Telecom
What Makes Satellite Communications an Essential Part of 5G Infrastructure
By Andrew Aroh
- 5G is a technology that will push the boundaries of throughput and capacity further beyond that of 4G to enable newer types of applications and services in the domains of: Health, Transport (Land, Air and Sea), Entertainment, M2M, Security, etc.
- 5G will lead to a huge shift towards a landscape dominated by wireless connectivity.
- 5G is accompanied with deployment of Architectures (Fiber +Terrestrials wireless + Satellite leveraging Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Software Defined Networking (SDN) both at the core and edge of the Network. They will provide: increased computing power, scalability, reduced operating costs and business models to enable differentiation
- 5G will enable instantaneous connectivity to billions of devices, the Internet-of-things (IoTs) and a truly connected world: smart cities, smart homes and smart schools, etc.
- The satellite transport conduit will be integrated into the overall available communication map
- Service providers will need to provide seamless connectivity between terrestrial and satellite
- Traffic will be dynamically steered to the best transport options available (terrestrial/Satellite according to bandwidth, latency, network conditions and other application-specific requirements)
- The interworking between terrestrial and satellite is now well recognized and promoted in the 3GPP standards.
- Management of the NFV infrastructure will be performed through a management and orchestrator (MANO) Framework
- This architecture allows easy integration of multiple applications
- A virtual evolved packet core (vEPC) application would extend local call switching possibility.
A Mobile (Multi access) edge computing (MEC) platform could host different application like caching and multicast which can help reduce latency and improve qualify of experience (QoE) for the user.
- Full integration within the virtualized architecture will apply to satellite as well, beginning with the network core and then expanding to the edge.
- Satellite optimized Quality of service (QoS) and Operational Expense (OPEX) advantage will also remain key as the landscape becomes even more competitive.
- New opportunities for extending satellites services in urban and rural areas will emerge for:
- Covering white zones and ensuring a seamless connectivity plan
- Emergency services
- Broadcast/multicast and network offload schemes
- Aero and Maritime mobility
- Connected cars (software download)
- Mobile backhaul
- Newer low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) constellations will further expand the reach of satellite communications
- Oneweb has launched its first batch of satellites that will provide internet access (using mobile/multiple access) Edge computing (MEC) platform to rural regions around the world.
- Oneweb plan is to build a large network of satellites that will be hung in low earth orbit and beam down broadband internet to underserved areas. The company planned to put up 650 satellites by 2020, with a plan to expand to 900 as it expands its coverage. The network will be built over the course of 21 launches to deploy the satellites
- Space-X is also building a global, broadband LEO constellation of satellites to provide broadband internet access, Interactive multimedia and high-quality voice, operating in the high Frequency ka-band of the radio spectrum.
- Boeing is set to create a new Non-Geosynchronous (NGSO) Satellite constellation for broadband services using V-band for low-latency, very high data rate broadband across the United Stats and the world.
Between rising commercial demand and government-driven universal broadband service obligations, the company expects satellite could play a major role.
- It really comes down to the insatiable demand for bandwidth that we are seeing in the market place. The amount of bits being required by all of us is growing on the order of 20 something percent a year, and in order to meet that demand there are certain areas where satellite has advantages over terrestrial approaches. Customers lack choice in the broadband provider options, especially in rural areas, meaning there is room for more satellite broadband players to compete.
- In the spectrum front, the constellation could downlink information in the 37.5 to 40.0 GHz band on a shared access basis with the proposed Upper Microwave Flexible Use (UMFU) Service.
THE HIGH FREQUENCIES OF THE EM SPECTRUM
| DESCRIPTION | FREQUENCY | WAVELENGTH |
| HF | 3-30MHz | 100-10m |
| VHF | 50-100MHz | 6-3m |
| UHF | 400-1000MHz | 75-30cm |
| Microwave | 3×109 – 1011Hz | 10cm-3mm |
| Millimeter waves | 1011-1012Hz | 3mm-0.3mm |
| Infra-red | 1012-6×1014Hz | 0.3m-0.5um |
| Light | 6×1014-8×1014Hz | 0.5um-0.4um |
| Ultraviolet | 8×1014-1017Hz | 0.4um-10-9m |
| X-Rays | 1017-1019Hz | 10-9m-10-13m |
| Gamman Rays | >1019Hz | >10-13m |
Increased spectrum for 5G will provide:
- Continuous connection
- Greater capacity
- More data
- More users
- Faster speeds
- Faster Response Time (Lower-Latency) for connections
- The increased spectrum in the mmW band will provide localized coverage as they only operate overshot distances
- Future 5G deployments may use mmW frequencies in bands up to 86GHz
- On the technology side, Boeing would want to taking its digital pay load technology from it GEO System and putting it into a Small Satellite Form Factor (SSFF). This is because there is a definite advantage in applying them to V-band NGSO System. The digital payload is SCALABLE and can be sized up or down as needed
- The new trend is to shorten development cycles of satellites and make sure the next generation capabilities are brought up quickly and not have these long development cycles that have been in the past. The process involves continuous miniaturization in order to fit more transistors on integrated circuits (ICs), or essentially bringing Moore’s law to bear in space. This could dovetail well with the companies LEO ambitions, as satellites in this orbit typically have shorter life span and therefore require less radiation hardening compared to 15-year geostationary satellites.
Features of SATCOM SOLUTIONS FOR 5G
- Cost Effective
- Plug and play
- Enabling Mobile Operators and Network Vendors to accelerate 5G deployment across all geographies and multiple use cases
- Creating new and growing market opportunities for SATCOM Industry Stakeholders
- Integrating Satellite Links with heavy emphasis on standardization to allow trusted operation and to Facilitate industry adoption
- Focus in on eMBB(enhanced Mobile Broadband) to fixed and Mobile Networks, including support for orchestration and slicing, with the satellite links providing backhaul connectivity either alone or in parallel (Multilink) connectivity with terrestrial links.
- Platform which enables high efficiency, high performance, Virtualization and Multiservice capability parameter for 5G.
- Consider the Successful Demonstration of 5G Connectivity over a LEO Satellite, Powered by Gilat using Telesats phase 1 LEO
- At EuCNC 2019, Sat5G conducted six demonstrations showcasing 5G use case over satellite: Video Streaming, Content Caching, Airline Connectivity, 5G NR over satellite, Backhaul applications-1, Backhaul applications-2
- In General, Testing campaign confirms LEO provides superior fiber-like performance for high end satellite services.
- The ability to demonstrate Fiber-Like performance via satellite across a number of applications that perform poorly on GEO satellite backhaul is a testament to the capabilities of LEO network for 5G.
- With its high-throughput links, ultra-low latency, and disruptive economics, LEO constellations offers an unparalleled value proposition to expand the reach of 4G and 5G networks.
Test Scenarios Included:
- High definition Video steaming without interruption
- Video conference with teams demonstrating consistent and voice transmission with user experience matching terrestrial and cellular connections
- Remote desktop connection to seamlessly manage a remote computer
- VPN connection without any delay or outages
- FTP encrypted file transfers of 2GB in both directions
- IPsec tuned encryption with no reduction in the performance of the link.
As satellite professionals plan, design and build offerings to provide best-in-class connectivity for 5G customers, we are eager to explore how cutting edge technologies like new LEO constellations can integrate with global connectivity infrastructure across every application to deliver an outstanding performance, with significant improvement over what we can achieve via GEO satellites today.
Therefore, to get super-high, multi-gigabit speeds, carriers are first turning to newer, much higher frequencies, known as millimeter-wave (mmW).
Andrew Aroh is President SSPI Nigeria
Equinix, Inc. the world’s digital infrastructure company™, has officially opened its latest data center expansion in Lagos. Called LG2.3, the facility will support Nigeria’s growing digital transformation efforts, providing state-of-the-art colocation and secure interconnection solutions which will empower businesses across the region.
It also signifies Equinix’s unwavering dedication to advancing Nigeria’s position in the global digital economy, reinforcing the company’s commitment to the region.
As part of the inauguration, Bruce Owen, President of EMEA at Equinix, along with other Equinix executives, led the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the newly expanded site. In addition to an official visit to the Governor of Lagos State, Equinix hosted an exclusive customer engagement event, bringing together key customers and partners from Nigeria’s business and technology sectors.
Attendees discussed shared successes and Equinix’s role in facilitating digital transformation, while also connecting directly with Bruce Owen for insights into how Equinix’s solutions drive innovation and business agility in the region.
Equinix executives also took part in a tree-planting ceremony, symbolising Equinix’s continued investment in sustainable initiatives across the globe and highlighting the company’s broader goal of reducing its carbon footprint while supporting greener practices across its operations worldwide.
Speaking about the expansion, Bruce Owen, President of EMEA at Equinix said “Nigeria is a crucial market for Equinix. Today’s opening is a clear demonstration of our continued commitments to invest and grow digital infrastructure that will benefit the many thousands of businesses in Nigeria and on the continent as a whole.
“I am deeply encouraged by the enthusiastic partnerships and innovations emerging from this dynamic region, which continue to inspire our commitment to Nigeria’s digital and sustainable future.”
Adding to this, Wole Abu, Managing Director of Equinix West Africa, highlighted the critical role of data centers in driving economic growth stating “Data centers continue to play a pivotal role in driving economic development in Nigeria, serving as critical infrastructure that supports digital transformation and economic growth.
“As governments and enterprises increasingly acknowledge their significance, global demand for data center capacity is poised to rise. While Africa’s demand for data solutions is still evolving compared to more mature markets, the continent is demonstrating strong potential for digital adoption and innovation.
“To meet this growing need, Equinix is actively advancing three major data center projects in Nigeria, with future expansion plans for Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and South Africa.”
Equinix remains steadfast in its mission to enable secure, scalable, and sustainable digital growth for economies across the world.
African women remain among the most digitally excluded globally, with smartphone affordability and digital literacy among the key barriers. New data from the 2025 GSMA Mobile Gender Gap Report, launched recently, reveals a persistent global gender gap in mobile internet use across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
It further notes that literacy, digital skills, safety, and affordability of data also remain critical barriers. The report highlights that 885 million women across these regions still do not use mobile internet, with nearly 60% of them living in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
While mobile internet is the primary way women in LMICs access the internet, offering critical lifelines to health, education, and financial services, the pace of female adoption has stalled, leaving 235 million fewer women than men connected.
Claire Sibthorpe, head of digital inclusion at GSMA, highlighted that the gender gap had narrowed significantly between 2017 and 2020, but progress flatlined in recent years.
Although 2023 brought a slight improvement, restoring the gap to 15%, 2024 saw minimal change, with the gap settling at 14%.
The disparity is most severe in Sub-Saharan Africa, where women are 29% less likely than men to use mobile internet.
“It’s disheartening that progress in reducing the mobile internet gender gap has stalled. The digital divide is driven by deep-rooted socio-economic and cultural factors that disproportionately impact women,” said Sibthorpe.
GSMA projects that closing the gender gap by 2030 could add $1.3 trillion to GDP across LMICs and deliver $230 billion in revenue to the mobile industry.
The report, funded by the UK FCDO, Sida, and the Gates Foundation, stresses the urgent need for targeted investment and policy action to bridge the digital divide and ensure that no woman is left offline.
“The mobile internet gender gap is not going to close on its own. It is driven by deep-rooted social, economic, and cultural factors that disproportionately impact women,” said Sibthorpe.
In a recent interview, MTN Nigeria reaffirmed that its ongoing infrastructure investment is a strategic step to improve network quality, speed, and nationwide coverage.
Speaking on Beyond the Headlines with Nifemi Oguntoye, Ugonwa Nwoye, Chief Customer and Experience Officer at MTN Nigeria, explained that although public concern is valid, the company undertook several internal cost-efficiency measures before making structural adjustments.
She emphasised that improved investment is critical to fast-tracking improvements across MTN’s network.
Nwoye explained that MTN undertook extensive internal reforms before embarking on structural changes needed to support this scale of investment.
The company completed its phased roll-out of the increase between February and March, ensuring that every existing data plan was below the 50% increase, and most remained below 25%.
She also noted that customers were proactively informed about all changes, particularly when certain legacy plans were retired and replaced with new ones. “We gave customers six to eight weeks’ notice,” she explained.
“This is why it has taken us some time to complete this process, where we let customers know that at a certain date, this particular tariff is not going to exist.”
Nwoye stressed that MTN had exhausted other internal measures before turning to broader structural updates. Now, with the new pricing structure in place, the company is accelerating its investment in infrastructure, spending over ₦200 billion in the first quarter of 2025 alone, a 159% increase from the same period last year. A total capital expenditure of ₦800 billion is planned for the year.
She noted that this investment is a direct outcome of long-term operational restructuring aimed at improving service quality.
She added, “We are investing over ₦800 billion this year alone in our infrastructure. This will translate into better customer experience, reduced congestion, faster internet speeds, and wider network reach.”
This investment will support the upgrade of over 1,000 cell sites and the expansion of more than 2,000 transmission links nationwide.
Nwoye stressed that these upgrades are designed to deliver faster data speeds, fewer dropped calls, and broader network reach, especially in underserved areas.
She acknowledged the public’s expectations for immediate service improvements but emphasised that large-scale infrastructure takes time to deploy.
Nonetheless, MTN expects customers to begin experiencing visible improvements in network performance by the second half of the year.
In a sector where service quality and customer satisfaction are closely watched, MTN maintains that its ongoing investments are not merely capital commitments but vital enablers of improved digital experiences across Nigeria.
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