Ground Systems to Connect Small-Satellite Constellations to Underserved Areas

Abstract

Access to broadband Internet is increasingly becoming compulsory in order to participate in many aspects of modern economic systems. Currently more than a third of the global population does not have access to any form of Internet connection and thus by default is excluded from any activity for which it is a prerequisite. One of the primary reasons for the exclusion of any population from Internet access is the lack of available communication infrastructure; this is particularly relevant in remote societies. Satellite technology by its very nature is not geographically constrained making it ideal to deliver broadband to remote communities. Opportunity presents itself with the recent announcement of mega-constellations featuring hundreds or even thousands of small satellites, which significantly bolster not only the available bandwidth but also the ability to provide it at low latency as it will operate in lower orbits.

In the world of satellite services, the focus tends to be on the space systems in orbit, but in the case of large-scale LEO constellations, the design and implementation of the ground systems will be of critical importance. The purpose of this chapter is to investigate what is practically required at ground level to allow a remote community to successfully engage small-satellite broadband Internet in a reliable, cost-effective, and technically and operationally feasible manner.