A new generation of low-flying satellites (low-Earth orbit satellites, LEO) promises an internet from space. The new satellite systems would use thousands of satellites that could then be linked to each other via laser light and orbit the earth.
Such systems would reach even remote regions that currently have very limited access to the internet, explains the Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH). Companies such as Elon Musk’s space company SpaceX and Amazon are already working on such satellite systems. SpaceX is planning to offer a satellite-based broadband internet service from 2020.
Because the satellites fly very fast and in dense swarms, according to ETH researcher Ankit Singla, more efficient approaches to network design are required for the satellite internet. Together with his colleague Debopam Bhattacherjee, Singla has developed a network design to improve the network capacity of the new satellite systems.
In the case of SpaceX, the new design concept increases network efficiency by 54 per cent in comparison with the current approach; for Kuiper (Amazon), the efficiency increase is 45 percent, writes the ETH. “Our approach could double the efficiency of satellite-based Internet,” says Bhattacherjee in conclusion.
More News
Meet with an expansion expert
Our services are free of charge and include:
- Introduction to key contacts in industry, academia, and government
- Advice on regulatory framework, taxes, labor, market, and setting up a company
- Custom-made fact-finding visits, including office and co-working space