WASHINGTON – A new satellite industry alliance created to accelerate the rollout of direct satellite connectivity for smartphones and other devices likely will boost efforts to harmonize terrestrial and non-terrestrial mobile communications standards. Unlike some players in this emerging market, the group will focus on evolving the use of existing satellite spectrum, rather than sharing terrestrial spectrum with mobile network operators.
The Mobile Satellite Services Association (MSSA) is a consortium of satellite companies aiming to provide direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity using frequencies set aside by regulators for mobile satellite services. The members are Viasat, TerreStar Solutions, OmniSpace, Ligado Networks, Omnispace and Yahsat, which together hold more than 100 megahertz of L- and S-band mobile satellite spectrum that could be used to greatly expand the reach of terrestrial cellular networks.
“Integrating satellite connectivity into consumer mobile devices is a transformative opportunity for the satellite industry,” MSSA Chairman Mark Dankberg, who is chairman and chief executive of Viasat, said in a statement accompanying the Feb. 9 announcement. “As a coalition of leaders with a unified voice, MSSA will be a driving force in making this new marketplace a reality, while respecting the rights of nations to meaningfully engage and retain sovereignty in a rapidly growing space economy.”
Dankberg said the nonprofit association will create opportunities to expand non terrestrial networks through interoperability standards. Specifically, the group will align with the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), a group of organizations working to create standardized protocols for mobile broadband communications. The 3GPP’s latest standards package, known as Release 17, establishes basic protocols for connectivity between satellites and terrestrial networks.
The announcement comes on the heels of a partnership agreement between Viasat, which last year acquired longtime L-band satellite operator Inmarsat, and non-terrestrial network service provider Skylo Technologies to launch what they claim is the first global D2D network. The companies said the partnership will allow mobile network operators, device makers and chipset manufacturers to take 3GPP Release 17-compliant products to the market.
“Skylo is seen as the main proponent of implementing non-terrestrial network systems on geostationary orbiting satellites,” said Tim Farrar, president of the TMF Associates consultancy in Menlo Park, Calif. “Skylo is partnering with many of the players in the MSSA alliance, which I think is one way of everyone agreeing they’re going to make spectrum available for D2D solutions.”
Tom Stroup, president of the Satellite Industry Association, a trade group in Washington, D.C., said in a written statement that the MSSA was created to drive standards for the use of mobile satellite services spectrum in D2D applications. MSSA should be able ensure that its members take a “consistent approach” with equipment manufacturers, he said.
Timing Is Everything
The potential for satellites to extend cellular network coverage has spurred a flurry of industry initiatives in recent years, including new, D2D-focused satellite ventures like Lynk Global and AST SpaceMobile and partnerships between existing satellite operators, mobile network operators and equipment providers. Low Earth orbit satellite operator Globalstar is teamed with technology giant Apple to provide emergency messaging services over iPhones, for example, while mega-constellation operator SpaceX is partnering with mobile network operator T-Mobile.
In a written response to questions, MSSA Treasurer Jacques Leduc, president and chief executive of TerreStar Solutions, said the evolution of mobile technology and integration of L- and S-band into the cellular ecosystem made this the right time to establish an organization to lead the way. “Technological advancements have significantly improved global connectivity, while evolving policies increasingly recognize the crucial role of satellite services,” he said. “Coupled with a market that demands robust and widespread communication solutions, these developments highlight the necessity for a unified strategy.”
Current technology limits initial D2D services to low data rate applications such as text messaging and machine-to-machine, or Internet of Things, communications. It remains to be seen whether D2D will one day deliver the voice and broadband services to which smartphone users have grown accustomed, and that ultimately will determine the size of the market opportunity, experts said.
Just how far D2D can go in terms of capability is a huge point of contention, said Sumaiya Najarali, senior consultant with the satellite market research company Euroconsult. The initial markets are text messaging and Internet of Things connectivity, but the greater revenue opportunity hinges on the ability to deliver voice and broadband services comparable to what is available on consumer smartphones today, she said.
“The starting point is messaging,” Farrar said of D2D services in general. “It remains to be seen whether the [near-term] opportunity is more focused on smartphones and personal communications or on Internet of Things and machine-to-machine applications.”
Comparing Spectrum Strategies
A key differentiator between MSSA members and most of the other D2D hopefuls is they plan to use globally approved mobile satellite frequencies that will not interfere with terrestrial services. SpaceX, Lynk Global and AST Mobile, on the other hand, are using frequencies allocated to terrestrial mobile network operators.
Farrar and Najarali said there are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches. Using mobile satellite frequencies will require consumer equipment modifications in the form of new chipsets, whereas terrestrial frequencies are compatible with existing hardware, they said. But the availability of terrestrial spectrum is limited, and its use will require interference mitigation measures that limit service quality, Farrar noted.
Najarali said terrestrial spectrum users also could face regulatory hurdles in terms of access to certain national markets. But they have stronger distribution channels and access to a mass market through mobile network operators, she said.
“I think the addressable market is so large that there’s room for both approaches,” Najarali said.
Leduc agreed. “The future of global communications lies not in choosing between these technologies but in leveraging and integrating both to their fullest potential to ensure universal, resilient, and efficient connectivity,” he said. “There is indeed room in the market for such a complementary approach, and their coexistence is key to a more connected world everywhere for everybody.”
Nonetheless, Farrar said it remains to be seen whether equipment makers will see enough market potential to invest in the chipsets needed to work with L- and S-band frequencies. “If the [original equipment manufacturers] don’t think they can sell more phones, the cost will be difficult to justify,” he said.
Leduc said equipment manufacturers already are collaborating with MSSA members. The organization’s approach is to forge partnerships with these companies to ensure compatibility and service improvement without locking them into proprietary solutions, he said.
“The MSSA is committed to aligning with global standards bodies to advocate for a unified, standards-based approach,” Leduc said.
Another wild card in the D2D market is SpaceX, which has more than 5,000 Starlink broadband satellites on orbit and plans to launch 840 satellites with D2D capability. SpaceX in January announced that it had successfully delivered text messages to T-Mobile’s network using its initial batch of six D2D-enabled satellites.
“If SpaceX puts D2D capability on all of their future satellites it could swamp the market before traditional players are able to develop the opportunity,” Farrar said.
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