Up In The Air

Many of today’s enterprise customers are turning to Ka band technology, especially as data traffic across the globe surges. Experts attribute the strain on many networks in the rise of powerful devices, especially smartphones and tablets, which runs bandwidth-intensive mobile applications, and support 4G technology.

Industries such as mining, construction, and oil and gas are upgrading their communications technology, including their satellite capabilities. To do this, they’re getting more reliable teleport services, and cooperating with mobile operators. Aside from the aforementioned, these industries are also upgrading to the Ka band spectrum.

Under the Ka band frequency, enterprise customers can support more communications applications like internet on satellite, remote connectivity solutions, wireless backhaul networks, and even video conferencing. In fact, many broadband projects across the globe have included Ka band satellites in their plans to support their fibre optic and fixed wireless services.

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One of the biggest news we had this week was the release of a whitepaper on the emerging Ka band spectrum. The satellite industry is facing a lot of capacity problems with increased demand from sectors like the maritime industry, several military organizations, mining companies, and even national governments. Aside from Ka band, we also look into internet by satellite, and new role of satellite technology in smart meter backhaul networks. Take a look at the top stories:

1. The Ka Band Whitepaper
2. Spacecom: AMOS-4 ready for launch, AMOS-5 covers Paralympics
3. Communications provider JRC partners with Inmarsat for Global Xpress launch
4. ViaSat Exede satellite internet reaches for skies aboard 370 plane order
5. Internet by satellite for remote regions
6. Satellite crucial to better backhaul networks

According to a report by Pike Research and IDirect, satellite technology is becoming the ideal alternative in solving bottlenecks in the backhaul network. The rise of smartphones have also brought an increase in bandwidth-intensive mobile applications and the traditional wireless backhaul systems are now more prone to overload.

Data demands have continually put a strain on networks and the report examined how satellite communications is emerging as a cost-effective solution to the problem. The construction and launch of more powerful birds, including those in the new Ka band coverage, has vastly improved satellite technology and allowed the system to optimize bandwidth better with compromising speed. 

The research focused on the smart meters backhaul communications, and Pike Research estimated over 50 million of it will be deployed across North America by the end of the year.

Also, according to the report, the ability of satellite to cover the “last mile” range has made it the reasonable solution for wider geographic reach. Minimal latency issues have also made satellite communications for mobile backhaul comparable to existing mesh technologies.

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(Source: sacbee.com)