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Given the speed of the satellite industry’s growth and the accelerated pace of innovation, every annual SATELLITE Show hums with excitement and possibility––and the 2023 event was no different. Here are five top takeaways from this year’s show:
- The biggest change in the industry is the rise of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. While GEO satellites aren’t going anywhere, LEOs are taking flight in the rush to meet high market demand globally––especially in developing countries and remote rural areas that lack access to high-speed internet service. As a lower latency transport with global coverage, LEO satellites were a hot topic of conversation throughout the event.
- The loudest buzz centered on direct to device connectivity. Like the excitement that surrounded 5G several years ago, everyone is eager to learn more about direct-to-device satellite connectivity and its potential. Also like the early days of 5G, the required technologies to make it a reality are still in the early stages of development.
- The hottest technology is the low-cost, flat panel electronically steered antenna. Our innovative antenna technology was unveiled at last year’s SATELLITE Show and is proving to be a game-changer for LEO service implementations. The antenna seamlessly hands off signals from one satellite beam to another every 11 seconds, and from one satellite to the next every three minutes.
- The boldest prediction for 2023 is an industry in transition. There will likely be a lot of movement as we continue to see more mergers and acquisitions, and new partnerships and joint ventures that enable industry players to establish themselves within the dynamic space ecosystem.
- The greatest innovations are those making multi-orbit capabilities possible. Seamless hand-offs between different satellites and transport types boost performance and resiliency––and are essential for multi-everything communications. Multi orbit is a major focus for Hughes, as we bring the transports, enabling technologies and managed services together into integrated solutions that serve our customers’ needs.
And of course, at the Hughes booth, the topic that generated the most attention is our upcoming launch of JUPITER™ 3, slated for later this year. This powerful satellite is designed to offer 500 gigabits-per-second of Ka-band capacity across North and South America. Just like many of the other innovations and technologies discussed during the SATELLITE Show, JUPITER 3 will help meet the burgeoning demand for data and high-speed connectivity from customers around the world.