Satellites Remain Key Link in Evolving Hybrid Network Chain

The global demand for bandwidth, which shows no sign of plateauing, has service providers and internet companies scrambling to add capacity, whether by evolving existing network technologies (e.g., hybrid fiber coax) or developing greenfield approaches (e.g., high altitude balloons). Among the mix, existing satellite players and new entrants are developing the next generation of satellites to blanket the globe with 10s of Gbps of capacity. Our partners at Microwave Journal asked Intelsat, the company that launched Intelsat 1 in 1965 and now operates the world’s largest satellite services business, to describe their strategy for high bandwidth satellites.