The satellite industry is undergoing a transformation under pressure from different fundamental trends. Below are some of my observations after I attended Satellite 2024 in Washington, DC last week. The topics discussed at the event, the products on display on the exhibition floor, and the type and background of attendees provide some clues on major trends. The macro… Read More »
Direct-to-handset satellite services proposed by the likes of Lynk Global, AST SpaceMobile and SpaceX are bold commercial endeavours that lack the appropriate regulatory framework for sharing spectrum between mobile network operators and satellite service providers. The FCC is proposing a framework to govern the use of mobile spectrum by satellite operators, which it calls Supplementary Coverage from Space… Read More »
Direct-to-handset (DTH) satellite service is better off using millimeter wave spectrum than mobile spectrum. The three models prevailing today – spectrum infill, spectrum slice, and over-the-top – have inherent challenges that limit market access (see my previous post). In this post, I share a perspective on how to improve the commercial viability of DTH constellations using mmWave spectrum.… Read More »
Update – May 23, 2023: We have published a report detailing the technical performance of AST Space Mobile direct-to-handset LEO constellation. Click here for additional information. Different approaches are possible to enable Direct-to-Handset (DTH) satellite connectivity. For instance, there’s the approach by T-Mobile and SpaceX (see here) and by Apple and Globalstar (see here). AST SpaceMobile is taking… Read More »
Apple launched the iPhone 14 with Emergency SOS via satellite service allowing a user to send and receive text messages over Globalstar satellites (here). The direct satellite-to-handset service operates over Globalstar Gen2 satellites which will start to expire by 2025. Apple will incur costs in excess of $400 million to fund Globalstar launch 17 new satellites by the… Read More »
Download the presentation here.
Land-space network convergence was the theme of the second Space Intersects Internet workshop we held on December 15, 2020. To download a summary transcript, enter your name and email in the boxes below.
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 »
The advent of non-geostationary satellites (NGSOs) has raised the issue of convergence with land-based networks. The question centres on how to provide users with services across different networks efficiently and reliably. Until now, satellites offer distinct service model defined in its own silo. With a converged land-space Internet, services could extend across multiple networks to leverage the one… Read More »
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 »
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 »
In a virtual ‘fireside chat’ at Capacity Europe 2020, Riad Hartani of Xona Partners and Manik Vinnakota of Telesat discuss the impact of emerging LEO constellations.
I highlighted in my previous article on LEO satellites the capacity that will come online within the next few years. In 2024, the capacity supply from LEO satellites could be 24x of what GEO satellites offer today. Such a rapid increase in capacity over a short period of 5 years could have great consequences on many telecom incumbents.… Read More »
A new kind of space race is on. If all goes according to plans, a few thousand satellites will be orbiting the earth to provide internet connectivity from space. These are a new generation of high-capacity satellites that will orbit at relatively low altitudes to provide unprecedented performance from space-based networks. These low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites will be… Read More »