Satellites overcome Russian interference in Ukrainian comms

Technology billionaire Elon Musk’s company SpaceX has launched the Starlink satellite broadband service in war-hit Ukraine. The latest development highlights the significance and future potential of low earth orbit satellites (LEOs) across key applications, says GlobalData, a data and analytics company.

Reportedly, Starlink terminals receive internet from SpaceX’s 2000 satellites to allow users to get online even if their service has been disconnected.

GlobalData’s FutureTech Series report, ‘Internet from Sky: Can LEO Satellites Transform the Future of Connectivity?’, reveals that the growing deployment of a large group of LEOs, often dubbed LEO mega constellations, could herald the next era of connectivity with their potential to address the gaps in internet adoption and infrastructure access in remote areas that are not served by terrestrial and traditional satellite networks.

LEOs are touted to play a key role in connecting millions of IoT-backed devices and sensors, managing the boom in internet users and minimising the digital divide to strengthen community resilience. At present, LEO projects such as Amazon’s Kuiper, SpaceX’s Starlink and OneWeb are aiming to bridge the digital divide and offer internet services with low latency and high-speed broadband connectivity to remote and unserved communities globally.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Stephane Masclaux