Satellite Communication – Critical Technology Solutions that are Changing the Shape of the Market

The technological advancement in the architecture of satellite communication has provided a stable communication network for various applications, such as telecommunication, radio networking, . The topography of a satellite constellation and frequency multiplexing will play a significant role in defining future services through satellite communication. There are mainly four types of topology architecture, including star topology, mesh topology, hybrid topology, and point-to-point topology. The rise in demand for establishing a secure connection for a range of military operations requires a point-to-point network. In contrast, the requirement of a global telecommunication network will demand mesh topology.

According to the analyst’s insight on Satellite Communication in New Space Age, the number of satellite launches for communication applications is expected to reach 2,367 by 2031 from 947 in 2020. Factors such as decreasing launch costs and investment from private players for satellite communication are driving the market. Moreover, rising technological advancements, such as 5G technology and increased demand for more secure networks for military applications are also anticipated to drive the demand for satellite communication.

Key Areas of Satellite Communication

The increasing demand for establishing a satellite broadband network in the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East regions to connect remote areas will be the major factor for the growth of satellite communication. The emerging economies of Asia-Pacific, such as India and China, are getting into long-term agreements with various industry players for developing infrastructure to provide connectivity solutions through satellite mega-constellations. The growing involvement of the private players and the increasing support from the government are factors propelling the growth of mega-constellations in the region.

Satellite-Based Communication Technologies

The changing paradigm of the consumer as well as the enterprise market for the requirement of higher bandwidth and low latency has led to the evolution of critical communication technologies via the use of satellites such as 5G satellite connectivity, space-based laser communication, and hybrid satellite cellular network.

5G Satellite Communication: The 5G satellite communication networks represent the global telecommunication infrastructure of the digital economy, which will cover the whole world, including inaccessible areas not covered by 5G terrestrial networks. The satellite part of the 5G communication network is one of the important aspects for stable infrastructure to support the demand for commercial applications.

Space-Based Laser Communication: Space-based laser communication is also known as free-space optical communication (FSO) that uses an optical communication technology by light propagation in free space to transmit data for telecommunication or computer networking wirelessly. This technology serves several business opportunities, such as large-scale communication through satellites and quantum key distribution (QKD) channels, which helps secure communication data and provides a strong encrypted communication network.

Hybrid Satellite Cellular Network: The use of Internet-of-Things (IoT)-based devices for commercial applications has increased the demand for a more reliable communication network. The major factor affecting the commercial success of satellite communication is the cost of each device. In such cases, a hybrid cellular network uses terrestrial infrastructure in combination with the satellite constellations providing more reliable communication.

Satellite communication solutions face major competition with terrestrial communication solutions such as cable and wireless networks. However, fixed networks and satellite communication are expected to create immense business opportunities for the space industry in the next ten years i.e., from 2021 to 2031.