Intelsat links with Microsoft on 5G/LTE projects
February 28, 2022
By Chris Forrester
Intelsat has successfully demonstrated a private cellular network with Microsoft Azure’s Private Multi-Access Edge Compute and FlexEnterprise, Intelsat’s satellite-based global connectivity service.
Held at Intelsat’s office in McLean, VA, the demonstration successfully establishes a reference architecture for deploying secure, high-performance private LTE and 5G networks and other cloud services over satellite networks to enterprise locations virtually anywhere globally, including those in remote and austere environments.
The demonstration creates a private LTE service using Azure Private 5G Core deployed on an Azure
Stack Edge device, says Intelsat. Connectivity to the internet and Azure services is enabled by Intelsat’s FlexEnterprise. Via the private cellular network, users can access local enterprise resources via SIM-authenticated connections to the Azure Stack Edge and access remote resources through the FlexEnterprise connection, the IntelsatOne global network and Azure. Additionally, the LTE network powers a Wi-Fi access point and IoT applications.
“As enterprises look to private cellular networks to improve the reach, security, and quality-of-service over Wi-Fi-only local networks, the ability to support deployments at any site is crucial to creating a fully connected organisation,” said Jean-Philippe Gillet, SVP Global Sales Media & Networks, Intelsat.
“The applications demonstrated here with Microsoft highlight the increased automation and standardisation of enterprise data processing services that globally-available private cellular networks will enable. Support for high-bandwidth, low-latency networks is central to Intelsat’s vision of an endto-end ecosystem for a global software-defined 5G network.