Category Archives: General

Dispelling The Sustainability Myth in Telecom Networks: What’s Worth The Investment?

I wrote this Insight Note for two reasons: 1. The rise in cost of energy threatens to stress the financial performance of service providers; and 2. I want to provide context for potential investments in power saving technologies to help investors decide which would be worthwhile. Energy consumption in telecom networks has become a confounding issue because of… Read More »

Is Direct Satellite-to-Device the Largest Opportunity in Satcom’s History?

The direct satellite-to-device (DS2D) market is expected to reach $35 billion by 2030, and counting 400 million average monthly subscriptions driven by 5G technology (according to NSR). This is about $7/month. This highlights a very sensitive business case: constellations cost billions to deploy and operate; they need a refresh every 5-10 years. With much of the world’s unconnected… Read More »

Taking the Quantum Leap: How quantum technology is set to transform communication networks

Key Takeaways Quantum computing decimates RSA cryptography which underpins most of our digital platforms: you can’t have a happy quantum computing world without first protecting all of the critical infrastructures against quantum-enabled attacks. The quantum threat development is not gradual and can come suddenly to break everything. This can come fast to threaten our networks and the Internet.… Read More »

Can 5G Bridge The Urban-Rural Digital Divide?

Since Covid further exposed the rural digital deficit, many have asked to deploy 5G to provide broadband services in rural areas. Many others are skeptical for various reasons. To sort through the issue, We were commissioned to investigate how 5G can bridge the urban-rural digital divide. In our paper (download here), we review some of the technical characteristics… Read More »

Latency in LEO Satellites vs. Terrestrial Fiber

Latency is a key differentiating parameter for new communication networks such as LEO satellite constellations and 5G. The interest in latency has increased as the value proposition for these networks hinges on enabling latency-dependent applications. This got some competing technology options nervous. For instance, LEO satellites provide as much as 20x round trip delay advantage over GEO satellites.… Read More »

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Could Wireless Networks Serving Industry 4.0 Applications Succeed without Automation?

A couple of years into 5G roll outs, the main question for operators remains on how to monetize the 5G network investments. Operators understand that enterprise wireless networks are a potential source of revenue. Many of them, from around the world, have engaged in trials testing 5G networks in enterprise settings. The trials have uncovered the complexity and… Read More »

The Synergies Between LEO Satellite Constellations and Submarine Cables

I’ve been exploring the impact of LEO satellite constellations on the wider telecom industry. Depending on the sector, the rise of LEO satellites is either complementary or competitive. Sometimes, the synergies are not evident. At other times, the competitive nature is masked by nascent requirements and emerging applications that could be game changers in the future. Underlying this,… Read More »

Comparing LEO Constellations: How They Stack Up!

LEO constellations are set to introduce new dynamics in connectivity services. I’ve been looking to answer questions on the competitive or complementary nature of LEO with different types of terrestrial services such as fixed wireless access or long-haul transport. In process of the analysis, one needs to differentiate among LEO constellations since they are designed and optimized for… Read More »

A New Race is Looming [and it’s not 5G!]: Why China Can Win the Space Internet Future

China made headlines by launching an experimental satellite in low earth orbit to test 6G terahertz technology. This has the merit of elevating the 5G race debate to a higher level: 6G and space Internet. It comes at a time when several trends are taking shape, such as the evolution of 6G and the emergence of LEO satellites… Read More »