Aerospace and Defense Review

Evolving Satellite Networks: Building Resilient Connectivity across Europe

Satellite communication is essential for Europe's connectivity in areas where terrestrial networks are limited, congested, or unreliable. A satellite communications solutions provider assists organisations in effectively leveraging satellite capacity and ground infrastructure and network management to deliver reliable communications services in maritime, aviation, defence, emergency response and remote industrial applications. The job goes beyond providing bandwidth. Satellite connectivity is now designed and deployed with a consideration of network architecture, interoperability, cybersecurity, latency management and service continuity.

Evolving Satellite Connectivity across European Markets

Satellite communications demand is becoming more closely connected with resilient connectivity requirements. Satellite links are important in Europe for communications, although terrestrial fibre and cellular networks are still the mainstays. Hybrid network configurations can integrate satellite, terrestrial and wireless networks to route traffic between networks based on location, capacity and service. This kind of architectures are especially applicable to remote infrastructure, transport corridors and operations not reliant upon a single communications path.

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Capacity at high throughput is also changing expectations in terms of performance. Satellite networks can carry applications that were more terrestrial-centric in their dependency, with the ability to do so because of the increased bandwidth. In a network design, with latency and available capacity taken into consideration, business connectivity, cloud access, video communication and operational data can be transferred via satellite. For service providers, it becomes necessary to tailor or align satellite capacity to application needs, rather than relying on bandwidth as the sole indicator of network performance.

A key area of demand is mobility. Connectivity without fixed terrestrial access is necessary for ships, aircraft, trains and other moving platforms. Links can be maintained by electronically steered antennas and better tracking technologies as platforms move. The design of the antenna, its power consumption and mounting restrictions are also significant factors since the communication equipment needs to operate within the physical and operational constraints of the platform.

Resilient communications are also being considered more and more by European institutions and the operators of infrastructure. Satellite systems can be an independent communications layer for emergency coordination, critical infrastructure and public-sector operations. A satellite communications solutions provider can help fulfil these needs by building redundant networks, safeguarding the ground segments, and providing the proper service level controls. Satellite access is not the only thing that contributes to resilience.

Solving Network Integration and Service Reliability Challenges

Integrating a satellite system with different technologies and management systems from the existing European communications infrastructure can be challenging. One possible solution is to place the satellite segment into a larger network architecture instead of being a stand-alone service. Using SDN and standard interface can help manage traffic between satellite, fibre and wireless links and enable the network operator to keep control over the network from a central point.

Another potential problem for applications requiring fast data transfer speeds is latency. Responsiveness is affected by satellite architecture, its properties and the design of the application. The answer is to match different types of traffic with appropriate connectivity paths and bring local processing to the forefront. Non-time-sensitive data can take advantage of satellite links, while latency-sensitive applications will take advantage of terrestrial links if they can. Intelligent traffic management can make hybrid networks more practical.

Coverage requirements will also differ between maritime, aviation and land-based operations. A fixed network design may not be adequate for connectivity as users move around geographically. Management of the beam, multi-orbit architectures and adaptable terminals can help to minimise discontinuity in changing coverage conditions. Movement patterns and service priorities are to be considered, as well as static coverage maps, when planning networks.

Another consideration is related to ground infrastructure, because satellite networks require reliable gateways, control systems and user terminals. Failure at a ground site can impact service even if satellites have capacity available. Alternative communication paths can be offered by geographic redundancy and distributed gateway architecture. Through remote monitoring, operators can also determine the condition of the equipment and arrange the maintenance work in advance without compromising the quality of the service.

Advancing Satellite Communications for Broader Stakeholder Value

The multi-orbit connectivity is opening up the design options of European satellite networks. Multiple types of orbital systems may offer different combinations of coverage, latency and capacity. Application requirements and network conditions can be used to guide the choices of proper links made by network management technologies. Flexibility can be obtained if the orbital properties of the satellites are combined.

AI and analytics can help optimise network operations, too. The traffic pattern can be analysed to predict the capacity needs, and the performance behaviour can be monitored automatically and recognised as abnormal. Operational data can be used to prioritise ground equipment or terminal servicing using predictive maintenance. Human intervention is still necessary, especially when changes to the network might impact critical communications.

Electronic steering of antennae is facilitating wider satellite communications applications in mobile systems. Shorter and more flexible terminals can limit vehicle, vessel and aircraft installation limitations. Better control and management of the antenna can also help with more stable connections during platform movements between coverage areas. The development of equipment thus directly influences the application of satellite connectivity.

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