Back

New Constellations to Reach More Humans


 Publish Date :2022/01/05


Recent news revealed how often space collisions actually happen and how crowded the Earth’s atmosphere is now. While Earth has only one natural celestial satellite (the Moon), artificial satellites are now deployed to fulfill multiple functions, especially communications, surveillance, observation, data collection, etc. Currently most communications satellites are deployed on geostationary orbits (GEO) at a height of approximately 36,000 kms from the Earth’s surface. Operating at such heights will require specialized materials and specifications that further add challenges and increase cost. However, as more countries and regions join the network, the existing infrastructure and connectivity satellites might no longer suffice and overwhelm the GEO satellites; either slowing down the connection or reducing its capabilities.

One solution that many parties are now interested in applying is the low earth orbit (LEO) satellites which will be deployed at 500 to 2000 km above sea level. In comparison, even the tallest building on earth: the Burj Khalifa is approximately 828 m; far lower than the lowest operating altitude of LEO satellites. LEO satellites are much smaller than GEO satellites and cover a much smaller area as well. For comparison: one GEO satellite operating at or near the equator can provide coverage for one-third (33.3%) of the world. On the other hand, one LEO satellite deployed at 600 km above the Earth’s surface with a typical elevation angle of 30◦ covers approximately 0.45% of the Earth. The fast-moving LEO satellite also means that to provide stable and consistent coverage, a large number of the satellites would need to be present at any given moment.

According to Mobile Magazine, currently terrestrial 5G provides the lowest latency of approximately 1 ms or less, with 30 ms for LEO 5G, and 40 ms for 4G LTE. 5G is most likely not going to be a competition for terrestrial 5G, but rather an addition to provide ubiquitous connection to users. The lower altitude will allow LEO connections to excel in communicating with diverse types of ground terminals, such as dedicated ground stations (GSs), IoT devices, vehicles, ships, etc. It will also plug the gaps caused by 5G’s higher frequency range because it will not be able to penetrate objects as well as legacy systems do, reducing the range and stability of 5G connections. While installing more transmitters or creating more small-cell sites will work for indoors or in-site needs; this will not be an ideal solution for outdoor connections both for security and financial reasons.

LEO satellites today are already in active service, with many companies launching hundreds to thousands of nano to pico satellites; many of which are about the size of a shoe box into the atmosphere. The provided connection will be the backbone of many different technologies including autonomous vehicles, smart building, smart city, and more to come. As 5G connections grow to include more locations that conventional terrestrial connection could not reach, businesses might be able to reach even more markets and secure their en route assets even better.

As of time of writing, 5G deployment is delayed in several locations due to concerns from the aviation industry that it might interfere with instrument readings. This concern might also affect LEO satellite deployments if they will be used for 5G connections as many navigation technologies rely on other satellites commonly deployed in the medium earth orbit (MEO) such as GPS, Galileo, etc. The signal interference might need further studies and confirmations, especially as 5G connections are not yet ubiquitous. The good news is that 5G adoption does not mean complete phasing out of legacy connections or at least not in the immediate future.

Currently the following Taiwanese companies are actively involved in the LEO satellite supply chain by providing components and modules used in the satellites:

台揚 Microelectronics Technology Inc. (MTI)
啟碁 Wistron NeWeb Corp. (WNC)
昇達科 Universal Microwave Technology (UMT)
金寶 Kinpo Electronics, Inc. (Kinpo)
同欣電 Tong Hsing Electronic Industries, LTD. (TONG HSING)
公準 Gongin Precision Industrial CO.,LTD. (GPI)
穩懋 WIN Semiconductors Corp. (WIN)
群電 Chicony Power Technology Co., Ltd. (Chicony Power)
台光電 Elite Material Co.,Ltd. (EMC)
華通 Compeq Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Compeq)
昇貿 SHENMAO Technology Inc. (Shenmao)
康舒 AcBel Polytech Inc. (AcBel)
萬泰科 Wonderful Hi-Tech (WONDERFUL)
事欣科 PARPRO (PARPRO)

5G and Beyond 5G as Main Topics of February COMPUTEX 2022 Symposium

As consumers’ demand for faster & better connection increases, businesses and governments are also preparing for the growing trend of 5G and beyond 5G connections. On February 23 2022, the COMPUTEX 2022 Symposium titled “Towards the Beyond 5G Era: Innovative Communications Services & Applications in the Industry” will invite speakers from think tanks, research institutes, and leading companies to share their insights and visions on the industrial services and applications of 5G communications and beyond.

Sign up here.

About COMPUTEX CYBERWORLD

COMPUTEX CYBERWORLD is the online platform of COMPUTEX to provide international buyers with the most complete information and communication products as well as digital transformation solutions through the internet 24/7. The COMPUTEX CYBERWORLD platform also provides matchmaking opportunities with monthly events where buyers can find industry-specific exhibitors. Alternatively, interested buyers can contact the exhibitors directly from their Company Page and use the built in Business Card or Instant Message function in the COMPUTEX CYBERWORLD platform.

In addition, COMPUTEX CYBERWORLD 2021 will include a weekly newsletter titled COMPUTEX Product Sourcing Guide where highlighted pavilions, exhibitors, and their products are introduced to the readers. To never miss an update from COMPUTEX CYBERWORLD, subscribe to the COMPUTEX Product Sourcing Guide here.

COMPUTEX 2022 Registration Has Started

COMPUTEX TAIPEI will return in 2022 from May 24 to 27. The exhibition will take a hybrid physical & digital format to make sure exhibitors can have a broader reach both in Taiwan and globally. Follow us on our social media channels to get the latest news from COMPUTEX or subscribe to our newsletter for more information.



Back