcom market. Since 2003, Paradigm has supported the Milsatcom requirements of NATO, the USA, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Portugal. The Czech Republic, Slovenia and Norway have also recently signed up to have access to Paradigm’s Skynet capacity. The introduction of the additional Skynet 5D satellite will increase the communications capability for coalition and allied forces in regional hotspots. Allied nations will have guaranteed access to capacity on 5D, particularly in the UHF frequency band, which is currently in great demand from military forces. Malcolm Peto, Director of Paradigm said: “The contract extension for 5D is testament to the strong working partnership we have with UK MOD. Since the inception of the Skynet 5 programme we have been fully committed to providing them with the highest standard of service that has the flexibility, security and reliability they require. “Skynet 5D demonstrates the success of this programme from both an industrial and military perspective, enabling us to consolidate the service delivery to UK MOD and also to expand the communication capabilities we can offer on a worldwide basis.” The Skynet 5 system, including the satellites and ground segment, was designed and built by Astrium. The 5D payload is already complete, having been built as a risk reduction of the existing programme ahead of any potential requirement for a fourth Skynet 5 satellite, and work will now begin to complete the 5D satellite, in time for a scheduled launch in 2013. The Skynet 5 satellites are based on Astrium's highly successful Eurostar E3000 series. When the current Skynet 5 constellation became fully operational in 2008 it was the start of a new era in military communications, using some of the most complex Milsatcom satellites ever built. The Skynet 5 satellites have the highest powered X-band transponders in orbit, a highly flexible uplink beam configuration, coupled with a world leading anti-jamming antenna to ensure that the constellation is extremely effective against hostile or non-hostile interference. All of the downlink beams are fully steerable and the whole payload is optimized to maximise performance for small, rapidly deployable satellite ground terminals on land, sea or air.

Visit Paradigm at Satellite 2010 conference and exhibition at the Gaylord National conference centre in Washington next week.

SATELLITE 2010 will create a forum for the thousands of attendees to learn best practices, experience the newest technology and collaborate with colleagues from all sectors of the satellite community.

The SATELLITE 2010 Conference not only focuses on opportunities in our main vertical markets--military, broadcast, enterprise, mobile, telcos and commercial--but also digs deeper than ever before, providing fresh data, keen market intelligence and the strategies you need to achieve new levels of excellence and business development.

http://www.satellitetoday.com/satellite2010/

To find out more information on Paradigm's services or view their latest X-band, mobile terminal, 'Micro-Sat', visit us on the Paradigm/EADS Astrium booth 1603.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Join Paradigm at Mobile Deployable Communications conference and exhibition in Prague next week (24th-25th March 2010).

The event will once again lead the way in providing the latest overview of in-theatre tactical communications, national roadmaps, technology, interoperability and industry support.

With the pace of NATO operations in Afghanistan increasing and the challenges becoming more diverse, hear the lessons learned in the field and ensure that your organisation is best placed to support the military on operations.

Paradigm's own Business Development Manager, David Adams and Systems Design Authority Engineer, Dr Satwinder Chana will be speaking at the conference on their solutions for Airborne and Nettedcomms on the Move. This will be followed up by EADS Astrium's and Paradigm's post-conference drinks reception.

Meet our team there to discuss your milsatcom requirements.

For more information visit: http://www.smi-online.co.uk/events/overview.asp?is=1&ref=3189

We have partnered with The Sun newspaper to increase the above advertised additional minutes provided by Paradigm from 30 minutes to 45 minutes.

The additional minutes will be added to account cards of entitled deployed personnel on the 28th December 2009.

The MOD has already added an additional 30 minutes for the Christmas week on the 21st December, meaning that troops have an extra 1 hour and 15 minutes talk time over the festive period.

The WelComE Customer Contact Centre is open at the following UK times during the festive season:

24th December 2009 06:00 – 22:00

25th December 2009 06:00 – 14:00

26th December 2009 CLOSED

27th December 2009 06:00 – 22:00

28th December 2009 06:00 – 22:00

29th December 2009 06:00 – 22:00

30th December 2009 06:00 – 22:00

31st December 2009 06:00 – 22:00

1st January 2010 06:00 – 22:00

2nd & 3rd January 2010 CLOSED

4th January 2010 - Normal opening hours resume: 06:00 - 22:00

For those deployed overseas, don't forget to sign up for automatic top up so that you can have the option to add more minutes to your Paradigm account card during closing hours.