Satellite Telecom: The Hidden Potential of New Space Communications
Satellite telecommunications is a sector of the new space economy where companies provide customers with wireless signal reception and transmission services using orbital satellites as a transponder. Satellite communications and internet technologies like the Internet of Things (Internet of Things, IoT), DTH (Direct-to-Home) television, and high-speed data transmission over wireless optical communication channels are all becoming a part of our lives thanks to the work of SATCOM (satellite communication) companies.
Today, we will show you how satellite communications work and about the most exciting players in the SATCOM market. In addition, we will share a number of innovations in the field of satellite telecommunications which make our communication faster, more reliable, and cheaper every day.
How satellite broadcasting works and what it does
Satellite telecommunications are provided by two key types of equipment: ground terminals for signal transmission and reception, and relay satellites launched into low Earth orbit.
First, a radio frequency (RF) signal is sent from a ground station to a satellite. The satellite receives it, processes it, changes its frequency, and sends it back to the ground station upon receiving an incoming signal. Typically, the frequency at which the signal is sent to a satellite is higher than the frequency of the satellite’s transmission back to the Earth.
The satellite telecommunications market is usually divided according to function, consisting of four main areas:
Backbone satellite communications: telecommunications infrastructure designed to provide communication services. Currently, satellite communications are being displaced from the backbone communications market by the development and deployment of fiber-optic communication lines, which have shown to be more reliable and profitable in the long term. The receiving terminals of backbone satellite communications aren’t very adaptable, as their antennas are fixed at a single location and are not transportable while receiving a signal.
VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) systems: “very small aperture” refers to the small size of the antennas which receive signals (1.8-2.4 m in diameter). VSAT-systems have low data transfer rates (2048 Kb/s) and are mainly used by companies which don’t require high bandwidth for their communication channels.
Mobile satellite communications systems: a type of satellite communications in which the ground station receiving the satellite signal is not fixed in one place, but is rather able to travel from place to place. Mobile satellite communications are used in tourism, agriculture, and military activities, all of which depend upon the high mobility and compactness of their signal reception equipment.
Satellite internet: used mainly in places that are remote and/or have underdeveloped infrastructure. A feature of satellite communications is the transfer of all client data mixed up, in a common stream. To filter the general data flow, client terminals installed on the Earth are used. The task of these devices is to sort incoming data and deliver it to the correct destination.
Celestial Space Technologies
Celestial Space Technologies is a German company working on creating a communications system between the Moon and the Earth based on a “constellation” of relay satellites (in the long term). In the short term, Celestial Space Technologies is aiming to create a communications system in low Earth orbit. Celestial’s innovative ground receiving terminals are integrated with 5G and IoT networks, meaning they can be put to use in logistics and cargo transportation, as well as to provide satellite navigation.
Scout
Scout is an American company based in Alexandria, Virginia. It is creating the first systems for monitoring and maintaining the health of satellite equipment in space. In addition, the company is developing its own space traffic monitoring network.Scout monitoring equipment can be both installed on satellites and launched into orbit on its own, carrying out remote observation of the status of several dozen satellites at once. And although the company does not directly provide SATCOM services to consumers, a number of satellite communication providers will definitely be interested in its services.
Hiber
Hiber is a startup from Amsterdam which generated some of the biggest buzz of 2021. The company aims to create the world’s first Low-Power Global Area Network (LPGAN). It uses tiny nanosatellites launched into LEO. Currently, applications created by the Dutch startup are monitoring crops in Africa, observing water channels in Australia, and guiding fishing boats in the Pacific Ocean. Constellations of Hiber satellites can even observe the Netherlands’ iconic tulip fields from space, providing the most up-to-date data on the state of field ecosystems and irrigation canals. The company’s goal is to create an accessible and affordable network for connecting to the Internet of Things in the most remote and hard-to-reach corners of the planet.
Telesat
Telesat is a company from Canada that has been providing satellite telecommunications services to its customers for over 50 years. It works with wireless satellite internet, the creation and maintenance of closed corporate communication networks, the provision of sea and air navigation services, as well as satellite television. In addition, Telesat provides satellite relay services to two Canadian digital broadcasters: Bell Satellite TV and Shaw Direct. The company’s experience and stability in the SATCOM market allows it to advise satellite operators and other interested players around the world.
Dish Network
Dish Network is an Englewood, Colorado-based company that has long been a major player in the US satellite TV market, but is now betting on a 5G network that will eventually provide broadband coverage to more than ⅔ of the US population. This year, Dish Network stepped into the forefront of SATCOM companies, becoming the fourth largest 5G provider in America. In addition, the company has entered into a three-way deal with telecom operators Sprint and T-Mobile, and already has a working strategy to build up its satellite infrastructure through 2023.
Viasat Inc.
Viasat Inc. is another veteran of the SATCOM market. The California company, founded in 1986, provides broadband satellite communications services to both civilian and military clients. Its business is segmented into three main areas: government communications systems, commercial enterprise networks, and private sector satellite services. Viasat’s Inc. commercial networks division is responsible for the building of modern satellite broadband and wireless platforms and is working on developing integrated circuits used in space/Earth communication systems.
Gilat Satellite Networks
Gilat Satellite Networks is an Israeli company specializing in the development of terrestrial satellite VSAT terminals. GSN has its own extensive telecommunications satellite network between central stations and geographically-inaccessible peripheral regions. Their product offerings include modems, transceivers, block converters, and satellite signal amplifiers, as well as a variety of mobile antennas for signal reception. The company works not only with satellites, but also with fiber-optic communication lines. GSN has been on the market for more than 30 years, and during this time has gained considerable popularity far beyond Israel.
EchoStar
EchoStar is a Colorado-based company founded in 1980. Today it is a telecommunications holding operating through two subsidiaries: Hughes Network Systems and EchoStar Satellite Service (ESS). Hughes Network Systems provides broadband satellite communications services and creates local data exchange networks for structure analysis and international customers. EchoStar Satellite Service cooperates with public sector clients and provides satellite communications services to TV news agencies and streaming platforms.The leading drivers of market growth are the use of the Internet of Things and the development of the 5G satellite sector. IoT in the aviation industry is expected to greatly automate the field of air navigation and heavy traffic management. The interaction of satellite services with the internet will be tied to the use of high-speed broadband satellite data transmission, the development of which also portends a favorable climate for the growth of the SATCOM market.
On the other hand, as the market grows, there will be a significant increase in the consumption of ground equipment for sending and receiving signals in areas with underdeveloped infrastructure. Defense departments still give preference to satellite communication systems due to their mobility and high degree of encryption (with modern satellites that transmit data via optical satellite communication channels). Government structures are also showing interest in the innovative field of OILP data communication, which guarantees the stable public investment in research and the use of technology in the future.
The main hindrance to the growth of the satellite telecommunications market today is growing competition from companies providing more affordable and cheaper fiber optic communication services. This competition has been weakened by the constellations of satellites that many space giants, such as AWS and SpaceX, are currently placing into lower Earth orbit.
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