Unfortunately, the Government Satellite Report wasn’t able to attend. However, we did have the opportunity to sit around the table with three members of the SES Space and Defense team that were in attendance at this year’s event.

Those experts included:

• Tim Deaver, Corporate Vice President of Development at SES Space and Defense
• Jeff Rowlison, Vice President of Government Affairs at SES Space and Defense
• Will Tong, Vice President of Sales at SES Space and Defense

During our time together, we discussed the major trends and topics that dominated discussion at this year’s show, we touched on the major challenges that are concerning the military in the space domain, and talked about the role that COMSATCOM is going to play in MILSATCOM into the future.

It’s rare that we get some many savvy satellite minds to ourselves, in one place and at one time, so we used the opportunity to record our discussion for a very special episode of the Government Satellite Report Radio podcast series.

Here is what these gentlemen had to say:

According to our guests, some of the hottest topics at Global MILSATCOM 2017 included HTS and MEO satellite constellations. For additional information of these solutions, download the following resources:

• High Throughput on the High Seas
• White Paper: Satellite Evolution Sparks a Service Revolution
• High Throughput Satellites for U.S. Government Applications
• White Paper On O3b “Fiber Like” Satellite Communications for U.S. Government Applications

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These events provide the military with the ability to conduct field experiments on new resources and technologies to assess if they could potentially improve operations for the military, disaster response, and emergency management. They also provide a cooperative learning environment where military personnel come together with other federal, state and local agencies to identify best practices and new ways in which technology improves operational efficiency, effectiveness and mission assurance.

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to attend a JIFX event at Camp Roberts that was testing out the use of our O3b Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite constellation for the distribution and dissemination of 4K video. The project – entitled the NPS Video Cloud System Project – was intended to test interoperable communication solutions in network-denied disaster response environments.

Effectively, the government was looking to utilize advanced computer hardware and video codecs, in conjunction with MEO satellite services, to, “…stream live 4K video via satellite from remote locations in support of military public affairs organizations.”

Connectivity for NPS, as well as a large proportion of current military operations, occur in remote, network-denied regions. This makes streaming live video over MEO satellites for public affairs purposes, or Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) purposes, critical.

More data, more (bandwidth) challenges
The JIFX test – which proved to be extremely successful – is an indication of things to come for America’s military. Data distribution and sharing requirements are increasingly important in everything that the military does and will only grow in the future. As such, the types and sizes of files being sent are shifting rapidly.

Today’s military is looking for ways to send more data than ever before. Even with advanced codecs, compression technologies and specialized hardware, essential communication capabilities such as video teleconferencing (VTC), 4K video and real time mobile applications utilize much more bandwidth than what the military traditionally sent over its networks in the past.

The ability to transmit and receive these files efficiently and with zero packet loss is why MEO satellite constellations are such an attractive option for the military. These satellites have the same ability as GEO satellites to deliver data, voice and video into practically any geographic location – particularly to those with no or little terrestrial network infrastructure. However, in contrast to GEO satellites, MEO satellites are approximately one quarter the distance from Earth. This proximity enables the constellation to deliver higher throughput (up to 600 Mbps/600Mbps) with much lower latency (less than 200 milliseconds, end-to-end). This equates to delivery of a fiber-like connectivity from space.

The JIFX test focused on transmitting 4K video for public affairs teams, however this application is just one of many for this technology in the military. Here are a few more:

• ISR – Delivering 4K and HD video reconnaissance and intelligence to and from battlefields to improve situational awareness.
• Large file transfer – Transmitting of today’s large files (100 GB in 27 minutes) – from video to large datasets – between warfighters in the field and senior decision makers.
• Interactive, real time applications – Powering the use of mobile applications that request data in real time for full effectiveness and capability.
• 4G LTE bubbles – Using MEO satellites for mobile backhaul to power pockets of 4G connectivity and enable the use of military mobile devices and other technologies.
• Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) – Delivering internet connectivity and social media access for warfighters in the field

The successful JIFX test proved that MEO can deliver connectivity in network-denied areas.  It is clear that current and future military technologies require the bandwidth that MEO can deliver. But, can the military afford it?

Analyzing the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for MEO
MEO satellite constellations are built for delivering large amounts of data with low latency.  MEO delivers that capability efficiently and cost effectively, which is essential for the military today. In fact, there are multiple concepts of operation (CONOPs) that are ideal for MEO satellite constellations, most involving the transfer of large amounts of data traffic (100 Mbps).

In these specific large data application scenarios, the military has examined the TCO of MEO – and they like what they see.

MEO constellations are built for high bandwidth applications. In contrast to GEO constellations, MEO offers a much lower cost per megabit alternative. Considering how much bandwidth could be used transmitting real time data or live streaming 4K video, the bandwidth per Mb price truly comes in to focus.

Overall, the use of MEO satellite constellations for high bandwidth implementations can save as much as 25 to 50 percent of what it would cost for the same amount of throughput on a GEO constellation. Over a very short time (less than six months), this results in significant savings for the U.S. government, making year over year operation extremely economical as compared to GEO.

That being said, MEO satellites will never replace GEO for all military implementations and uses. In many CONOPS, GEO is still the better solution.

When GEO trumps MEO
Having spent the better part of 900 words extolling the benefits of MEO satellites, it would be a disservice to my readers if I didn’t mention that MEO constellations are not the superior choice in all instances. In fact, legacy GEO satellite constellations, as well as newly emerging High Throughput Satellite (HTS) constellations, will continue to break new barriers in service.

Evident in the image below, MEO beams (450 miles diameter) cover significantly less area than GEO beams. This means that any CONOP that requires moving over large distances will obviate the need for GEO. GEO beams cover so much geography that any movement within a relatively large area will still be covered – most likely by the same GEO beam.

GEO connectivity is important to the military, since warfighters, camps, and vehicles that require connectivity do not always stay in one place. In fact, they are often mobile over a wide geographic region. In these instances, the small coverage area of a MEO satellite beam is trumped by the more ubiquitous GEO beam.

IT and data are essential for our modern military, and the bandwidth demands of the next generation solutions and IT capabilities that the military is utilizing in the field are rising. The military needs high throughput connectivity in network-denied areas. MEO is the only solution that can deliver the fiber-like connectivity the military needs, without the physical fiber – and without breaking the bank.

Additional resources:

• White Paper: O3b “Fiber Like” Satellite Communications for U.S. Government Applications
• Milsat Magazine: What Fiber in the Sky Means to the Warfighter Today
• Video: Fiber in the Sky

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With our parent company’s acquisition of O3b on August 1, 2016, SES Space and Defense can now uniquely offer the only scalable Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) and GEO combination in the satellite industry. This capability brings the best of GEO wide beam, GEO High Throughput Satellites (HTS), and O3b MEO high throughput and low latency capabilities to its end users.

By leveraging the combined strengths of the SES GEO and the MEO O3b satellite network, SES Space and Defense (SES Space and Defense) brings significant flexibility and game-changing connectivity to the U.S. Government. While the existing SES GEO satellite fleet is ideal for connectivity across a wide coverage area for a large number of simultaneous users, O3b MEO satellite services provide extremely high throughput (up to 1.6 Gigabits per beam, per second) in a more focused region.  Further, O3b satellites are significantly closer to the earth and provide the low latency required for cloud-enabled interactive applications and other real-time communication needs.

The SES GS team has the depth and breadth of understanding for the U.S. Government’s communication needs. By virtue of our team’s diverse operational and strategic military leadership experience, SES Space and Defense is ideally positioned to create solutions capitalizing on the innovations of combined SES and O3b capabilities.

More specifically, we have worked over the last two years with O3b to demonstrate these capabilities through mission-focused applications to dozens of senior leaders including U.S. Central Command, U.S. Special Operations Command, U.S. State Department and Pentagon officials.  The applications include large file transfer (100 GB or larger), multiple, simultaneous High Definition Full-Motion Video transmissions, 4G LTE capabilities for a local enclave, and many other high throughput, low latency features.

No longer does the warfighter have to give up speed and throughput when they are deployed. By utilizing our combined GEO and MEO fleet, warfighters have access to  the same net-centric warfare capabilities they have in garrison.  Large files from ISR missions and simultaneous HD videos providing situational awareness can be pushed to the network edge or transported quickly to analysts in rear locations.

Additionally, 4G LTE delivered from O3b’s “fiber in the sky” allows soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines to securely and effectively use their own smartphones and tablets to connect with commanders. With that kind of real-time information at their fingertips, our U.S. leadership can make better-informed, life-saving decisions and maneuvers in the field. These are critical warfighting advantages.

In addition to the significant improvements O3b services will provide to warfighters, SES Space and Defense recently delivered a critical end-to-end solution using O3b in the Western Pacific. The National Weather Service (NWS) is using O3b fiber-like capacity to provide far more timely, reliable and effective weather forecasts and warnings from across the Pacific Ocean Region. Through O3b services provided in a contract between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) and SES Space and Defense, the NWS can now transmit large weather report files from observation offices in American Samoa to scientists and meteorologists in Hawaii and across to the mainland. It is the first O3b services agreement with the U.S. Government, and a great example of how SES Space and Defense and O3b are working more closely than ever to connect government agencies across the globe.

This is an exciting time for the U.S. Government to take advantage of industry’s innovations and breakthroughs. The pendulum has swung and commercial industry is now leading the charge for innovative, leading-edge solutions.  As a result, the U.S. Government end users are able to leverage the scalable capabilities offered by the SES Space and Defense GEO fleet and the game-changing features of O3b at MEO.

For additional information about O3b and its applications for the federal government, click on the following articles and resources:

White Paper: O3b “Fiber Like” Satellite Communications for U.S. Government Applications
Video: Fiber in the Sky
Milsat Magazine: What Fiber in the Sky Means to the Warfighter Today

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Based on his remarks at SOFIC, it’s apparent that Gen. Thomas is focused on changing the reactive nature of our special forces and making these elite groups more proactive.  He appears committed to strategically placing personnel and capability in locations that will allow them to impact situations before the shooting starts, “left of boom”, if you will.

According to the General, “…being there ahead of time, having relationships there ahead of time, identifying problems before they become crises, developing that partner capacity, prior, not after, a response. We are too often on the other side of that.”

To become more proactive, the way in which the Special Operations Command operates will have to change at the fundamental level. Instead of being kinetic and dispatching to areas of conflict when needed, they would – instead – have smaller groups of special forces soldiers deployed in more locations and for longer durations.

Also, to become less reactionary and move “left of boom,” they’ll require an incredible amount of intelligence and information. Only through the aggregation, sharing and analysis of intelligence can the Special Operations Command truly identify crises before they occur and put plans in place to avoid them.

Luckily, this increased amount of intelligence is increasingly becoming available. The military has worked exhaustingly on the creation of new sensors that can gather the intelligence needed to identify trends and relationships and identify issues before they occur. This intelligence comes from many different places, some of which include HD video and photos from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), unstructured data gleamed from social networks and data from cellular and wireless networks.

However, data is useless if it can’t be analyzed, and the more data that’s available, the larger the task of analyzing it. With smaller teams in the field, distributed more widely across the globe, special forces simply won’t have the manpower in theater to aggregate and analyze the mountains of data that they’re generating. It’s going to have to be aggregated in theater, and then moved to another location where large teams of analysts and leaders can analyze, process and use it to impact decision making.  This is where the military has a challenge to overcome.

The sheer amount of data, the large number of sensors and the size of the HD video and photos being aggregated and sent for analysis creates an immense bandwidth demand for transmitting information and data to and from theater. And, in many cases, SATCOM networks are the only way to deliver information since terrestrial networks simply aren’t available.

New advances in COMSATCOM are ground-breaking, with today’s solutions offering low latency, high-throughput connectivity that the military needs to deliver this intelligence from the field to the places where it can be shared, analyzed and used to make informed military decisions.  One of these new advances in COMSATCOM is the emergence of Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite constellations. These satellites are approximately half the distance from the Earth as traditional geosynchronous (GEO) satellites, which dramatically reduces latency and enables fiber-like connectivity This is exceedingly important to the military user that wants to aggregate, share and analyze the kind of data that can truly improve situational awareness, impact decision making and enable it to become more proactive – especially today’s HD and UHD video.

As General Thomas discussed, the future of America’s special forces is more proactive – operating “left of the boom” and responding to crises before they even become crises. But to do that, the military needs actionable intelligence – and lots of it – to give them the foresight to identify and characterize issues before they arise. MEO satellite constellations like O3b offer a solution to the “Big Data” dilemma facing the military today.

Additional Resources on MEO & GEO constellations:

• GEO & MEO White Paper
• White Paper on “Fiber Like” Satellite Communications for U.S. Government Applications
• Video: Fiber in the Sky

*Photo courtesy of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA).

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As witnessed by Hurricane Sandy, Katrina and other natural disasters, responding to a disaster situation and working to rescue American citizens can be just as dangerous as being on the ground during a disaster, itself. To keep first responders connected and safe – whether they are local emergency personnel, FEMA or even the National Guard – they require communications back to headquarters or senior leaders that are coordinating rescue efforts.

Unfortunately, communication services aren’t always easy to come by in the aftermath of a disaster.

In the wake of 9/11, a massive wave of cellphone calls, text messages and other communications both into and out of New York City overwhelmed cellular networks and made it nearly impossible for people to use their cell phones. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, cellular and other communications infrastructures were so badly damaged or destroyed that they simply weren’t available for residents or first responders.

When responding to emergencies and disasters, it’s essential that personnel stay coordinated. Sending new orders to personnel in the field in a timely and effective manner can literally mean the difference between a civilian life that is saved and one that is lost. Keeping lines of communication open between first responders and their senior leaders is necessary should they be in distress. None of this is possible when communications infrastructure is overloaded or destroyed.

This is why satellites play such an important role in disaster response and recovery.

Utilizing today’s advanced COMSATCOM services, disaster response and recovery personnel can be connected almost immediately. Thanks to advancements in satellite technologies – more advanced, higher-bandwidth connectivity can be rolled out as the response activities are underway to provider advanced capabilities to responders.

When disaster first strikes and emergency responders are on the scene, they can utilize satellite phones and other devices that function on the Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN). This allows for almost immediate voice calls and connectivity when cellular networks and other communications infrastructures are down.

Unfortunately, BGAN terminals and other equipment offer low bandwidth and high latency. They’re good for getting voice connectivity to first responders for basic voice and data connectivity, but they struggle to effectively provide more advanced functionality – such as video collaboration with senior leaders or the ability to download high-quality, high resolution maps and images without exorbitant cost. Ultimately, they’re fast, mobile, easily-deployable solutions that can enable voice connectivity into the field immediately when no other option is available.

Satellite acceleration products like the ones provided by XipLink build a VAT (Virtual Accelerated Tunnel) that emulates the properties of terrestrial networks so Internet (or private terrestrial network) resources think that they are dealing with another terrestrial node – rather than one connected via satellite. The end result is that data of any kind (including Voice Over IP) is sent more efficiently, increasing the throughput of the satellite link and reducing the amount of data needed to accomplish communications.

When a much more efficient and expedited response to a disaster is paramount, technologies with the ability to deliver higher throughputs and more advanced capabilities can be brought to the disaster response and recovery site to enable communications.

First, there’s the Cell on Wheels (COW), which provides robust, deployable communications infrastructure with a set-up time from a stowed configuration to operations within minutes and will support multiple and simultaneous voice, video, VTC, and other IP-based data streams. These devices are capable of delivering access to GEO satellite constellations that can deliver higher-bandwidth and higher quality communications to the first responder and senior leaders in the field.

However, these solutions still can’t offer fiber-like connectivity, and that’s where Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites play a role in disaster response.

In disaster situations, a beam from a MEO satellite – such as those utilized by satellite provider, O3b – could be directed to the disaster site. Smaller spot beams and the proximity of the MEO satellite to the Earth enables it to deliver throughput and latency that are significantly superior to any GEO satellite, enabling first responders, senior leaders, emergency operations centers and other facilities to have connectivity on-par with a fiber connection.

This means that emergency operations centers can stay connected and coordinated via VTC, senior leaders can receive HD video, high quality images and other visual intelligence from the impacted area to help them make informed decisions and the actual first-responder in the field can stay in touch and receive all necessary information that they need to keep themselves safe and find their way to those in need of assistance in the most effective and efficient manner. Local communications operators can even use the MEO connection to re-establish broadband internet and 3G or 4G services to the impacted population at large.

MEO satellites have proven capabilities, and should be included in any coordinated disaster response and emergency preparedness plans. The technology is groundbreaking, and transportable satellite dishes and infrastructure necessary to connect with these MEO constellations—such as the AvL 85 cm flyaway antenna which can be set up and online in under 90 minutes—are available today. As more emergency response organizations see the impressive connections speeds and almost imperceptible latency of MEO satellite constellations – such as those offered by O3b – they’ll quickly take steps to acquire the necessary terrestrial hardware to make these satellites a part of their disaster response and recovery plans moving forward.

For additional information on the role that satellites can play in disaster response, download the White Paper on the SES emergency.lu platform by clicking HERE. For more information on MEO satellites, download the O3b White Paper, “Fiber-Like Satellite Communications for U.S. Government Applications,” by clicking HERE.

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It was this demand for more bandwidth and higher speeds that made the Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite constellation of COMSATCOM provider, O3b, one of the hottest topics of discussion at both SATELLITE 2015 and this year’s Space Symposium.

O3b’s MEO satellite constellation has the ability to deliver fiber-like throughputs and – thanks to its closer proximity to Earth – vastly improved latency, making O3b extremely attractive to COMSATCOM customers from both the public and private sectors.

We recently had an opportunity to record a podcast with two titans of the commercial satellite communications industry – SES Space and Defense CEO, Pete Hoene, and O3b CEO, Steve Collar. During our discussion, we talked about the benefits of MEO satellites, the different use cases for O3b in the federal government and the relationship between the two companies.

Here is what Pete and Steve had to say:

For additional information about MEO satellites and how they can help reduce latency and deliver fiber-like connectivity to the edge, download the whitepaper, “Fiber-Like Satellite Communications for U.S. Government Applications,” by clicking HERE.

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Ultimately, military personnel and senior decision makers have come to expect access to advanced network functionality, applications and capabilities from wherever they’re stationed across the globe. Frankly, they expect the same user experience they have when sitting behind their desk at a home station, but layered with more applications – some specifically designed to aid in the fight.

With a lack of fiber networks and links available in the regions where today’s warfighters are deployed – or likely to be deployed, provisioning of these fiber networks requiring years to implement and some unfriendly and not-so-friendly nations standing in the way, satellite becomes the best – and only – option to deliver these services.

However, there is a problem that arises when data is sent across traditional satellite networks utilizing geostationary satellites – latency.

Many of today’s applications were created for the local area network. These programs want a response back quickly and they usually get it in traditional office environments because they’re operating on a high speed, local area network.

With geostationary satellites, the data that would traditionally be passing over a high speed, local area network or fiber connection is traveling to and from the satellite, which is at an extremely high altitude. This takes time and creates latency. Subsequently, web pages take minutes to download, and Sharepoint, portals and other solutions that we use at the office become intolerable in the warzone.

The only option is to architect a network heavy with “local resources” so you don’t have to rely on Wide Area Network connectivity. The result is a lot more boxes and a lot more people to sustain in an austere environment.

What if you could get that fiber-like performance from satellite service and move large amounts of information quickly without resorting to strategies that endeavor to get fiber like capability? That’s exactly what a new commercial satellite technology can deliver to the military today.

There is a Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite constellation now available to the military through select commercial satellite service providers that is capable of delivering fiber-like speeds and throughput. These satellites operate closer to the Earth than geostationary satellites, reducing the distance data needs to travel, eliminating latency and delivering the information, communication, collaboration and capabilities the military needs into a warzone effectively, efficiently and affordably.

To see MEO satellites in action, and how they can drastically cut down on latency, watch this recent demonstration by satellite service provider, O3B.

[gdlr_video url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVMSp8DkWIA” ]

For additional information about MEO satellites and how they can help reduce latency and deliver fiber-like connectivity to the edge, download the whitepaper, “Fiber-Like Satellite Communications for U.S. Government Applications,” by clicking HERE.

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Military intelligence relies on video footage from unmanned aircraft for information about enemy movements, weather and geography. Decision makers back at home connect face-to-face with leaders in the field via video collaboration for real time information gathering and to expedite decision making. And the same capabilities and applications that are available on a desktop at Fort Hood are expected to be available in a command center in theater.

Networks and information technology are now essential across all branches of the military to ensure that requisite data, applications and capabilities are available to all personnel and warfighters at all times. Unfortunately, this is a task that becomes increasingly difficult depending on where military personnel, employees and warfighters are stationed.

Bringing today’s advanced networks and the capabilities they deliver to the tip of the spear can be a challenge because there are simply no fiber optic links or networks in many of the locations where U.S. troops are currently deployed – such as Afghanistan and the Middle East.

These networks could be created by the military. However, establishing the networks that have the available bandwidth for today’s advanced IT capabilities could take years to implement. Also, this would often require running fiber through nations that aren’t necessarily friendly to the United States and its military interests. This raises questions about security and feasibility, and ultimately makes the implementation of physical networks downright impossible in some locations.

It’s for this reason that satellite communication (SATCOM) provided by commercial satellite service providers is becoming as essential to the military as the bandwidth it provides and data it delivers.

Commercial SATCOM services carry the signals from unmanned aircraft back to military decision makers. They empower video collaboration between deployed personnel and leaders in the field. They deliver the capabilities, applications and bandwidth that today’s military expects on base, out in the field.

But, they’re not without limitations.

In my next post on the GovSat Report, I’m going to delve into latency – an issue that impacts communication over geostationary satellites – how it impacts military operations in theater and how advanced technologies could soon make it a thing of the past.

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