Keeping Connectivity in Orbit: LEO Satellites Help Bridge the Gap

Satellite technology has always played a vital role in global communications. Starting with TV broadcasts and basic phone calls and evolving to broadband internet and mobile backhaul, geostationary earth satellites (GEO) and mid earth orbit satellites (MEO) have been progressively filling some of the connectivity gaps in hard to reach areas not connected by traditional telecom networks.

However, given the distance these satellites operate from Earth, latency has been an issue, preventing their widespread use for real-time communications.

Low earth orbit (LEO) satellites are much closer to Earth - from 300m to 1,500km – providing much lower latency than GEO satellites. LEO satellites are also linked together to increase capacity, which can achieve a higher bandwidth. The downside with LEO technology has been the cost, limiting their use in commercial networks.

Another drawback of satellite communications has been the lack of integration with mobile and IoT devices. Traditionally, dedicated satellite phones were needed to work directly with satellite networks, resulting in niche market use. 

With recent advances in satellite, launch and direct-to device (D2D) technologies, these limitations are being resolved, opening up many new opportunities for satellite communications and deeper integration into telco networks.

A New IT Environment for a New Era of Communications

Recent breakthroughs in launch technology have been a game changer for LEO. Multiple satellites can be launched at once at a significantly lower price than was possible before. Together with continuous advances in satellite technology, this change means LEO has now become an affordable option for real-time communications with high bandwidth and low latency.

Another emerging technology innovation is the ability to connect satellites directly to regular mobile and IoT devices using D2D. In place of dedicated satellite phones, ordinary smartphones can seamlessly switch from 4G/5G mobile networks to satellite to maintain connectivity and fill coverage gaps. In the IoT market, this opens up many opportunities to keep remote sensors and tracking devices connected at all times for use in agriculture, transport and environmental monitoring, among others.

As a result, the satellite communications market is experiencing strong growth. Telcos around the world are collaborating with LEO/MEO/GEO satellite providers to complement their offers in areas that are too difficult to reach or too expensive to support. With a multi-orbit strategy, telcos can extend 5G coverage by placing 5G RAN in areas that are difficult to serve using satellite for backhaul. Fixed satellite access can address the consumer and business market in areas that are not economical for 5G or fiber, and D2D enables telcos to offer ubiquitous connectivity for consumers and many types of industries.

With these new innovations, satellite communications are set to play a much greater role, helping to bring advanced communications anywhere on the planet.

These technology advancements and new services place significant challenges on the satellite operators’ IT environments that has never been designed for such highly dynamic operations, crossing multiple domains across space and Earth and serving a complex global customer base. Key issues include:

• Highly dynamic operations: Building a real-time view of the service topology is extremely complicated given the many moving parts in a satellite network.   
• Multi-domain services: New operational systems are needed to model, manage and orchestrate services across space and Earth.
• Complex diverse global customer base: Different business models and better engagement models will be needed to address the specific needs of customers in different countries, and adhere to the specific requirements of those countries including language, currency, taxation schemes and data privacy.

Satellite communication providers need a new way to manage, optimize and monetize their business as they prepare to offer new types of services, expand to new markets and differentiate themselves in what is becoming a highly competitive market. Satellite operators require:

• The ability to deliver and guarantee the highest service quality at any time – helping them address mission-critical services in highly demanding verticals and government market.
• Ways to engage with their customers and partners in a more digital and API-centric way – making it easier for customers to purchase or modify services and get the support they need.
• A method of easily creating any type of service offer and supporting any customer type in any country in the world – quickly adapting to changes in the market and taking advantage of new technology innovations.

With its Digital Satellite Solution, Netcracker is helping satellite operators to expand their communication offerings with deeper integration with telco domains, maximizing their value in this growing market and delivering differentiating communication experiences.

Read more about Netcracker Digital Satellite Solution here.