Page 88 - SAMENA Trends - Jan-Mar 2024

SATELLITE UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Intelsat and AMN help to Connect Rural Madagascar

Among satellite operator Intelsat’s 15 days. Equipment was deployed by using
announcements for MWC 2024 is news of carts pulled by livestock and sometimes
a communications service in Madagascar canoes to carry terminals and equipment to
running in 65 communities, providing first- the final destination. All this would not have
time connectivity to about 100,000 people. been possible without the help of village
Africa Mobile Network (AMN), which volunteers, who helped carry equipment
builds, owns, operates and maintains on foot to reach the final site location.
mobile network infrastructure, and Intelsat, Since the connectivity has been set up, a
which operates one of the world’s largest local farmer who previously had to wait for
and most advanced satellite fleet and postal orders can now check everything
connectivity infrastructures, are working online, while the school now has access to
to connect 500 sites in Madagascar in a broader range of courses available online. location is too remote. To date, 65 sites
the hope of providing first-time phone AMN specializes in rural deployment. are up and running. The goal is to connect
broadband services to people who live and A combination of Intelsat’s satellite 120 sites by the end of March 2024. At
work across the country. Some 60% of the backhaul and AMN’s unique site design is that point, 200,000 people will have access
population lives in rural areas. To reach used to connect the rural communities to to telecommunication services where no
Vilanandro on the Northwest coast, a city of telephone services. The ubiquity of satellite coverage previously had been available
1800 inhabitants, took the AMN team over and solar power solutions means that no from any network operator.

SpaceX Targets Faster Internet with Lower-Orbit Starlink Satellites

SpaceX is seeking regulatory approval such as reduced latency and increased simplifies the process of retiring satellites
to enhance its Starlink satellite internet speed for a broad spectrum of users. by ensuring they can be de-orbited more
service by positioning a group of second- The company highlighted that these efficiently, ultimately burning up in the
generation satellites closer to Earth. The enhancements are not just theoretical; its Earth’s atmosphere without leaving
company filed a request with the Federal second-generation satellites have already traceable debris. Although specific figures
Communications Commission (FCC) this demonstrated superior performance on the expected improvements in internet
week to operate some of their satellites capabilities, even in the face of maximum speeds were not disclosed, Elon Musk has
within a lower orbit range between 340- atmospheric drag experienced during previously said that the company aims to
360km (211-223 miles) above the Earth’s the initial phases of orbit. SpaceX also reduce latency to below 20 milliseconds,
surface. This is some 200km (124 miles) outlined other advantages of this lower aligning with their broader goals of
lower than their current orbits. (via PCMag) orbit operation, including the potential providing high-speed internet access
In its filing, which you can read below, for heightened space sustainability. The across the globe, especially in underserved
SpaceX said this proposed adjustment move to lower orbits was portrayed as and remote areas where traditional
aims to improve Starlink’s performance, a measure to mitigate space traffic and broadband services are either unavailable
with the company emphasizing benefits collision risks. Moreover, this strategy or prohibitively expensive.

Omnispace Cleared to Bring S-Band satcoms to Brazil

Global communications provider Omnis- Service (MSS) allocation and the 3rd Gen- Comunicações Brasil has demonstrated its
pace has announced that Brazil’s National eration Partnership Project (3GPP) n256 NGSO MSS and IoT capabilities on its cur-
Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) has band specifications. This mean that Om- rent system through a series of experimen-
approved its subsidiary Omnispace Comu- nispace now has market access to reach tal licenses in Brazil. It has also conducted
nicações Brasil Ltda’s request to operate its more than 735 million people across Latin vehicle tracking and Internet of Things (IoT)
non-geostationary satellite (NGSO) system America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. pilot projects in the state of São Paulo to
nationwide. After conducting a public con- Together with partners that have spectrum test direct-to-device (D2D) communica-
sultation and technical reviews, ANATEL access in 3GPP 5G non-terrestrial network tions. Omnispace says it is the first compa-
determined that Omnispace meets the re- (NTN) bands, Omnispace says it is poised ny to successfully conduct mobile satellite
quirements to utilize the S-band (1980-2010 to deliver access in all major international tests in the S-band in Brazil and will now be
MHz / 2170-2200 MHz) in line with the ITU markets as part of a next generation global the first satellite operator licensed in Brazil
Radio Regulations global Mobile Satellite 5G NGSO system. Since 2019, Omnispace for this band with an operational system.

88 JANUARY-MARCH 2024