Critical Disaster Communications Benefit from Latest Satellite Service

The last few years have averaged ninety-five Federal Disaster Declarations each year; one every four days. When communications towers collapse during these events, fiber optic cables are damaged and cell traffic is down to marginal service, or none at all! Who are you going to call and how?

When system infrastructure is intact but not powered by electric utilities, communications are also down (though maybe not down and out if you have a generator). Geographical areas with limited access to or no healthcare, whether it is temporary or permanent, are known as “medical deserts”. Medical deserts are found in developed and developing countries. We should call the loss of power and communications the new “communications desert”.  For critical communications in emergency response, rescue or relief situations, satellites and what they will provide are the go-to product.

Starlink, a new item in the frontiers of portable satellite communications, is SpaceX’s ambitious project to build an interconnected broadband network with thousands of satellites. Known in the space industry as a constellation, it is designed to deliver high-speed internet to customers anywhere on the planet. This is not a pie in the sky idea, but a product finishing its Beta test. Elon Musk’s SpaceX disclosed in February that its Starlink satellite network service now has “over 10,000 users in the United States and abroad.”

The most recent update on Starlink’s customer base came in a petition to the FCC, with SpaceX asking the Starlink be designated an “Eligible Telecommunications Carrier” or “ETC”. Designating Starlink services as an ETC is in the public interest because it will enable the company to receive the support that will facilitate rapid deployment of broadband and voice service to service areas such as Alabama, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. “This service will be at speeds and latency comparable with terrestrial services in urban areas,” stated SpaceX.

SpaceX is in a Low Earth Orbit “LEO” at 400 km or about 254 miles up in space. Starlink speed is currently at 103.1 Mbs. The average terrestrial is 57.2Mbs, though many urban locations are higher. There are 1,440 Starlink satellites in the LEO orbit. Starlink “birds” orbit in a crosshatch pattern, covering the earth. So, you will not be communicating with same satellite all the time. Another LEO satellite network is the European based OneWeb. OneWeb has joined forces with Airbus, the aviation manufacturer. Both Starlink and OneWeb use inexpensive (comparatively speaking, in satellite terms) auto-tracking, flat-panel antennas. For reference, the Geo-Stationary/Geo-Synchronous GEOs (the Broadcasting satellites) are located at 35,000 km or 22,000 miles, at a very specific spot all the time.  Starlink’s satellites are “smallsats”, are roughly the size of a microwave and weigh about 25 pounds. A typical GEO Broadcast satellite is closer to the size of a school bus and weigh several tons.

Satellite service on the cusp of operation will include 5G service. 5G, when it fully arrives, will be one of several technologies that will improve mobile broadband. Wi-Fi, 4G, fiber optics and satellite services are already offering valid ways to serve different broadband use. The new generation of high-capacity satellites will have the capabilities to provide multiple broadband offerings.  Broadband 5G and 4G by satellite and cell is coming soon.

Here is an issue that displays how cellular broadband would help in disaster situations.

When hurricanes Irma and Maria struck on September 6, 2017, recovery in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands was incredibly slow. As of October 2017, 66% of all cell sites in Puerto Rico and 52% of all cell sites in USVI were destroyed. The major challenge for commercial and critical communications was the loss of Puerto Rico’s electric infrastructure. It’s especially difficult when a major disaster occurs and the response to the disaster is a long duration event. Power was not fully restored in Puerto Rico until mid-August 2018, eleven long months after Irma landed.

When hurricane Irma winds rose, television and radio coverage became spotty. Radio coverage was not great because a majority of radio weather reporting was from television. TV graphics were not be able to be seen on radio, and references to “here is this” or “as you can see” as commentary was not informative. When high winds come, Cable-TV wires may come down, and off-air TV may also be non-functioning. Add no net services to make for a shortage of, or possibly no, outside communications.

Hurricanes, typhoons, floods and fires threaten the safety of millions every day. There is a clear need for more accurate and faster forecasting. Making informed decisions in the face of weather driven emergencies is the future of LEOs and spaced-based weather observation data.

Bringing live video and weather with its reporter comments right to your home or wherever you are is critical. Emergency Broadcasts could be sent by Starlink, OneWeb and others that are coming online. Nearly any signal sent by terrestrial methods can be sent by LEO satellite. Are you using satellite services and equipment now? Who makes your communication decisions? Know what your needs are, don’t guess. Acquire the information and receive hands-on use from integrators, manufacturers and distributors. Watch webinars and have discussions on these ideas. As always “Look to the skies”.