Advanced Television

LeoSat wins US approvals

November 16, 2018

By Chris Forrester

LeoSat, which is planning to supply a constellation of 108 low-earth-orbiting and very high-tech satellites, has won permission from the FCC to provide services over the US. LeoSat is very much focusing its low-latency, high-speed transfer of communications onto the data-hungry market. LeoSat uses optical inter-satellite links as well as on-board processing to speed its delivery to clients.

In a statement LeoSat said: “The increasing demand for business connectivity and with it, the need to move large quantities of data quickly and securely around the world, is fast outpacing the infrastructure in place to carry it. Existing networks are already carrying more than 1 Zeta Byte of traffic globally and this is set to grow exponentially.”

“The FCC market access grant will allow LeoSat to address currently unmet demand for high-bandwidth, low-latency, high-security data transmissions from large commercial and government customers in the United States. Designed as a backbone in space for global business, LeoSat’s data network will enable new opportunities for sectors such as enterprise-to-enterprise communications, telecommunications, oil & gas operations and maritime services, delivering premise-to-premise high-speed data (greater than 1 Gbps) with unmatched security to any location in the world. Moreover, whilst LeoSat’s core focus is solving essential business communications challenges, the unique design of LeoSat’s constellation means capacity will also be available to enable a new level of connectivity services for Internet and cellular backhaul for remote and underserved communities.”

LeoSat’s CEO, Mark Rigolle said, “Getting approval from the US Federal Communications Commission – among the world’s most sophisticated radio frequency regulators – is an important milestone for LeoSat and recognises that we have a unique solution for high-speed and ultra-secure enterprise connectivity. I am delighted by this significant step forward for LeoSat as we continue to make excellent progress on our journey to deliver the world’s first business backbone in space, opening-up new markets for data networking, telecoms, enterprise and government communications across the globe.”

In total, the FCC approved the requests of four companies, adds Colin Mann – Space Exploration Holdings, LLC (SpaceX), Kepler Communications, Inc. (Kepler), Telesat Canada (Telesat – as well as LeoSat, seeking to roll-out new and expanded services using proposed non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) satellites. These proposed satellite systems are expected to enable fixed satellite service in the United States, expanding global connectivity and advancing the goals of increasing high-speed broadband availability and competition in the marketplace.

In a Statement, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said the Commission had been considering applications involving four proposed constellations of non-geostationary orbit satellites. Two of them involve repeat players; two involve start-ups. One proposed constellation would be authorised by the United States; three would be authorised by foreign governments and receive US market access. “But what they all have in common is the promise of variety in the burgeoning field of non-geostationary satellite services and innovative solutions to bridging the digital divide,” he added.

“From providing high-speed broadband services in remote areas to offering global connectivity to the Internet of Things through ‘routers in space’ for data backhaul, I’m excited to see what services these proposed constellations have to offer. Our approach to these applications reflects this Commission’s fundamental approach: encourage the private sector to invest and innovate and allow market forces to deliver value to American consumers,” he advised.

Categories: Articles, Broadband, Business, Policy, Regulation, Satellite