{"id":627,"date":"2024-01-10T07:03:42","date_gmt":"2024-01-10T07:03:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/icasat.net\/\/en\/?p=627"},"modified":"2024-06-26T09:31:17","modified_gmt":"2024-06-26T06:01:17","slug":"leo-meo-geo-operators-chart-the-multi-orbit-path-forward","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/icasat.net\/en\/leo-meo-geo-operators-chart-the-multi-orbit-path-forward\/","title":{"rendered":"LEO, MEO, GEO: Operators Chart the Multi-Orbit Path Forward"},"content":{"rendered":"

By MARISA TORRIERI<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Deep-water drilling is often a $10 million a day, mission-critical operation. If a signal drops, and an oil rig engineer can\u2019t track their machinery for more than a few seconds, they have to shut down operations \u2014 or risk the safety of their crew .Safety is a priority \u2014 but that\u2019s a lot of money down the drain.<\/p>\n

With the importance of connectivity at the forefront, more and more oil, gas, and other industry players are relying on satellites to beam high-speed internet services to the job sites. Yet while satellite has been traditionally viewed as a backup to fiber, its role is starting to shift into a first line of defense.<\/p>\n

As such, satellite service providers like Houston-based Speedcast, one of the world\u2019s largest global connectivity providers specializing in managed communications for business and enterprise networks, are unveiling service offerings that blend signals from multiple orbits across Low-Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO), and Geostationary Orbit (GEO), as well as terrestrial networks. The company says this is the best way to ensure connectivity is truly seamless when dollars are at stake.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf something goes down, an energy operator has to shut down the drilling operation because they\u2019re running things remotely, all the way back in Houston or Aberdeen and the operation might be 300 kilometers off the coast of Angola,\u201d says Speedcast CEO Joe Spytek. \u201cThat\u2019s why they have always been willing to pay a premium for high-quality, high-availability services.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spytek says the concept of 100 percent uptime is now a reality. \u201cWe weave together the largest global footprint of GEO capacity, while also integrating mPOWER links or a Starlink terminal, blending all the connectivity paths together so if one were to go down, the customer still maintains their network communications,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

When Spytek took the helm of Speedcast in 2021 as the company emerged from bankruptcy, he set out to transform\u00a0how Speedcast did business<\/a>, positioning the company for a multi-orbit future of software-defined networks.<\/p>\n

One of Speedcast\u2019s more recent moves was a partnership with SpaceX\u2019s Starlink constellation. Speedcast was the first announced integrator for Starlink. As the demand for multi-orbit, or \u201cmultipath\u201d satellite connectivity \u2014 between GEO, MEO and LEO \u2014 Spytek says his inbox is loaded with inbound queries from organizations with land, maritime, energy and government operations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith access to LEO constellations now, we\u2019ve been able to access whole new customer segments,\u201d says Spytek. \u201cA Starlink terminal is more like a terrestrial LTE service than a satellite service in some respects. When you pair Starlink with a customer\u2019s existing terrestrial service, you can actually offer a very highly reliable network. We\u2019ve already added hundreds of new customers on the back of some of these LEO offerings. That\u2019s really one area where we\u2019re seeing very strong growth.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s plenty of room for other winners, it seems, as the industry migrates toward an expanded vision of satellite connectivity, driven by the ability for satellites in different orbits to communicate with each other. As operators merge and adopt more sophisticated ground terminals that can relay signals across multiple constellations, it\u2019s clear the industry is on a multi-orbit trajectory. All of this raises questions about the new market opportunities and use cases for this next level of seamless satellite connectivity.<\/p>\n

The Big Picture<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The rollout of multi-orbit satellite networks seems to have happened overnight, but the process actually happened gradually in response to increasing demand for high-speed, low-latency, reliable satellite connectivity. Today, operators and service providers are looking for ways to differentiate themselves, while evaluating the ground equipment partnerships that will enable them to truly support connectivity across multiple orbits.<\/p>\n

NSR, an Analysys Mason company, estimates that the non-GEO share of total high-throughput capacity demand will grow from approximately 21 percent in 2022 to about 52 percent in 2032. Valour Consultancy expects global shipments of communications on the move (COTM) flat panel antennas to grow from a very low base of just below 3,000 to approximately 100,000 units by 2030, at a CAGR of 57 percent.<\/p>\n

The conversation around satellite service connectivity has shifted, says Maxime Puteaux, principal advisor for Euroconsult.<\/p>\n

\u201cCompared to a few years ago, when there were debates about LEO versus GEO, the answer [now] is actually \u2018in between and multi-orbit,\u2019\u201d says Puteaux. He says many operators now consider GEO, MEO, and LEO together as there is no one single solution that fits all of their needs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a shift from end user use cases from pure broadcast, or a one-way signal, to more data-centric use cases which require two-way communications. Operators are moving and are diversifying towards an architecture which is by far more complex, but which is more suitable for their needs,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

As the first multi-orbit terminals that can speak to satellites in different orbits are in development now, Blane Boynton, vice president of Product Development for Intelsat, says we can expect to see a handful enter the market at the end of 2023 or early 2024.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first-generation terminals will be capable of talking to one orbit at a time and will employ fast switching to move between satellite networks,\u201d Boynton tells Via Satellite. \u201cWe believe this fast switching can be transparent to customer use cases. Second generation terminals will take advantage of innovation in electronically steered array technology and will utilize intelligent network routing in the form of edge virtual network functions to achieve simultaneous connectivity into both orbits and networks.\u201d<\/p>\n

When these capabilities are realized, he adds, use cases and traffic can be optimized in real time to intelligently route traffic to the network of best service.<\/p>\n

\u201cImagine if streaming media traffic could transit a GSO link while highly interactive traffic like live video conferencing was making use of a lower-latency NGSO network,\u201d says Boynton. \u201cHere you get the best of both worlds. [We] believe this is a key differentiator of the multi-orbit strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mission-Critical Services<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

As the cost of blending multiple orbits for seamless connectivity is technically complex, and it\u2019s costly as well. For these reasons, the initial applications for multi-orbit services support high-stakes use cases \u2014 where seamless connectivity is imperative.<\/p>\n

In addition to mission-critical energy industry use cases, government and military applications are markets ripe for multi-orbital offerings, says Puteaux.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrunking is a good and significant opportunity \u2014 blending into ground networks. 5G is supposed to make things easier,\u201d says Puteaux. \u201cGovernment connectivity definitely is something of interest, and so is maritime and aircraft. If someone needs to fit a specific solution into specific needs, multi-orbit is a way to go. At the end of the day, it needs to fit in with their cost structure so the system remains affordable, which is not so easy to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mike Pigott, executive vice president of Connectivity at Anuvu, said that as new LEO services and existing GEO markets evolve, Anuvu expects to flex into new markets.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe think the customers that will want multi-orbit solutions are those who want the best available and most consistent performance over the entire globe,\u201d Pigott says. \u201cBeyond any particular market, we think most mobility connectivity customers want those things today and will want them even more in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

John-Paul Szczepanik, CTO of All.Space, noted that multi-orbit networks offer the benefit of enhanced network resilience \u2014 and assurance of uninterrupted services\u2014which is paramount for government clients like the U.S. Department of Defense. He highlights other potential use cases like telecommunications and high-speed internet access to remote, underserved areas, as well in-flight internet services, maritime, and Earth observation.<\/p>\n

He spoke to the benefits for national security: \u201cThe advent of near-peer rivals in space has revolutionized how we approach space communications and security,\u201d Szczepanik says. \u201cMulti-orbit services are emerging as game-changers in this rapidly evolving landscape, offering many benefits across various industries and markets. Multi-orbit services guarantee the uninterrupted operation of command-and-control networks, which is critical for national security.\u201d<\/p>\n

From the Ground Up<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The importance of ground equipment and integration cannot be overemphasized to enable multi-orbit connectivity. A handful of equipment manufacturers are making news for rolling out technology that supports hybrid networks.<\/p>\n

Anuvu, for example, recently tapped Telesat to provide antennas and ground station infrastructure to support its multi-orbit network, as enterprise customer needs evolve beyond GEO and LEO connectivity. Anuvu has ordered eight MicroGEO satellites from Astranis, which are smaller than a traditional GEO satellite. Anuvu also has an agreement with Telesat to utilize its Lightspeed LEO constellation in the future.<\/p>\n

Pigott says the company strongly believes multi-orbit solutions will be the global norm in the next five to 10 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a long history in serving global mobility customers with GEO satellites and our new Anuvu constellation comprised of MicroGEOs will continue our efforts to utilize new technology,\u201d said Pigott. \u201cWe have adopted a multi-orbit strategy and believe Telesat\u2019s Lightspeed LEO constellation is going to serve that future as well. Hybrid multi-orbit networks simply make the most sense for what we think will be core requirements of customers for their mobility networks \u2014 high performance high reliability, flexibility of service, and ultimately a superior quality of experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

All.Space, meanwhile, is focusing on enabling multi-orbit services from the ground up, with its \u2018smart terminal\u2019 range.<\/p>\n

Across the Globe<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Japanese satellite communication provider Sky Perfect JSAT is also eyeing a multi-orbit future, with the launch of a joint venture with Japanese telco NTT called Space Compass.<\/p>\n

The company is in strategic discussions with LEO satellite companies to explore partnership opportunities, says Hiroyuki Yagihashi, general manager of Sky Perfect JSAT\u2019s NTN Business Division, Business Innovation Group, Space Business Unit.<\/p>\n

\u201cRegarding our potential partnership, it's important to note that our mission is not just to resell internet access service, but to enhance the user experience with multi-orbit infrastructure,\u201d Yagihashi says.<\/p>\n

In multi-orbit services, it is important to offer not only communications services, but also value-added solutions to solve customer problems, he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cPartnerships with solution providers for security features and vertical applications will be necessary,\u201d says Yagihashi, \u201cIn addition, it is important to work with partners that provide distribution channels to reach global markets.<\/p>\n

Like other stakeholders, Yagihashi believes adoption of multi-orbit is still in its infancy, with SD-WAN technology performing traffic control and multi-orbit services. But JSAT sees a large adoption in the future, and integration into 5G.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe that multi-orbit will be widely adopted in 10 years, because a robust and ubiquitous network is the strongest demand from users and MNOs around the world, and multi-orbit is the only method to solve the aforementioned needs,\u201d said Yagihashi. \u201cWe believe that in the long term, multi-orbit control will be realized using 3GPP specification technology, which will be standardized as \u20185G-Advanced\u2019 by 2026.\u201d\u00a0VS<\/p>\n

Marisa Torrieri is a freelance writer from Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n

Read more.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By MARISA TORRIERI Deep-water drilling is often a $10 million a day, mission-critical operation. If a signal drops, and an oil rig engineer can\u2019t track their machinery for more than a few seconds, they have to shut down operations \u2014 or risk the safety of...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[14,12,13,10,11],"class_list":["post-627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-geo","tag-leo","tag-meo","tag-multi-orbit","tag-multi-orbit-path-forward"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/icasat.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/627"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/icasat.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/icasat.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icasat.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icasat.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=627"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/icasat.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/627\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":810,"href":"https:\/\/icasat.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/627\/revisions\/810"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/icasat.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icasat.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icasat.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}