2006 Award in International Communication

Chairman of the board of KDDI Research & Development Laboratories, Inc. in Saitama, Japan, Dr. Yasuo Hirata developed the first digital maritime satellite communication system, now used worldwide by more than 280,000 ships, vehicles and aircraft.

His system design became the standard for INMARSAT, a global satellite network that offers mobile satellite communications services to maritime, land and aeronautical users. He also contributed to the development of mobile satellite systems, including the INMARSAT aeronautical system and the Standard-M system that is also used for land mobile communications.

Dr. Hirata pioneered the use of forward error correction (FEC) technology which enables efficient, high-quality data communication over noisy channels, such as those found in satellite and digital cellular communications applications. He applied the FEC technique to digital mobile satellite communications systems such as INMARSAT, as well as other major satellite systems like INTELSAT.

FEC technology has made it possible to significantly improve both power and frequency efficiency, attain high and adaptable code rates and facilitate simple hardware implementation. At present, Dr. Hirata’s innovations are reducing costs and increasing performance in a variety of wireless communications systems including satellites, wireless LANs, and fiber communications.

He also has advanced standardization in satellite communications through his efforts as chairman of the standard assembly of ARIB, the Japanese standards body for radio communications. He has served in leadership capacities on several international standards groups supporting the advancement of mobile satellite communications

Currently Visiting Professor at Waseda University and The University of Electro-Communications, all in Tokyo, Dr. Hirata holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering from Kyoto University in Kyoto. An IEEE Fellow, he has been secretary of the IEEE Communications Society’s Satellite and Space Communications Committee and a member of the executive committee for the IEEE Global Communications Conference in Tokyo. He also is a Fellow of the Institute of Electronic, Information and Communications Engineers and has received Japan’s Medal with Purple Ribbon.