5 Takeaways from SATELLITE 2022
Just six months after celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the SATELLITE Show, space and satellite industry professionals gathered once again in downtown Washington, DC for SATELLITE 2022. Amid packed breakout sessions, networking events and the exhibit hall floor, one refrain was heard loud and clear – how wonderful it was to be able to gather with colleagues from around the world again, in person!
Throughout the four-day event, five major themes emerged.
-
5G is the future. 5G continues to dominate the conversation in both commercial and defense sectors. Hughes kicked off the week by announcing the award of an $18 million contract to deploy a standalone 5G network for the Department of Defense, which will power “the resilient networking necessary to transform base operations.” Discussions about the benefits of 5G for secure and resilient networks continued throughout the event, including a lively panel featuring Dr. Rajeev Gopal, VP Advanced Programs.
-
The connected future requires a multi-everything approach. To achieve ubiquitous connectivity, every kind of transport must work together. The announcement of a new GEO-LTE capability that uses Hughes ActiveTechnologies to intelligently route data over the optimal transport path highlights the innovation required for this hybrid approach. The Hughes ActiveComms Ecosystem facilitates the multi-everything experience, bringing together multi-orbit and multi-transport connections, along with smart, enabling technologies, and managed network services to optimize performance.
-
Smart technology drives innovation. New antenna technology could be found throughout the convention center, with the Hughes electronically steerable “cool new flat panel antenna” taking center stage as it was unveiled on Monday afternoon. This low-profile technology is engineered for OneWeb LEO service and is ideal for both fixed and mobile connectivity.
-
The move to the cloud is coming…but “Cost is the elephant in the room,” according to Kartik Seshadri, VP of International Products & Operations. As the technology landscape changes, we expect to see more network management and monitoring moving to the cloud, along with an increased focus on AIOps.
-
It’s not LEO vs. GEO, but LEO + GEO. There is no clear winner in the LEO vs. GEO debate – and there doesn’t have to be! One single transport can’t possibly meet all types of connectivity needs, so we instead should recognize the important, complementary role that each type of satellite serves. As EVP Engineering Adrian Morris asserted during his panel, “Hybrid, multi-orbit solutions are the future. LEO for global coverage and GEO for capacity density.”
For continued coverage of themes explored during SATELLITE 2022 and Hughes announcements from the event, follow along on social media – find us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.