Say the word “satellite,” and perhaps those broadcast network dishes that dot the sides of buildings come to mind. Or maybe Sputnik. Perhaps what doesn’t spring to mind: data, at warp speeds, riding bandwidth to bring 5G fully into reality and everyday life.
5G networks, of course, are supposed to deliver data and content to a range of devices at speeds well beyond the current 4G infrastructure. To truly get to the connected economy that has devices talking to one another, where smart homes communicate with smart cities, and cell phones download movies in seconds (we’re being a bit general here), coverage means everything.
Satellites can bridge the connectivity gap by bringing data to rural areas where infrastructure may be less prevalent and where people live far apart. And efforts to get those satellites off the ground, so to speak, are ramping up – especially through partnerships and network buildout announcements.
CNBC reported that Canadian satellite operator Telesat has announced that hardware manufacturer Thales Alenia Space is building out Telesat’s next-generation broadband satellite network, to be known as Lightspeed. That network will bring high-speed data delivery to Telesat’s B2B customers (corporate customers for Lightspeed may include cruise ship operators and airlines, where 5G connectivity through cable lines becomes less, well, realistic).
The $5 billon buildout, according to CNBC, includes everything from the cost of the satellites to the ground infrastructure and software needed to power the network. The end result will be nearly 300 next-generation satellites that orbit the globe.
The Telesat effort differs from another satellite initiative, this one by SpaceX’s Starlink. As also reported this week, SpaceX, where Elon Musk is CEO, has been offering preorders for its satellite internet service, which is slated to be available (depending on the area) later this year or in 2022 in North America and the United Kingdom. CNBC reported that the kits for the service, which launched in public beta last October, include routers and dishes that will be used to connect to the more than 1,000 Starlink satellites already in orbit (the company hopes to launch more than 4,400 additional satellites within the next three years).
There’s also Amazon’s Kuiper, a satellite internet network. Late last year, the company said it had been field-testing antennas to stream video – and plans to launch more than 3,200 satellites into low-earth orbit. As noted in this space, Amazon has estimated that its satellite network will provide broadband internet access for close to 95 percent of the world’s population.
The 5G evolution need not be an “either/or” decision – either base stations or satellites. One company that just raised $60 million in funding, as noted by TechCrunch, will be integrating wireless ground technology along with satellites for enterprise and IoT connectivity.
As PYMNTS reported a few months ago when the pandemic brought us all closer to our devices, the Intelligence of Things Tracker found that 5G can help cities, individuals and healthcare providers manage through disruptions as data flows. And when 5G comes on full-force, it will bring the connected economy into all types of environments.
And now, there’s some help from rockets and hardware up in the sky. To take a line from an old horror movie: In space, no one can hear you stream.
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