Satellite-based 4G backhaul a reality

Satellite-based communications technology has come a long way. Generally speaking, capacity on geosynchronous satellite networks is expensive, the speeds aren’t that good and latency is significant. But what if we could bring the satellites closer to Earth’s surface?

On June 25, O3b, a satellite-based service provider with backing from Google, launched four medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellites. The company claims on its website that it “can offer broad coverage, high capacity and low latency at a lower cost than fiber for broad rural coverage areas.”

Even better, satellite technology is robust enough to support 2G, 3G and 4G LTE mobile backhaul. In fact, Maju Nusa has already signed on to provide O3bCell service to rural Malaysia. In an official announcement, the Southeast Asian telco’s managing director, Shahruddin Salehuddin, explained the impact that O3bCell will have on residents and on Maju Nusa’s business in general. “Utilizing the O3b network, Maju Nusa will be able to deliver 3G service to customers over satellite [starting in] 2014. For many, this will mean that they will go from zero connectivity to 3G for cellular services practically overnight.”

He added, “Interactive services are not available today in these areas. Indeed, at present people commonly need to travel out of their village simply to make a phone call. As well as helping us improve our service, O3b helps to reduce CAPEX [capital expenditure] costs, aggregating our existing 111 sites over Peninsular Malaysia into only 20 customer-terminal locations.”

Satellite security

Can the satellite-TV guy secure your home? Sure, why not! DirecTV has joined its pay-TV competitors Comcast and Time Warner Cable in the home-security services market with its acquisition of LifeShield. Aside from the fact that the cell-phone market is already supersaturated, it’s easy to see why service providers of all stripes are aggressively pursuing opportunities in this new arena: roughly 80 percent of US homes lack a home-security system.

E.T. home phones?

Dish Network, DirecTV and O3b aren’t the only satellite-based service providers making headlines: ViaSat has become the first satellite-based internet company to provide residential phone service in the US. Considering the satellite industry’s humble beginnings, sending an unlimited number of calls into outer space and back to Earth for less than $20 a month is quite an achievement. It’s also opened the door for ViaSat to offer triple-play service bundles (phone, internet, and TV).

Lisa Scalpone, vice president of satellite services for ViaSat, outlined the news in a press release, saying, “We have long wanted to provide our customers with a cost-effective alternative to paying for an expensive landline through the telephone company. With the introduction of Exede Voice we can now offer a triple play, a first of its kind for the satellite industry and a great deal for consumers at a monthly price under $100.”