Reaching for the stars

Developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX initiative, Starlink’s growth has been nothing short of stellar. Within three years of commercial launch in 2019, it had put more than 4,000 new satellites into space, providing highspeed internet services to over 1.5 million customers in 50 countries worldwide.

Starlink does things differently. Its services rely on low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, circling the planet just 300 miles above surface level. This enables lower latency than that provided by many traditional satcom players with their Geostationary (GEO) constellations that sit 22,500 miles up.

Starlink’s philosophy is all about bringing faster and better performing internet connections to the masses. So, have its fresh approaches sent the viability of older satellite providers crashing back to Earth? Look below the surface and you find that this is far from being the case. In fact, you could almost argue that Elon Musk has done traditional satcom providers a big favour. Let’s examine how.

BUILDING ON YEARS OF EXPERTISE
Although Starlink has captured a heap of subscribers at a feverish rate, these are largely subscribers that are new to the market – people and organizations who once considered that satellite communication was out of their price range but have now become converts. Starlink has not so much stolen subscribers from existing providers as created a new category of adopters. What is remarkable is the speed at which it has done this. Let’s compare its performance with Hughes Network Systems, one of the major traditional satellite contenders. Over the last 20 years, Hughes has steadily grown its own user base.

Between 2008 and 2016 it signed up 1.5 million new customers, a figure that as we have already noted took Musk and SpaceX under three years to achieve. It is significant, however, that over the eight years it took to garner those new subscribers, Hughes did a great job of boosting revenue by capitalizing on new enterprise and government opportunities, both domestically and internationally. It did not stand still and rely on past glories.

It is also worthy of note that despite being one of the fastest growing consumer products ever created, Starlink has not been without its troubles. There are clearly one or two flaws in its business model. As more and more customers have crowded its network, service speeds have dropped. There has been much talk of poor customer service, criticism of the absence of installation services for customers who have never used satellite before, and grumbles about regular hikes in service pricing. Starlink appears furthermore not to be geared up to support industry-specific requirements in sectors that rely on satellite, such as the maritime, military and broadcast industries. It is not hard to imagine how in time its speedily won new users might get frustrated with its limitations and turn to traditional providers for a better service and more in-depth industry expertise.

There are precedents here. Fifteen years ago, Single Carrier Per Channel (SCPC) networks that allow two-way, point-to-point satellite connectivity for transmission of video, voice and data were suddenly confronted by newtech-on-the-block in the form of Time Dimensional Multi Access (TDMA). This allowed the setup of shared star-type two-way satellite IP networks. With this technology you could have 100’s of nodes bursting in synchronicity, all using the same carrier outbound. At the time it felt like doom and gloom for the SCPC community. And, yes, business did take a dive for a time, but it was not long before end users were searching for a securer network with more bandwidth, and business exponentially grew again for SCPC.

Satellite providers will need to innovate both with technology and with business models, and there is evidence that this is happening in exciting ways. I fully expect increased demand for satcom connectivity, given our hyper-connected world and with AI, the Internet of things (IoT) and 5G networks becoming part of our everyday lives. I anticipate that much of this increased demand will be met by satcom delivered as a managed service, fast emerging as a valuable answer to the healthy competition being provided by Elon Musk. Experienced satcom providers are busy reinventing themselves to deliver satcom as a service, offering numerous evolutionary benefits over traditional satcom approaches. Intelsat, Eutelsat, and SES are some of these.

THE RISE OF SATCOM AS A MANAGED SERVICE
Satcom as a managed service provides a model that enables businesses to stay connected without having to buy and build their own networks. This means that they can reduce the cost and burden of managing their own communication networks, while still enjoying the benefits of reliable and efficient connectivity. Satcom as a managed service delivers many benefits that maximize the potential of satcom infrastructure. Here are a few:

1. Simplified management and support
One of the primary advantages of opting for a managed satcom service is the simplified management and support it offers. Instead of investing in and operating complex satellite infrastructure in-house, businesses can rely on experienced managed service providers who take care of all the technical aspects, including network planning, installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting. This allows businesses to focus on their core operations, saving time and resources that would otherwise be spent on managing complicated satcom systems.

2. Increased flexibility and scalability
Managed satcom services provide businesses with greater flexibility and scalability in meeting their varying communication needs. With traditional satcom systems, businesses often have fixed capacity and limited options for expanding or adjusting their services. Managed services, however, enable businesses to scale their connectivity up or down based on demand, ensuring they have the bandwidth required for their communication requirements. This scalability allows businesses to adapt quickly to changing needs and avoid overpaying for unused capacity.

3. Enhanced network performance
Managed satcom services often leverage advanced technologies and infrastructure that provide enhanced network performance. By utilizing high-throughput satellites, optimized networks, and advanced data compression techniques, managed services can deliver faster and more reliable connectivity. This is particularly beneficial for bandwidth-intensive applications such as video conferencing, data transfers, and multimedia content delivery, enabling businesses to maximize productivity and collaboration.

4. Proactive monitoring and support
Unlike traditional satcom, where businesses often rely on reactive troubleshooting, managed satcom services offer proactive monitoring and support. Network operations centres (NOCs) continuously monitor the performance and health of the satellite links, promptly identifying and addressing potential issues. Managed service providers Managed satcom services can offer cost-effective solutions for businesses. Photo courtesy nmedia/Shutterstock can also promptly deploy field technicians for on-site support if needed, reducing downtime, and ensuring uninterrupted communication. Proactive monitoring and support minimize the impact of any disruptions and enhance overall service reliability.

5. Cost-effective solutions
Managed satcom services can offer cost-effective solutions for businesses. Instead of purchasing and maintaining expensive satellite hardware, businesses can opt for a more affordable subscription-based model. Managed services provide predictable monthly costs, making budgeting easier and eliminating the need for significant upfront investments. Moreover, the economies of scale achieved by managed service providers can result in lower operational costs compared to running individual satellite systems, translating into cost savings for businesses.

FOCUS ON CORE OPERATIONS
Simplification of management and support, increased flexibility and scalability, enhanced network performance, proactive monitoring, and cost-effectiveness are just some of the advantages of opting for a managed satcom service. By partnering with experienced service providers, businesses can enjoy reliable and efficient communications, enabling them to focus on their core operations while benefiting from the latest advancements in satellite technology.

To find out more about Milexia’s satcom engineering service:https://milexia.com/products/product-overview/satcom/

As seen on www.satelliteevolution.com