Geostationary satellite operators argue that low-terrestrial services such as Starlink should not be seen as the only solution
WASHINGTON – As SpaceX continues to expand its Starlink communications network and promote its services, established satellite operators are devising strategies to stay competitive.
During the Satellite 2021 LEO Digital Forum on April 6, Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX president and chief operating officer, said the company was moving forward with plans to offer Starlink satellite internet services directly to consumers and also to monitor the US government as a customer.
Meanwhile, managers of commercial operators of geostationary satellites have argued that low-ground services like Starlink should not be seen as the only solution to solve customers’ communication problems.
SpaceX has about 1,320 satellites in orbit and plans to launch hundreds more this year. This summer, satellites will begin deploying in polar orbits.
Shotwell said the Defense Department is now to become more interested in communication services from low Earth orbit and build its own network. But she expects the government to buy commercial services as well.
“You can see the government starting to think on its own about the increased LEO capabilities, so I don’t know how much they are going to end up buying from commercial products,” she said. “We like to sell commercial bandwidth to government customers.”
DoD showed interest in Starlink and usually the use of LEO communication services from other providers such as Iridium and OneWeb because data can be transmitted with minimal delay, or delay, compared to services rendered by geostationary satellites 22,000 miles above the equator.
Geostationary satellites are also unable to provide continued coverage in the polar regions due to the curvature of the earth. Meanwhile, LEO satellites rotate at lower altitudes below 1,200 miles and provide continuous, worldwide coverage as the satellite moves.
Steve Collar, CEO of SES, said the company offers a hybrid service that integrates satellites from multiple orbits.
SES operates satellites in geostationary orbits and a network of satellites in medium Earth orbits about 5000 kilometers above the earth. Collar said the government needs access to a seamless network that benefits from having multiple orbits to direct traffic based on customer demand.
According to Collar, commercial and government customers are confused by the various networks and providers. “Customers are faced with this kind of broken industry without coherent solutions,” he said.
A managed service that allocates the capacity of the network based on the demand is the answer. “You need a sophisticated brain that is aware of the question.”
Pradman Kaul, president of Hughes Network Systems, said the company is also developing a hybrid strategy in partnership with OneWeb. Hughes offers services from its own geostationary satellites and LEO connection via OneWeb. “We believe we need a joint solution,” he said.
Viasat executive chairman Mark Dankberg said there were pros and cons to be weighed. Viasat operates geostationary satellites, but announced last year that it has a constellation of almost 300 satellites in a low orbit around the earth if it is eligible for subsidies from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to deliver broadband in rural areas.
Dankberg insisted that geostationary satellite capacity be more cost-effective. “Economic perspective on bandwidth favors GEO strongly,” he said. “Non-GEOs can provide lower delay and coverage across poles.” However, the ‘big problem’ with LEO communication is that there is a congested lane and that it is increasingly an unsafe environment.
“Geostationary satellites cannot collide and interfere with each other,” Dankberg said. “In non-GEO, each constellation can crash into a different constellation and each constellation can interfere with the other.”
Viasat in December has asked the Federal Communications Commission to conduct an environmental assessment of SpaceX’s Starlink, arguing that the satellite system poses environmental hazards in space and on Earth.
SpaceX mentioned in documents Viasat se klag “Competitive gaming team.”