Satellite has long played a key role in the distribution of broadcast content to millions of viewers thanks to the wide coverage beams provided in GEO. With the advent of LEO and MEO constellations, and the trend towards non-linear TV, viewing habits have changed; however, content demand can still be met via satellite.

With the advent of high throughput satellites (HTS), the availability, quality and speed of satellite-supported Internet connectivity has boomed like never before. However, with increasing numbers of satellite operators turning their hand to service provision, quality is sometimes questionable, and challenges are growing.

Mission Microwave Technologies is a developer of revolutionary solid-state power amplifiers (SSPAs) block upconverters (BUCs) to support terrestrial, airborne, and space-based applications with a sizeable client base. Francis Auricchio, President and CEO, shared his thoughts on the company’s road to success, and how Mission Microwave views its industry.

Telenor Satellite is a world-renowned satellite service, who prides itself on being Europe’s most versatile operator. With digitization and broadcast evolution progressing as high throughput LEO rollout continues, Ole Ledang, Director Broadcasting Division at Telenor Satellite, explained how the company is approaching new demands, and how competitivity is maintained while meeting high environmental and labor standards.

As media continues to be defined by its footholds in digital spaces, broadcast industries of all kinds have been hard at work redefining their offering to catch up with the cultural shifts at play. Over the top (OTT) media content is one of the standout frontiers of this evolutionary space, one which did not exist much more than a decade ago and is likely to go on to reinvent itself into something altogether new in the next one.

New approaches to network design are making possible the technology changes that support remote working and cloud applications. With the events of the last two years, never before has there been such a push towards enabling these technologies.

Universal broadband has long been a futurist dream, ending the digital divide and expanding our logistical scope of the planet. With increasing LEO adoption, some believe that dream is within reach. Telesat Lightspeed intends to bring us closer to that dream, delivering competitive LEO connectivity on par with fibre, with the scope to address remote locations. Manik Vinnakota, Telesat’s Director of Commercial and Product Development, discusses the potential of the service, and Telesat’s vision for a connected world.

We’ve been hearing about the huge potential of GaN amplifiers for some years now, with ground-breaking capability claims aplenty. However, GaN technologies proved not to be without their own limitations.

Simplifying satcoms is a topic that we’ve heard a lot about in recent years, with the need to get satellite communications capabilities up and running as quickly and easily as possible a key driver in innovation.

With growing numbers of satellite operators working with shrinking spectrum allocations, disputes between entities are becoming increasingly commonplace. Preparations must be made to mitigate risk as and when disputes arise.

In teleports and satellite ground stations, RF over fiber links are a superior alternative to copper coax for the interfacility links needed to transport RF between the antennas and control rooms.

In a world where the pandemic has led to increased remote working, new tools and virtual technologies are supporting vital operations.