Page 88 - SAMENA Trends - March 2020

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Kymeta Unveils Next-Gen Satellite Antenna for Hybrid Connectivity

Kymeta Corp., one of the high-tech means that you can roam around the with a variety of connectivity providers
ventures backed by Microsoft co-founder world seamlessly as well, whereas the — including Intelsat on the satellite side
Bill Gates, has paired its next-generation u7 didn’t really allow for global roaming.” and Cubic Telecom on the cellular side
satellite antenna with a new kind of Kymeta takes advantage of metamaterials — to offer a variety of satellite and hybrid
hybrid connectivity service — reaching technology to “steer” its antennas satellite-cellular packages. The Kymeta
the next level in its quest to make buying electronically, without any moving parts. Connect offerings build on the company’s
satellite-based telecommunications as Previous versions of Kymeta’s flat-panel existing partnership with Intelsat on its
easy as buying cell service. Bill Marks, antennas looked like stop signs. The u8 Kalo connectivity service. Potential users
Kymeta’s chief strategy officer, said antenna has been redesigned to have include first responders, construction
the new combination of hardware and softer corners — and sharper electronics. crews and the military as well as maritime
software builds on Kymeta’s current “We continually innovate the science vessels and ferries, trucks, trains, buses
service offerings, which hit the market around metamaterials,” Marks said. “What and vehicle fleets. Kymeta is turning up the
two years ago. “When you start to try that means for the u8 is that we can scan spotlight on the u8 antenna and the Kymeta
to penetrate markets that aren’t used and see satellites lower on the horizon Connect service this week at the Satellite
to buying satellite services, especially than we used to, with higher performance. 2020 conference in Washington, D.C. It
mobility in the platforms that we’re on, the It’s much more practical for mobile aims to roll out its offerings between now
customers want you to provide something applications, because you can’t predict and the end of the year, initially focusing
as simple as what they’re used to when where the antenna is going to be.” The u8 on the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, Asia-
they buy handsets and cellular plans,” he is also designed to perform better than the Pacific region, sub-Saharan Africa and
told GeekWire. The typical model involves u7 in extreme environments, ranging from Oceania. “We have beta units that will
buying the hardware, and then navigating a baking-hot desert to the chilly exterior start seeing the market in early summer.
your way through a patchwork of service of a high-flying airplane. It’s available as … Before we call it general availability and
plans. “It’s very difficult to say, ‘Hey, buy this an antenna, as a terminal or in a flyaway turn up the production lines, we want to
satellite antenna … Now, good luck, go find configuration, and it’s tailor-made for put a certain number of units out in the
your own capacity,’ ” Marks said. “People Kymeta Connect. Kymeta is partnering field with valued customers,” Marks said.
aren’t used to that, and they don’t know
how to do it.” To streamline the process,
Redmond, Wash.-based Kymeta is gearing
up to offer all-inclusive packages that
combine its next-generation u8 antenna
with a smorgasbord of Ku-band satellite
connectivity and cellular service. Kymeta
Connect packages will be priced on a
per-gigabyte basis, just like cell service.
Subscription rates start at $999 per month
for 1 gigabyte of data. “For the satellite
industry, that is pretty earth-shattering,”
Marks said. Kymeta plans to add to its
offerings as new satellite constellations
begin beaming broadband services from
low Earth orbit. Those services should
extend connectivity to virtually every
place on the planet. “If you buy our u8
product, you can use it anywhere in the
world at any frequency that Ku-band
operates, seamlessly,” Marks said. “That

88 MARCH 2020