UAS SATCOM ecosystem: Global coverage, regional depth

In the introduction blog of this series, I outlined the five key attributes of satellite communications (SATCOM) support for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) users: global coverage, a flexible and highly available network, SWaP-optimized user terminals, responsive integration and flexible service plans. In this blog, I will elaborate upon the first attribute, persistent global coverage.

The UAS community faces challenges in finding a compatible SATCOM network with the required coverage and capability. They seek platforms that can dispatch literarily anywhere and stay on mission for hours or even days, flying non-stop.

“Will it work here, there, anywhere I need to deploy?” they will ask. The answer is “Yes!” Inmarsat brings global coverage and regional depth, all with a single subscription or lease.

Our mobile satellite constellation’s powerful bandwidth supports all UAS missions, anywhere in the world. With just three satellites, we establish global coverage. Then we layer on additional satellites and steerable beams to add regional depth, allowing for a “follow-me” service to ensure users have the depth of capacity required. We provide assured access to our network, meaning there is never any doubt about anywhere/anytime availability, maximum capabilities and absolute flexibility – supported by industry-leading security and proven resiliency.

We design our resilient satellite and ground infrastructure based on redundancy, command encryption and a vigilant mission assurance posture. This includes technology advancements, enhanced capabilities and improved encryption.

Ground stations are often the unsung yet critical backbones of SATCOM. For us, global coverage means global ground stations to ensure the lowest possible latency but the highest resiliency and redundancy. We operate multiple ground stations on five continents with fully-redundant locations for back-up.

Our fleet of very flexible satellites incorporates digital beam forming and on-board signal processing that shifts capacity and power on-demand. Our more than four decades of data have built a rich library of global bandwidth use statistics. Because most of our traffic is managed, we maintain very good fidelity on the geography and time profile of capacity demand, whether the demand is driven by the daily ebb and flow of maritime and aviation traffic or the sudden bursts and gradual decline of emergency traffic due to a disaster or security event. With this rich set of data, we develop and refine automated tools that permit Inmarsat system operators to make both long-term and short-term capacity plans that optimize resource utilization and, thus, improve user experiences and overall service cost effectiveness.

The global coverage of our Inmarsat-4 L-band satellite constellation reaches well into the Arctic and Antarctica. In fact, in 2016, Inmarsat successfully supported a government mission located at 77° latitude by providing unmanned aircraft with data and voice connectivity, including aviation coordination and command centers in Antarctica. And last year, an expedition team connected from Signy Island, just north of the Antarctic peninsula. L-band is ideal for weather-challenged operating environments as its propagation characteristics are resilient against the environmental effects of water or sand and is suitable for platforms that are weight constrained.

With our Ka-band constellation, Global Xpress (GX), coverage will include dedicated Arctic beams planned to be placed in High Earth Orbit (HEO) in 2022, with anticipated service introduction a year later. Inmarsat has served customers in much of the Arctic Circle for many years. The launch of our dedicated Arctic region GX capacity will significantly enhance the quality of the service we deliver in the region, where UAS users increasingly demand reliable high-throughput connectivity.

Currently, GX satellites host dozens of steerable beams for concentrated power for theaters of operation. These steerable beams also host military Ka payloads to ensure interoperability with military satellite systems, such as the Wideband Global Satellite (WGS) system. Ka-band is ideal for platforms that require high-data speeds and can accommodate a SATCOM hardware payload starting at 30 cm.

The ultimate benefit for our U.S. government customers: A persistent, quick reaction-capable coverage that functions very much like their cell phones do – the UAS stays connected.

And we will not stop there. Our next generation of L-band and Ka-band satellites – fully funded and under construction – will be backward-compatible with current and future terminals. The upshot: As your platform capability grows, so does your existing SATCOM hardware and service.

Our next blog in this series will focus on a flexible and highly available network for backhaul requirements – the last critical mile in UAS relay. If you want to learn more about our SATCOM solutions and services, please contact us..

Tom Costello is Chief Commercial Officer of Inmarsat Government Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Inmarsat Group Holdings Limited, and the world’s leading provider of global mobile satellite communications to the United States government.

Tom oversees the commercial strategy and operations for Inmarsat’s satellite communication services and solutions offered to the U.S. government market sector. This includes pricing, market development, marketing, channel management, market requirements and sales operations.

Mr. Costello has over 25 years of experience in business development, channel management and product management. Prior to joining Inmarsat Government, Mr. Costello served as Vice President Market Development for Inmarsat. Prior to that he held various leadership and management positions for Stratos, Iridium and the White House Communication Agency.

Mr. Costello earned his BS in Computer Science from the St. Norbert College.