Magazine

Editor's note for the September/October 2017 issue of Via Satellite.

Editor's note for the Via Satellite's NextSpace edition 2017

As smallsat constellations and 5G loom ever closer, countless new companies have emerged to find their niche in the aerospace value chain. Europe in particular, where both governments and venture capitals have ramped up funding, has seen an explosion in future-focused businesses looking to fundamentally change the ways we connect. Watch out, Silicon Valley — there could be a new hotbed for high-tech startups.

A key part of the NewSpace movement is the small satellite. It offers the ability to rapidly innovate and launch new technology within a very short timeframe. How can manufacturers keep up with no compromise on performance and how is NewSpace impacting their thinking?

While nearly all entrepreneurs behind new satellite startup companies share a common passion for the commercial development of space, some have invested their creative energies on developing valuable business opportunities on the ground. These entrepreneurs identify a more immediate need for technologies that provide the cornerstones of ambitious space visions, and a more practical product line that can — for the most part — be physically seen and tested in laboratories, investor meetings and on trade show floors.

The industry has some work to do in making smaller and more powerful payloads, as well as achieving daily launches to meaningfully reduce launch costs. Until that time, the satellite and launch industries will continue to be a growing, but intimate group.

Engineers and executives from major cellular carriers converged in Austin, Texas to engage in passionate exchanges about 5G rollout plans, business opportunities and technical challenges. There’s consensus among this group — 5G isn’t just “another G.” It’s a brand new, automated world of constant connectivity that is experiencing the beginning of a fourth Industrial Revolution.

The future of satellite communications has never been more exciting with the increasing interest and investment in LEO, MEO, and GEO constellations, especially in the Ka-band arena. However, LEO and MEO constellations require a much larger volume of antennas and gateways compared to a GEO satellite, and amplifier providers must find a way to offer lower priced equipment to make it affordable to these customers.

Satellite operators looking to capitalize on data markets are evolving in parallel with customer needs. As new business models emerge, some satellite operators are going down the value chain and ditching the wholesale approach.

Not that long ago, the space industry was seen as a bit of a dinosaur, a relic from a bygone age. But over the last few years, that perception has been turned on its head, and now the industry is seen as uber hip. The question is, despite that change in perception, could the satellite industry still do more to tap into this dramatic change?

SOS Children’s Villages is an organization that aims to make a difference for children who have been orphaned or abandoned. Its work brings hope to many where previously they had been none. A partnership with Middle East-based MSS operator Thuraya has been key in helping it improve its services.

In an increasingly digital environment, efficient communication is crucial to the offshore industry. This requirement drives diverse options and choices for communications services among maritime operators including 4G LTE and […]

Only through following the principle of technology neutrality whereby governments enable platforms, not technologies, to compete, will the future vision of 5G bringing wide-spread advanced communications services to all Americans, wherever they are located, be achieved.

Slavery is an acute modern day issue that cannot be ignored but one that is difficult to resolve. Not only does slavery still exist but it is likely there are […]

I was at London Technology Week recently and one of the panels was talking about future leaders in technology and how institutions like Harvard are helping new graduates with their […]

The United Kingdom must regulate on a risk-aware, yet enabling, basis — allowing low cost launch capabilities, including space planes, to be the "steam locomotive" of the 21st century.

We must allocate spectrum wisely, ensuring that increasing demand from mobile operators doesn’t crowd out other worthy users.

Editor's note for the May/June issue 2017 of Via Satellite.

The launch market is entering an unprecedented era of diversity. This was one of the main conclusions of the highly anticipated launchers panel on Wednesday afternoon at SATELLITE 2017. Executives […]

By 2020, 20 to 30 billion devices will be connected through the Internet of Things (IoT) — almost four for every human individual — says Jimmy Schaeffler, principal consultant at […]

ABS CEO Tom Choi has garnered a reputation for speaking unabashedly — so his somewhat harsh comments on the viability of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations came as no surprise […]

As chairman of SATELLITE, I get a year-long peek behind-the-scenes at how our speakers and participating companies prepare for each show and create a framework of what they hope to […]

The rivalry between Ku- and Ka-band solutions has reached a critical phase with some experts predicting the shift from L-band to VSAT solutions will accelerate this still further. At the […]

Throughout SATELLITE 2017, a major point heralded by speakers was the need to cooperate to ensure the satellite industry’s survival in the coming years. In that respect, Tuesday’s closing general […]

It seems every day there is news related to a new cyber attack. This is the new reality we must all live in, and space is no different. However, quantifying and evaluating the threat is far from easy. We talk to some of the new companies in the cybersecurity space, as well as one or two cyber experts to see how they view the threat to the satellite industry.

With the demand for more lightweight, powerful antennas showing no sign of abating, developers are rising to the challenge. But will it be enough to push the market forward?

The mighty rise of smallsats will inevitably drive competition in the Earth Observation market. This will lead to delivery of new data services which, in turn, will lead to increasing demand from new customers. Within this proliferation of remote sensing satellites, not all companies will emerge as victors, but what is certain is that Earth Observation is on a steady winning streak.

At the SATELLITE 2017 Conference & Exhibition, the ambitious nature of the satellite industry shone through. Whether in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) or Geosynchronous Earth Orbit […]

Asia remains the biggest market for pay-TV with still huge untapped potential. But while DTH has undoubtedly been a success story in many markets such as India and Indonesia, OTT lurks in the shadows ready to steal satellite players’ thunder. The question is whether they will make huge inroads over the next few years.

After a turbulent recent past, Myanmar is emerging as an exciting and dynamic economy. Decades of military rule has left the country with run-down general infrastructure and a population that has gone through years of oppression, hungry for knowledge of the outside world. Today, Myanmar is demanding connectivity and information — and satellite is playing a crucial role in providing these services.