One of the regions most hard-hit by the hurricane was Lee County, FL, with some local officials saying it could take upwards of five years to recover from the storm.

Not unlike other large storms and natural disasters, one of the casualties of Hurricane Ian in places like Lee County was the critical infrastructure. Electricity was knocked out for more than 2 million people, and critical communications infrastructure was compromised, as well, making it impossible for some residents to contact their loved ones or reach out for assistance.

Following the storm, a team from SES Space & Defense  joined together with individuals from AWS, SimbaCom, and Help.NGO to bring much-needed communications services and connectivity to those impacted. We recently sat down with G Ramos Carr of SES Space & Defense to discuss what conditions were like on the ground, why satellite communications were needed, and what the team was able to bring to the response and recovery efforts.

Government Satellite Report (GSR): When Hurricane Ian struck, what impact did it have on the terrestrial networks and communications infrastructure in the State of Florida?

G RamosCarr: Hurricane Ian was one of the most powerful storms to ever hit the U.S. While it was technically a Category 4 storm, Hurricane Ian’s incredible strength and high windspeeds almost qualified as a Category 5. Overall, more than 140 miles of area across Florida were damaged.

In many of these damaged areas, there was a significant impact on critical infrastructure – including communications. In some of the counties impacted by the hurricane, we saw cell sites go down for several cellular providers. We also saw numerous aggregation points responsible for providing mobile backhaul for large regional areas impacted due to a lack of electricity or compromised fiber optic cables.

“Any time a disaster strikes or a major emergency occurs, those impacted want to communicate with loved ones. This need to communicate can’t be met when terrestrial networks are down.” -G RamosCarr

This meant that essential communications and connectivity services were not available for citizens. But it also meant that some smaller local and municipal government organizations had no connectivity or communications capabilities. Even with FirstNet available for disaster recovery and response personnel, there was a population of first responders that had no way to communicate with each other or coordinate operations.

GSR: When folks think about disaster response and recovery, they think about rescuing people from flood zones, and providing housing, food, and water. Why is restoring connectivity and communications also a priority in these situations? What capabilities are denied when comms are denied?

G RamosCarr: Any time a disaster strikes or a major emergency occurs, those impacted want to communicate with loved ones. This need to communicate can’t be met when terrestrial networks are down. Worse, this rush to reach out to family and loved ones only taxes and strains existing terrestrial networks. So, the networks that are still working become overloaded and incapable of meeting the demand placed on them.

Then, there are other things that need to be done for people to return to a sense of normalcy and “life as usual.” Insurance companies need to be contacted. Applications for government assistance and services need to be completed and submitted. These are all things that can only be done when there is connectivity.

And that’s just talking about the citizens impacted by the disaster. The first responders and disaster recovery personnel have their own connectivity needs. They need the ability to coordinate operations and activities. They’re often operating in difficult, dangerous environments and need the ability to keep in touch with each other or request help when needed.

Even with emergency cellular services like FirstNet available, there were some disaster and emergency response personnel without connectivity in remote locations following Hurricane Ian. There was one particular location in Lee County with no connectivity or communication services for search and rescue operations that were being conducted from a beachhead command center.

“Together, the team leveraged MEO terminal kits to deploy communications to those that were impacted by the storm.” -G RamosCarr

Operations and missions like these are dangerous enough and become more dangerous when there is no ability to communicate and call for help.

So, while food, shelter, and water are needed in disaster response scenarios, connectivity is imperative.

GSR: SES Space &Defense worked with SimbaCom, AWS, and Help.NGO to leverage MEO satellite connectivity to help in disaster response. What types of services did MEO deliver? What did it enable on the ground in Florida?

G RamosCarr: All three of those organizations played a key role in helping SES Space & Defense bring high-throughput, low-latency Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) connectivity to those that needed it after Hurricane Ian.

SimbaCom’s field service representatives volunteered to help in the relief effort and played a critical role in getting our MEO satellite terminals on location to deliver connectivity.

The AWS Disaster Response Team deployed to the area and used our MEO satellite connectivity as a backbone to provide connectivity. They even provided Amazon Distribution Centers as muster points for the local community, and command centers for our operations. And Help.NGO handled the logistics for the team – ensuring our people had what they needed to operate.

Together, the team leveraged MEO terminal kits to deploy communications to those that were impacted by the storm. Amazon Distribution Centers were given high-throughput connectivity so that those gathered in tents there could have the connectivity they need. Several municipal government buildings, like firehouses, were connected via high-throughput MEO connectivity to enable communications and the coordination of response efforts. We even enabled insurance claims processing for the Florida Department of Financial Services.

But the most impactful utilization our MEO satellite provided was to the beachhead command center in Lee County, where an 85CM terminal was deployed to help fill the communications gap for first responders. In that location, there was no connectivity. We were able to deliver fiber-like connectivity for them that was faster and more capable than even traditional satellite service.

GSR: Why was a NGSO satellite solution important in this use case? What does an NGSO satellite solution – like the O3b MEO satellite constellation – bring to the table that GEO satellites don’t?

G RamosCarr: In some of the emergency shelters and muster points where people were impacted by the storm, there were insurance professionals and government representatives that had satellite connectivity. Often, these individuals were equipped with traditional very small aperture terminals (VSAT) connected to GEO satellite services that were shared via a traditional TDMA network.

“The MEO satellite capacity that we were able to provide has an experience much more similar to fiber connectivity.” -G RamosCarr

Many of them found that they had limited bandwidth. That limited bandwidth was further limited because it was shared by everyone else with a VSAT. The satellite capacity that they were using wasn’t dedicated capacity – so every person with a VSAT was effectively competing for bandwidth and throughput. As a result, communications were impacted and connectivity was slow, spotty, or unreliable.

The MEO satellite capacity that we were able to provide has an experience much more similar to fiber connectivity. When plugged into a local distribution service, users thought they were using the same traditional backhaul used in their homes. They had the ability to access real-time streamlining video, access government and insurance company websites, and even video calls with loved ones. Ultimately, the MEO connectivity provided a seamless experience in the middle of the catastrophe.

It wasn’t long before those insurance professionals and even FEMA personnel were switching to the connectivity provided by our MEO satellite service. It was faster, more reliable, and similar to their traditional home and cellular networks.

GSR: How long did it take to get SES satellite connectivity established in Lee County? Is there special equipment that is needed? Is it a difficult or time-intensive process to get satellite connectivity delivered to an area like this?

G RamosCarr: Obviously, since the equipment wasn’t present on site and ready to be deployed to the location, we had to transport it from where it was stored to the impacted areas in Florida. However, once we were on site, we were able to deliver high-throughput, low-latency connectivity to those that needed it within hours.

Candidly, the largest slowdown that kept us from making a larger impact more immediately was awareness. The local government agencies simply didn’t know that we were on the ground and able to deliver this capability to them. Once they learned that the service was available, we were able to deliver it to them very quickly and efficiently.

In the case of Lee County, we were able to get the 85 CM terminal loaded, brought out to where they were operating, and get service deployed all within a couple of hours.

The post How NGSO Satellite Delivered Needed Comms Following Hurricane Ian appeared first on SES Space and Defense.

These solutions included managed satellite services that deliver an end-to-end network that is faster and easier to deploy for military and government organizations. They also included a new generation of turnkey mobile satellite solutions that can be easily moved where needed and utilized to deliver a large area of high-throughput, low-latency connectivity to those that need it via 5G or WiFi.

And while these solutions sound exciting in their ability to make satellite more accessible and easy to use for government and military organizations, we wanted to learn more about how they could make a difference in specific government use cases. In particular, we wanted to learn how a common scenario where satellite is often necessary – emergency and disaster response and recovery operations – could benefit from these new technologies.

To get a window into the ways these new satellite services and solutions could transform emergency and disaster response efforts and operations, we sat down for an in-depth discussion with Rashid Neighbors, who is the Vice President of Mobility and Integrated Solutions at ‎SES Space and Defense. During our discussion, we asked Rashid about how each of these solutions could be used in emergency response, what makes them different, and how they could effectively work together to transform the way the government communicates and operates in emergencies.

Here is what he said:

Government Satellite Report (GSR): There’s a long-held belief that satellite isn’t user-friendly. That rolling out satellite communications in emergencies isn’t seamless or possible at the speed necessary for emergency response. How is the satellite industry working to change this? What’s already been done?

Rashid Neighbors: No one ever wants to be in a situation where they have to use satellite communications because a natural disaster has destroyed terrestrial communications infrastructure. However, SATCOM is best suited to quickly provide connectivity in these sorts of scenarios.

We know that these scenarios require communications that are reliable, easy to use, and quickly deployable. So, the satellite industry has worked aggressively to tailor our solutions, make them more user friendly and eliminate a lot of the expensive hardware necessary to utilize SATCOM. One of the ways we’re doing this is by introducing managed services and new solutions that deliver the full end-user experience. This ensures that satellite services are there to meet mission-critical communications requirements in all situations.

GSR: Some of your associates at SES Space and Defense have recently contributed articles to the Government Satellite Report about some exciting new technologies and solutions that appear to be making satellite service more scalable, flexible, user-friendly and affordable. Included in that were the SKALA Global Network and new “Roll-On, Roll-Off” mobile satellite solutions. Let’s start with SKALA. How can the SKALA Global Network be used in emergency and disaster response scenarios?

Rashid Neighbors: In emergency response situations, SKALA is an excellent solution for keeping individual first responders and tactical operators connected with cost-effective terminals and hardware to utilize it. These off-the-shelf commercial solutions can be deployed quickly and inexpensively to meet the basic communications requirements of responders in the field.

In fact, an inexpensive fixed antenna on a non-pen mount that people in the industry often refer to as a “leave behind antenna” because of its low price point and mobility is all that’s really necessary to access the SKALA Global Network. And those antennas are excellent in wildfires and other natural disaster scenarios. They can be deployed quickly and easily and communications can be established in very short fashion. The lower price point of these antennas also means that local and federal government organizations and emergency response organizations could even preposition some of the equipment across the country to help further accelerate response.

“Think about the tactical operators responding to a hurricane that knocked out cellular networks…SKALA is an affordable, quickly-deployed solution to get those individuals the basic connectivity and communications services they need to save lives and safely do their jobs.” – Rashid Neighbors

Using the SKALA Global Network and these “leave behind antennas,” government organizations could deliver moderate throughput communications capabilities such as email, voice, access to situational awareness and mapping applications, and other services enabled by basic connectivity. This makes the service very cost-effective, while still delivering everything the first responder needs in the field to stay connected.

GSR: What about these “Roll-On, Roll-Off” mobile satellite solutions? Why would they be an exciting solution for emergency and disaster relief initiatives? What kinds of capabilities could that enable?

Rashid Neighbors: Our new, turnkey mobile connectivity solution set is extremely exciting for a number of reasons. They’re entirely integrated, self-contained and weather-proof solutions that are designed to work with our O3b MEO satellite network. The O3b MEO satellite constellation orbits at 5,000 miles versus 22,000 miles for traditional GEO satellites, which enables it to not only offer incredibly high throughputs, but do so with very low latency.

Combining O3b MEO satellite service with these new “Roll-On, Roll-Off” mobile connectivity options means that high-throughput, low latency connectivity can be delivered to practically any scenario and environment. These solutions are easily airlifted – or moved by forklift or crane – to where they’re needed. Once power is supplied, they begin providing an area of connectivity via 5G or WiFi, whether they’re on a ship at sea or on land.

So, how does this translate to a natural disaster or emergency situation? When disaster strikes, emergency response organizations come onsite and work to establish a center of operations where they can manage the situation, monitor tactical operators, provide care and services to impacted residents and perform other operations. If we airlift or trailer this mobile connectivity solution to this center of operations, we can deliver high-throughput, low-latency, broadband-like connectivity for the entire area to help support those operations and provide communications for the individuals close by.

This solution delivers so much capacity and bandwidth that the capabilities are basically limitless.

Individuals responsible for managing and directing response and rescue efforts could use it to access and monitor real-time, HD video feeds from drones and other sensors. They can use it to download large reports with images and maps. They can use the connectivity to aggregate and analyze an incredible amount of data. Field hospitals could use it to access and transmit medical histories and imagery. They could even use it to deliver telemedicine services into the field for victims of disasters.

GSR: How are these two solutions different? If you were an organization responsible for emergency and disaster response, why would you choose one over the other? Are there cost considerations? Hardware considerations? Differences in capabilities?

Rashid Neighbors: The major difference between the two solutions is the amount of throughput that they deliver. The SKALA Mobile Network is a solution that can be accessed with hardware that has an incredibly small footprint and that can deliver connectivity to the very edge – the tactical operator out in the field conducting search and rescue operations and other disaster response operations.

These individuals – forward operators – don’t require the immense capacity of the “Roll-On, Roll-Off” mobile connectivity solution. Instead, they require mission-critical, basic communications services in locations and scenarios where they have no other option because other networks are not available.

“All of these organizations and agencies are embracing digital transformation initiatives, network-enabled platforms, and applications to improve their operations. Solutions like SKALA and the “Roll-On, Roll-Off” mobile connectivity solution are just extending access to those solutions out to the tactical edge…” – Rashid Neighbors

Think about the tactical operators responding to a hurricane that knocked out cellular networks. Or the crew responding to a fire in a national forest where cell towers were never constructed. SKALA is an affordable, quickly-deployed solution to get those individuals the basic connectivity and communications services they need to save lives and safely do their jobs.

The “Roll-On, Roll-Off” mobile connectivity solution is a larger footprint solution that delivers much higher throughputs and capacity. If SKALA is capable of connecting the forward operators, the “Roll-On, Roll-Off” mobile connectivity solution would be used to deliver mission-critical connectivity to the command center.

Together, they can ensure that every individual and organization responsible for a coordinated, effective emergency response operation has access to the communications services that they need, when and where they need them.

GSR: How would the use of these solutions be better than what emergency and first responders are working with today? What additional capabilities would it give them? What other benefits would it enable?

Rashid Neighbors: Imagine a hurricane hits a large, well-populated region – or even an island – within the United States. This hurricane knocks out all communications infrastructure and terrestrial networks, so there’s no existing communications for first responders and the emergency response and relief agencies and organizations – agencies like FEMA – to use to stay connected and coordinated when they get boots on the ground.

In the past, the tactical operators and forward operators going out into the disaster-impacted areas to look for survivors and deliver aid to local residents would be resigned to just line-of-sight radio communications. This would enable them to have voice communications with those close by, but they wouldn’t have the reach-back connectivity needed to interact with the people that support them.

The agencies establishing command centers and base camps would also lack communications, hindering their ability to gather intelligence on the situation and have complete situational awareness. Agencies like FEMA – which functions to file claims and deliver economic relief and assistance to victims of natural disasters – would often revert to paper forms. This would drastically slow down the claims process.

Now, think about the same disaster response situation with the SKALA Global Network and the “Roll-On, Roll-Off” mobile connectivity solution in place.

The command center where operations were planned and monitored could have high-throughput, low-latency connectivity to support all of its operations. Forward, tactical operators could have basic communications services that not only allow them to stay connected with other emergency responders in the field, but to report back and communicate with the people that are providing them with support and managing operations.

Finally, an agency like FEMA could be using connected tablets and other ruggedized mobile devices to gather claims information and file claims. This would eliminate errors and lost claims information, while also expediting the process.

All of these organizations and agencies are embracing digital transformation initiatives, network-enabled platforms, and applications to improve their operations. Solutions like SKALA and the “Roll-On, Roll-Off” mobile connectivity solution are just extending access to those solutions out to the tactical edge – to the places where terrestrial networks either never existed, or no longer are available.

To learn more about the role that satellite solutions can play in emergency preparedness and disaster response, click HERE to download a complimentary copy of the whitepaper, ‘Emergency Response From Space.”

The post Fostering a more collaborative and coordinated disaster response with satellite appeared first on SES Space and Defense.

Even in a world where connectivity feels ubiquitous, there are still places and situations where a compass, a loud voice, line of site radios, and orienteering remain the only means for managing operations – a less than ideal scenario in most cases. Military missions, humanitarian efforts, and disaster response (HADR) operations all require high-speed, mobile connectivity that is ubiquitous, secure, and reliable to ensure that lives are saved, and missions are successful.

Since terrestrial networks are often either unavailable or not trusted, these situations require a BYOC – or Bring Your Own Connectivity – approach to communications and situational awareness. But the challenge of delivering mobile connectivity is no small feat.

In disaster relief situations, response teams typically set up a hub location of connectivity once an area is cleared and accessible. This can often take days or weeks wasting critical time needed to save lives.

In this installment, I’d like to talk about a new turnkey solution that offers a “roll-on, roll-off” functionality and brings fiber-like connectivity to the most remote and austere environments by leveraging SES’ O3b MEO satellite constellation.

The turnkey solution is self-contained, weatherproof, and houses all electronic equipment in a rack system with an AC power distribution unit, and a battery backup system. It was specifically designed for an extremely simplified, unobtrusive installation that can easily be cross-decked from vessel-to-vessel or transported from vessel to shore. The solution can adapt to virtually any scenario or environment due to its design and portability. The self-contained skid mount platform allows for crane lift, forklift, or pallet jack movement ideal for both land and maritime domains and meets the size/weight requirements to accommodate air transportation to vessels at sea (i.e. Carrier Onboard Delivery, or COD) as well as helicopter transportation ashore supporting combat operations or HADR missions.

SES’ O3b MEO constellation delivers network services with resilient high-throughput and low-latency as the small variant Rapidly Deployable Maritime System (RDMS) is able to achieve upwards of 400 Mbps x 200 Mbps of throughput. This new solution provides enough bandwidth to enable all the systems and applications needed at the tactical edge, which is important as government systems and platforms are becoming network-enabled more than ever.

SES Space and Defense’s carrier-grade SATCOM connectivity has demonstrated throughput that is unsurpassed in a portable maritime system of this size. The solution has been installed to provide connectivity for a variety of uses such as onboard hospital ships to access data for patient treatment, transferring large data files, running remote applications, and providing connectivity to personnel boosting crew morale onboard naval vessels.

Another case where the solution is utilized is onboard naval vessels. Due to extended deployments, some U.S. servicemen are approaching nearly a year at sea. O3b MEO provides sailors with the level of connectivity needed to video conference family and friends back home – boosting crew morale. A similar MEO solution has been deployed to support Allied naval forces during operational deployments.

With this new portable, turnkey solution SES Space and Defense is proud to provide unprecedented connectivity leveraging its O3b MEO constellation by assisting military missions, disaster response, and humanitarian missions.

To learn more about the role that satellite solutions can play in emergency preparedness and response, click HERE to download a complimentary copy of the whitepaper, ‘Emergency Response From Space.”

The post Mobile connectivity solutions deliver bandwidth where needed appeared first on SES Space and Defense.

As network-enabled solutions have increasingly made their way into government and military operations, connectivity at the edge has become increasingly essential. Seemingly every government application, system, platform, or weapons system today is network-enabled or relies on access to data. Unfortunately, many government and military missions are conducted in places where terrestrial networks aren’t available.

In the case of our military, operations may be conducted in the middle of a foreign nation where they have yet to invest in building a terrestrial network infrastructure. Or, existing network infrastructures may be denied or untrusted for transmitting sensitive military data. Or, the mission may involve a ship at sea or a transport plane traveling well beyond the reach of any existing terrestrial network.

But this requirement isn’t limited to the military, and our government doesn’t only face this challenge outside of our borders. Large swaths of this nation – in many rural and remote locations – lack high-bandwidth terrestrial network connectivity. And places that do have terrestrial networks may find them compromised when they’re needed most – times like disaster scenarios and emergency relief situations.

In these instances, the ability for satellite to deliver connectivity to virtually anywhere, regardless of the presence of terrestrial networks is what makes it so essential. Unfortunately, satellite connectivity carries a stigma and misconceptions about ease of use and accessibility. There have long been concerns about the cost, interoperability, availability, and mobility of the ground hardware necessary to utilize satellites. And there have also been concerns among government users about cost and dependability.

Luckily, technological advancements and the introduction of new solutions and satellite acquisition models over the course of the last few years have gone a long way towards eliminating these challenges and misconceptions. Over the course of the next few articles, I’ll be joined by my associates at SES Space and Defense and other contributors to the Government Satellite Report as we look at some of the exciting new solutions, advancements, and offerings that are making satellite connectivity easier to use, more accessible and more available to the government organizations that need it in the field.

And one of the first offerings we’d like to discuss isn’t something new, per se. Rather, it’s a satellite managed service offering that has become a best practice in the private sector and is now being offered with the same dependability, reliability, and customer support that’s needed for government use cases – the SKALA Global Network.

Shared capacity on virtually any hardware
Traditionally, the use of commercial or purpose-built satellites by the government or military requires that the user builds the entire end-to-end infrastructure. Needless to say, this is an incredibly time-consuming and expensive undertaking with a return that may not be worth the investment. This is especially true for government agencies responsible for emergency and disaster response that will use their satellite solutions sporadically and only when disaster strikes.

But what if that agency could utilize the satellite hardware – terminals and antennas – that they already have to quickly, easily, and seamlessly connect via a commercial satellite solution without having to build the connection to the Internet and the uplink/downlink to the satellite? What if they could simply lease a small amount of capacity for a short period of time and have it function – when needed – without having to invest in and install hardware at a teleport? This is what satellite managed service offerings can deliver.

“With satellite managed service solutions, such as SKALA, agencies get just the satellite connectivity and capacity that they need for the short period of time in which they’re responding to an emergency situation…”

The managed service approach to commercial satellite acquisition is something that has become commonplace – or even a best practice – across the maritime industry in recent years. And it’s now something that’s available for government agencies through managed service offerings such as the SES Space and Defense SKALA Global Platform.

To implement SKALA, SES Space and Defense invested in and built the terrestrial network infrastructure necessary to make an end-to-end satellite solution function. Government agencies and organizations need only to have an existing contract with the company and load a configuration file onto their existing terminals and antennas to receive the satellite connectivity that they need.

With satellite managed service solutions, such as SKALA, agencies get just the satellite connectivity and capacity that they need for the short period of time in which they’re responding to an emergency situation. And they get access to that capacity without having to integrate their own hardware into a teleport, or invest in new hardware and terminals.

But there has been some concern within the government when it comes to acquiring satellite as a managed service because the satellite capacity of a spacecraft or transponder is available and shared between a number of different users. Sharing capacity through a satellite managed service has created hesitancy among government organizations that are wary that the capacity will be taken or monopolized by other users when it’s needed most.

Thankfully, this is another concern that has been eliminated via innovation and new technologies.

Companies like SES Space and Defense that are offering managed service solutions are embracing contention ratios that ensure that the number of users – and the number of terminals in use across those users – will never approach the bandwidth and capacity limits. They’re also utilizing next-generation network management solutions and spacecraft with steerable beams to ensure that the requisite, contracted capacity is always available when it’s needed most.

As government agencies and the military increasingly rely on network-connected solutions, applications, and systems to accomplish their missions, the need for connectivity will only grow. And the off-grid nature of many of those missions will only make satellite an increasingly essential part of their operations in the future. Agencies that have avoided embracing satellite because of the hardware requirements and fear of high costs no longer have to go without.

Managed services, like SKALA, are the solution – making it possible to get the requisite connectivity with the necessary reliability they need without the effort and expense of building their own end-to-end satellite system.

In the next article in this series, my associate, Ernie Higham, will take an in-depth look at innovative, all-inclusive mobile terminal solutions that are making high-throughput, low-latency connectivity possible practically anywhere on the planet.

The post SKALA – how satellite managed services could deliver seamless emergency response connectivity appeared first on SES Space and Defense.

As if a hurricane season so active that – in about a month and a half – we’ve exhausted the list of 21 names the NHC put aside for the entire year wasn’t enough, this has also been an incredibly active year for an increasingly prevalent natural disaster – wildfires.

The year started with 46 million acres burning in Sydney, Australia. Those deadly bushfires destroyed more than 5,900 buildings and killed at least 34 people. It was a horrific tragedy that caused incredible damage to not just Australia’s people, but to many incredibly important natural habitats.  Those brushfires reportedly killed or displaced upwards of three billion animals, leading the World Wide Fund for Nature to call it, “…one of the worst wildlife disasters in modern history.”

Now, we’re seeing a similar situation play out in America’s west coast. There are currently 59 uncontained fires burning across the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. According to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in reporting by CNN, these fires have, “…burned more than 5.8 million acres,” and have killed, “….at least 34 people.”

As with all hurricanes and wildfires in the past, eventually, the storm passes and the fire is contained. In those moments, the best of humanity is on display as people band together to help rebuild and recover from these costly and terrible disasters.

Unfortunately, they’re often forced to do so without a vital resource – communications.

Destroying infrastructure as well as buildings
When people see aftermath photos of a natural disaster they’re often thinking about the damage to things like homes, office buildings, and small businesses. And while they may also see a washed-out road or a fallen bridge, transportation infrastructure isn’t the only one that is damaged and destroyed.

Natural disasters like hurricanes and wildfires also often compromise important electrical infrastructure and critical communications infrastructure. As Cale Teeter Gregg recently wrote on The Last Mile:

Many people don’t realize that the critical communications infrastructure that transmits the signals that keep their cell phones and other devices connected are often destroyed in natural disaster situations. The electronics at the base of these towers are often compromised in flooding. Wildfires will burn through the cables that connect them to terrestrial networks. Hurricanes will blow down cabling and damage electronics making them inoperable. Even lightning strikes can impact a cell tower and knock out service.

When these systems are knocked out and denied, the emergency response crews and impacted civilians in the affected area are left without the ability to communicate. This can make calling for help or assistance difficult to impossible. This can make coordination of relief and recovery efforts difficult. This can also have a major emotional toll as families are left unable to tell loved ones they’re okay, or to check in to ensure that they’re safe and secure.

And this is where satellites can help.

Quickly deployed, high bandwidth connectivity
In the wake of large natural disasters, such as highly damaging hurricanes and wildfires, it can take months to restore basic services. For example, following Hurricane Maria, it was estimated to take up to nine months to get power restored to 100 percent of the people serviced by the public utility company, PREPA.

During this time – while critical infrastructure is being repaired – there are still recovery teams and civilians that require access to stable communication networks. And satellite can help to deliver them.

Portable satellite terminals that deploy quickly can be brought into affected areas to help take the place of – or complement – damaged terrestrial networks. Since the connectivity comes from space and the hardware is mobile and deployed following the crisis or natural disaster, satellite is always available – regardless of what damage was done to terrestrial networks and infrastructure.

And, thanks in large part to the new generation of high throughput satellites (HTS) and the emergence of HTS satellites at Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), the connectivity that is delivered via satellite is both high bandwidth and dependable.

HTS delivers drastically increased throughputs, better link optimization, and performance. HTS also combines frequency reuse with blanket juxtaposition of high-power spot beams over a geographic area. This allows the user to transmit and receive more data than a standard wide beam. HTS satellites at MEO combine this increased throughput and dependability with lower latency – effectively delivering a fiber-like connection from space.

The recovery teams and civilians in areas impacted by natural disasters need critical connectivity tools for collaboration, coordination, and communication among themselves and their loved ones. While the terrestrial infrastructure that traditionally delivers this connectivity may be disrupted, satellites can fill that requirement without any loss of quality or capability.

Natural disasters are terrible tragedies, but they also bring out the best in people. Those that rush in to help following disasters should be given the tools they need to do their jobs effectively and ensure their own safety. Today’s next generation of HTS satellites can give them the tools they need to help communities recover while keeping themselves safe and connected.

The post The role HTS satellites can play in wildfire and hurricane recovery appeared first on SES Space and Defense.