As demand for comms-on-the move rises exponentially, Alvaro Sanchez from Integrasys, lauds the array of LEO constellations while acknowledging the chellenges of providing a consistent service.
The rising demand from a constanly connected people means that comms on the move will be in higher demand that ever before. However, maintaining Satellite Communications whilst on the move in notoriously difficult. Maintaining signal whilst ensuring continuous links is as crucial as it is problematic, with even the slightest mispoint causing the signal to be out of range. Furthermore, if the equipament is not up to standard, then it won´t algain properly, which whilst on the move can cause numerous complications. How can the satellite industry ensure that continual connection and minimise errors?
Demanding a Constant Connection
Comms on the move has always been crucial for a number of applications. For example, in the cruise industry it anables passengers to access ther social media applications and OTT content, on any device. Satellite provides the best and unique communications network will reach. Hundreads of Mbs are being delivered per secod in a reliable way to hundreads of cruises today. In a very similar manner, other maritime versels are also connected, such as traditional shipping verssels and even yachts, a market that is currently booming.
The aero industry has for some time been another big user of comms on the move, both for commercial and cargo planes. Again, no other communication method could keep a plane conected throughout its journey. This has always been important, keeping the crew connected for important information, relating to weather and cockpit updates among other things. However, the constantly connected consumer is making it even more crucial for commercial aircraft to also supply a connection for customers.
Consumers are used to always being online and reply on bradband connections for pretty much evetything in ther daily life. For a consumer on board a plane, whether that be an international or regional flight, whether that be a low cost or a flagship airine, today it has become a must have. There is an expectation tant will continue on board, with very little consideration for the technical challenges of ensuring that.
This demand is set to continue at a fast pace over the coming months and years and will extend beyond just those areas. For example, we will see an increasing appetite for connected cars will begin to emerge into the market. Of course, keeping a car connected presents all the same challenges of other comms on the move applications, with the added complication that a consumer will simply not want to, or know how to, troubleshoot any connection errors.
Comms on the move will simply have to work, all the time, and be able to self-diagnose when there is a problem, without the need for any human intervention. Just imagine for a minute, that you bought the connected car of your dreams, and after couple of months you take it for a drive on a nice road, when a light on the dashboard shows it needs to go to the garage to repair and update the VSAT unit. Could you imagine the mechanic doing an update or troubleshooting the IDU or ODU or any IP? Most likely, this would be a disaster. Therefore, we need to take all measures to make it as robust as it could be, ensuring 99,99% availability and being able to maintain & test remotely.
For more information, please visit: http://satelliteprome.com/emagazine/satellite_pro_june_2018.pdf
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