To many of us that are able to read this article, access to reliable mobile networks or the internet is just a push of a button or a tap of a screen away, but this isn’t the case for everyone. There is a large potion of people within our global population that aren’t able to do this like those in remote areas, rural villages, disaster-struck zones, maritime routes and so on. The hunt for a solution to this problem has begun and a promising solution seems to be emerging: LEO (low-Earth orbit) satellites combined with D2D (direct-to-device) models.
What and why LEO Satellites?
Traditional satellites orbit about 36 000 km’s above the Earth where LEO satellites orbit much closer, between +/-200 – 2000km’s. This closer proximity results in the following:
- Lower latency when compared to 4G/5G networks.
- Faster data speeds when compared to legacy satellite systems.
- Denser constellations which improve coverage.
Companies like Starlink, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, OneWeb and so on are focusing on building a substantial constellation of LEO satellites.
Now that we have a basic understanding of what LEO satellites are, lets see how they’ll integrate with mobile networks.
D2D
What comes to mind when you picture a satellite phone? Big, bulky and expensive. This is no longer the case with D2D. D2D makes it possible for standard smartphones to connect directly to satellites without all that extra hardware.
What makes this possible?
- 3GPP standards which formalises NTN (non-terrestrial networks) as part of 5G.
- Chipset innovations allowing for satellite compatibility in smartphones.
- Successful partnerships between MNOs (Mobile Network Operators) and satellite providers that ensure seamless roaming between traditional network towers and space-based networks.
Benefits
- Rural Connectivity: Remote workers, like farmers, will gain the ability to access digital tools that can be used to increase their productivity and safety.
- Emergency Response: When disasters occur, whether it be natural or man-made, traditional network infrastructure are often negatively affected. In these instances where these fail, users will be able to rely on satellite-enabled communication in times of emergency.
- Maritime & Aviation: Ships and planes will be able to stay connected without having to rely on specialised and expensive equipment.
- Developing Economies: Entire populations that had limited / no access to the internet will gain affordable access to services like e-learning, ecommerce and telemedicine.
For Telco’s, this is more than just an infrastructure upgrade, it’s an opportunity to empower underserved areas and to extend their reach like never before.
