From Via Satellite
The satellite industry is in the midst of a major renaissance, overcoming market barriers that have existed for decades and finding new opportunities in a range of verticals. However, as satellite technology in space improves, so too must the ground infrastructure that supports it.
In this Q&A, Isotropic Systems Founder John Finney lays out the path of evolution next-gen antennas must take, as well as their potential impact on satellite’s customer base. Finney will take the stage at the SATELLITE 2018 Conference & Exhibition on March 12 to discuss future satellite terminals’ capabilities and more in a luncheon keynote.
Via Satellite: How do today’s satellite antennas fall short?
Finney: Today’s antennas are relatively limited in their technology and functionality, but not because they lack innovation, but because those innovations fail to enable operators and service providers to meet latent demand. Technically speaking, today’s antennas can only manage one satellite beam at a time; are designed for a single, specific frequency in most cases; have not yet shown strong radio performance; and most important for mass market users, they are too expensive.
We look at the antenna market and know that all of the High Throughput Satellite (HTS) bandwidth available today and coming online in the next few years will not reach the majority of broadband users because they cannot pay for a service where the terminal costs tens of thousands of dollars at the minimum. Continue >