SATELLITE COMMUNICATION SERVICES: An Integral Part of the 5G Ecosystem

Satellite communications are ready to play a key role in the 5G ecosystem and beyond. ESOA members are taking important steps to make this a reality. Satellite operator will provide these services directly or in partnership with third parties such as MNOs, to maximise the benefit to end users. Either way, the benefits of 5G will be felt by much larger communities and faster than if mobile operators seek to do so alone.

5G will be a network of networks - an ecosystem - with multiple technologies supporting a global infrastructure: satellite, Wi-Fi, small cells, and traditional mobile wireless networks, among others.  Satellites have a particularly important role to play bringing services to users quickly, no matter where they are located and no matter the availability of terrestrial infrastructure.   Satellites have three key characteristics that are critical for the success of 5G:  wide area coverage, cost-effectiveness, and reliability (resilience).