Four Ways Satellite-as-a-Managed Service Meets DoD Requirements for Flexibility and Scalability

February 28, 2023

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SATCOM-as-a-Managed Service (SaaMS), the fully integrated end-to-end turnkey system for high-throughput connectivity, readily supports the demands of military users on base, at varied global tactical locations and during critical missions––anytime and anywhere. For the Department of Defense (DoD), SaaMS also delivers a host of benefits over traditional leased SATCOM capabilities, including greater flexibility, affordability and return on investment.

Here are four ways SaaMS meets DoD needs for flexible, cost-effective MILSATCOM services:

Adaptability and scalability to meet changing mission needs––For today’s warfighter, the priority is the mission. They need global connectivity––with push button ease and functionality––when and where the mission takes them. And commanders who need to be able to deploy forces where conflicts or crises occur expect communications and logistics to keep pace with the speed of battle. Our adherence to open standards and our global and extensive network of partners means Hughes can deploy SaaMS quickly and easily and scale up or down at any time to support changing mission needs.
Increased resiliency and redundancy for improved continuity––Hughes multi-orbit solutions can reduce the military’s reliance on a single satellite or orbit while increasing SATCOM resiliency and improving continuity of operations. If a geostationary (GEO) satellite is impaired, the modem can switch dynamically to another GEO, or Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) or Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite to maintain connectivity. Based on the mission, connectivity can switch to the appropriate link or move to another network in case of a fault, or jam. The software orchestration tools deployed by Hughes can respond to these challenges.

Future-proof connectivity solutions––As a technology and services company, Hughes continually designs and develops solutions to meet customer needs––often looking 12 to 18 months down the road to solve the challenges of tomorrow. Hughes invests in our own research and development (R&D) resources, tests and validates solutions on our own networks and then rolls them out to support customer networks. With SaaMS, DoD can experience all the benefits of these upgrades automatically, with each network technology refresh, and without funding its own R&D.
Connectivity for anyone and everyone––SaaMS flexibility doesn’t just benefit those on the battlefield, its services can extend to all who live and work on a military base or installation, regardless of location. That’s because the SaaMS network providing connectivity to the warfighter is the same one providing connectivity to a base to support Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR) initiatives; retailers selling products to service men and women and their families; mobile infrastructure and utility crews; or military families who need internet at home.

What’s more, through a web portal interface, SaaMS simplifies the process to scale up or down and turn services on or off, placing that control in the end user’s hands. Having the ability to manage and tailor SATCOM services––without the headache of managing, installing or maintaining the network itself––gives commands the ultimate freedom and flexibility to ensure connectivity anytime, anywhere it’s needed.