3D printing has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years, as developments have resulted in technology that is more readily-available, cost-effective, and sophisticated, than ever before. Today, 3D printing is being utilised by industries far and wide, and, naturally, the space sector is not one to be left behind.

Damien Sterkers, Product Manager at Broadpeak explains how satellite operators can utilize adaptive bit rate (ABR) streaming formats such as HLS and MPEG DASH as an addition, and even a possible alternative in future, to traditional transport stream broadcasts without facing any of the QoE issues, including latency, buffering, bitrate and video quality limitations, which typically are associated with OTT services.

Hughes prides itself on being the global leader in broadband satellite technologies, services, and managed network solutions. The company’s Defense and Intelligence Systems Division has long served the government and military sectors, delivering secure and reliable services in an increasingly contested and congested space. Rick Lober, Vice President of Defense and Intelligence Systems Division at Hughes Network Systems, LLC, opines on the latest developments in commercial, government and military satellite communications solutions, and the potential for cross-over among them.

Intelsat General (IGC) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Intelsat, operator of the world’s first Globalized Network. IGC provides secure satellite communications services to the world’s militaries and the US Government. Skot Butler, President at Intelsat General, discusses the company’s latest advances, as well as recent developments in the field of government and military services.

High throughput satellites (HTS) and low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites are set to change the face of the space-based communications sector forever. However, these new innovations do not come without their challenges, as outlined by Alvaro Sanchez, CEO at Integrasys.

Teleports play a vital role in the global space and satellite industry, delivering vital services that let spacecraft communicate with the ground. In recent years, there’s been a significant change in the challenges and opportunities for teleports, as discussed by David Andres, Business Development Manager at Santander Teleport.

SatADSL was founded in 2010 to deliver creative solutions for providing Internet access to communities and enterprises in rural areas around the world. The company provides tailor-made service plans, hardware and value-added services to provide reliable and affordable high-quality IP access. Caroline De Vos, COO and Co-Founder at SatADSL, discuss the intricacies of bridging the digital divide.

STN is a well-established global ground services facility based in Slovenia, providing satellite, fibre and IP connections while offering clients end-to-end, managed service solutions worldwide. The company delivers content to end users across many different viewing devices ranging from TV screens, laptops and mobile phones, and offers a vast array of service solutions, including media solutions, data, channel distribution, PlayOut, OTT, ad-insertion and many more. Mitja Lovsin, General Manager at STN, discusses current market developments and how teleports must adapt to survive.

SpacePath Communications was founded in the UK in 2014 to design, manufacture and deliver satellite uplink amplifiers to a global customer base. Its portfolio includes indoor and outdoor products, travelling wave tube amplifiers (TWTAs) and solid state power amplifiers (SSPAs), using both GaAs and GaN technologies. SpacePath Director Colin Bolton opines on the current state of the amplifier market, and the massive changes underway in the satellite sector.

The UK’s Home Office has commissioned EE to deliver emergency service coverage for the whole of the UK over its nationwide 4G network. EE is expanding its landmark LTE deployment to rural areas, as well as backing up key urban locations for emergency preparedness, using Gilat’s cellular backhaul (CBH) over satellite solution. Doreet Oren, Director of Product Marketing and Corporate Communications at Gilat Satellite Networks, explains how EE is leveraging satellite backhaul to bring advanced voice and data communications to the UK’s Emergency Services crews.

Shipowners no longer view satellite communications as standalone equipment used solely for ship to shore communication. Today, satellite connectivity is a ship-wide utility supporting vessel uptime and operational decision-making, as outlined by Cheng-Yu Tang, General Manager China at Cobham SATCOM.

In 2019, Big Data is big business. Every day, we produce more and more data, from phone calls, transactions, Google searches and meteorological data, to name just a few. The sheer volume of it is overwhelming, and advanced new technologies are needed to keep up with capture and storage needs, not to mention analysis. The market is booming, and there are many opportunities for those ready to grab them.