How Satellites Are Changing Connectivity

Starlink is one of the seminal feats of engineering in history. It will enable internet that's — fast 100-300mbps — uncensored — affordable $1500/yr in: — the most remote areas — ships in the ocean — airplanes in the sky — poles But few even know what this picture is.. Traditional satellite internet uses geostationary orbit (GEO) - satellites at 36,000km altitude. The physics is simple but the latency is brutal: 600ms+ for signals to make the round trip. Online gaming? Video calls? Forget it. Starlink's solution? Build a mesh network at 550km altitude with satellites moving at 27,000 km/h. Your data packets are bouncing between thousands of satellites, each serving 2,000+ users. The engineering complexity is insane. Why wasn't this built before? Physics demands 1000s of satellites to get low latency. Each one used to cost $500M+ and took years to build. SpaceX solved this with mass manufacturing, dropping costs to $250K! A 2000x improvement. That allowed them to get ~7000 up there! The satellites talk to each other with laser links while they move 7.5km/s relative to each other. Your path between NYC and LA might use 8 different satellites during a 2-minute connection. Every packet needs dynamic routing through a maze in constant motion. The satellite tech is wild. — 4 phased arrays processing Ku/Ka bands — Hall thrusters ionizing argon at 2000°C — optical links pushing 100Gbps — passive thermal systems handle 200°C temperature swings. — 0.05° pointing precision All packed into a flat panel. Most spacecraft are built to last 15+ years. Starlink? 5-7 years max. By mass-producing cheaper satellites and launching 60 at once, they can constantly replace them with better versions. Old ones burn up in months. Planned obsolescence in space. But how do you actually get internet? Your request beams up to multiple overhead satellites, hops through laser interlinks at Mach 22, hits a ground station near the destination server, and data returns through a new optimized satellite path. 40ms round trip. Wild. And that picture? Those are the ground stations - the unsung heroes of Starlink of that connect to the internet backbone. Each one tracks multiple satellites simultaneously, handling seamless handoffs while pumping gigabits through the air. Together, it's not just internet - it's humanity's first space-based infrastructure platform. GPS enhancement, aircraft tracking, emergency response, and more we haven't imagined. The internet is just the beginning.

In a world demanding enhanced and fast connectivity, standard infrastructure faces limitations. How do we bridge the digital divide and deliver high-speed internet to everyone, everywhere? A French start-up, Constellation Technologies & Operations (CTO), aims to usher in a new era of space telecommunications with its Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) satellite constellation. This means telecom companies could use a satellite network to deliver internet just like their ground-based networks, offering fast, responsive connections from space. As a step in this direction, CTO has introduced the Early Test, its first “regenerative operational payload” of 5G millimeter wave (5G mmWave) spectrum. CTO is showing off its first piece of working equipment that will be used to send internet signals from space. “Our regenerative 5G mmWave payload is a world first that confirms CTO’s ability to accelerate the convergence between terrestrial and space connectivity. It is a fundamental brick to continue developing the next generation space infrastructure for telecoms operators that they can operate as they do today with terrestrial networks,” said Charles Delfieux, CEO of CTO. The “Early Test” payload, designed for space internet, has been rigorously tested on Earth under space-like conditions. It’s now attached to a satellite platform for its journey into orbit, scheduled for June 2025. This launch will be a major first, as it will be the first time 5G mmWave spectrum tech is used to transmit high-speed, low-latency internet from a satellite to anywhere on Earth. 5G mmWave is a high-frequency radio wave technology used in the fifth generation of wireless communication technology. It operates between 24 and 100 GHz to enable very fast wireless communication. Modern 5G uses the 3.5GHz band for improved capacity and speed. To reach even faster speeds and lower latency, future 5G systems will leverage the much higher frequencies of mmWave technology. These advantages enable the deployment of technologies like autonomous vehicles, remote surgeries, industrial automation, and smart city infrastructure. Full Article: https://lnkd.in/gdziqSCC #CTO #VLEO #5GmmWave CTO has introduced the Early Test, its first “regenerative operational payload” of 5G millimeter wave (5G mmWave) spectrum. (CTO)

🛰️ 5G from space; or more like getting 5G and Satellite on talking terms- literally and figuratively! 🚀 A 'satellite' based mobile network connectivity has been talked about for some years now and things have started seeing the light of the day. 👉🏽 As satellite technology continues to advance and more partnerships are formed, the potential for satellite networks to supplement and enhance terrestrial networks is becoming increasingly clear. In fact, requirements for NTN i.e. Non Terrestrial Networks were included in 3GPP Release 15 with some more additions for specific implementations in Release 17/18. The new specification enables the inclusion of NTN technologies in "standard" 5G devices ......think your iPhones and Android phones. It is a major step forward for a vision of ubiquitous connectivity if standard mobile phones are able to use space based satellite networks for connectivity. As an example, AST SpaceMobile is thinking about doing just that. Per their stated aim, AST plans on providing a service to fill "Coverage Gaps" so that everyone will stay seamlessly connected. They plan to do it via a LEO satellite system. The benefit with such a satellite system is of course that it is able to reach places where terrestrial coverage is not available. In addition, Ericsson, Qualcomm and Thales all have come together to do a smartphone use-case focused testing and validation of 5G non-terrestrial networks (5G NTN). Attached is a white paper submitted to IEEE on 3GPP NTN that gives specifics on the topic. Hope you find it useful. The next frontier for an all round connectivity is: Indoor coverage #5g #satellite #technology #network #telecom #VPspeak [^536]

How Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell Service is Disrupting Telecommunications—and What’s Next for AI-Driven Innovation Imagine a world where your smartphone works anywhere—from the top of a mountain to the middle of the ocean. Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell service is making this a reality, eliminating dead zones by connecting unmodified phones directly to low-Earth orbit satellites. No cell towers. No extra hardware. Just seamless connectivity. Why This is Game-Changing: 1. Global Coverage: Say goodbye to connectivity gaps. Starlink ensures calls, texts, and eventually data—even in the most remote areas. 2. Empowering Emergency Response: Free global emergency connectivity ensures help is just a call away, regardless of location or affordability. 3. T-Mobile Partnership: The first step in a bold vision to make universal satellite coverage a standard, starting with U.S. beta testing in 2025. But this disruption goes beyond telecommunications. It’s a glimpse into how AI and satellite technology can revolutionize other industries: • Healthcare: Imagine real-time consultations with doctors in remote regions via satellite-enabled devices. • Education: AI-powered remote learning platforms that work anywhere, ensuring no child is left behind. • Agriculture: AI-driven insights sent directly to farmers in the field, optimizing yields and addressing climate challenges. The Future of Disruption Starlink’s approach shows how AI can combine with cutting-edge technology to break barriers and redefine industries. As we step into this new era, the question is: What’s next? 👉 What industries do you think are ripe for disruption by AI and innovative tech? Share your thoughts below. #Innovation #Starlink #AI #Disruption #FutureOfWork #Connectivity #DigitalTransformation #Leadership

Something very interesting is happening across Africa's connectivity landscape… and too many are sleeping on it. At ARED GROUP INC , we’ve observed a surprising trend: 50% of our edge infrastructure customers are connecting via satellite—and the number is growing fast. Why? Because satellite offers speed, reliability, and often lower total cost in urban and remote or underserved areas where traditional telecoms and ISPs haven’t delivered. It’s not just about internet anymore. When providers like Starlink start bundling voice and messaging, the disruption becomes undeniable. Yet many telecoms and ISPs remain locked in old models, missing the signals that the ground beneath them is shifting. Meanwhile, businesses, health centers, even transport operators are choosing smarter infrastructure. ARED GROUP INC is riding that wave. Our edge gateway turns any internet—satellite, fiber, mobile—into a localized digital ecosystem, running business apps, analytics, and even AI models offline or online. It’s fast, modular, and cost-effective. And it’s empowering African businesses to grow without waiting for infrastructure to catch up. This isn’t just a tech trend. It’s a warning shot. Disruption is here. Are you watching it happen—or helping shape what comes next? #EdgeInfrastructure #DigitalTransformation #AfricaTech #AREDGroup #ConnectivityRevolution #Starlink #SatelliteInternet #ISPs #Innovation #SmartAfrica #FutureOfWork #AIOnTheEdge #LastMileConnectivity

Satellite Internet will undoubtedly play a vital role in bringing connectivity to places where previously there was none, and to serve as a hybrid or backup option for a more resilient connectivity strategy. The real innovation, however, will likely emerge as developers go beyond leveraging satellites as "wireless Internet," and begin designing applications that fundamentally couldn't exist with terrestrial infrastructure alone, such as global IoT networks for maritime and aviation, distributed computing grids using satellite coordination, or augmented reality applications requiring global synchronization. This architectural evolution will unlock the potential of LEO networks, just as microservices and cloud-native designs revolutionized traditional computing paradigms. @ryanbrownejourno https://lnkd.in/gtqDU2Sy