The New Space Race: How Satellite Operators and Telcos Must Work Together

There’s a lot going on in space today: new satellite mega-constellations are springing up in multiple orbits, high-throughput satellites (HTS) have been launched into the skies, and SpaceX, OneWeb and Amazon are planning huge rollouts of satellites in a low Earth orbit (LEO) over the coming years. In light of such moves, it’s possible that space may completely transform the global connectivity landscape.

Amid this transformation, there are also major growth opportunities for telecommunications companies (telcos) and satellite operators as technologies such as 5G, edge computing and the Internet of Things (IoT) become mainstream. But telcos and satellite operators will need to work together in this emerging “space race” to maximize its potential.

Satellite operators in particular should consider leveraging the extensive internet protocol (IP) networks that telcos already have, and their other terrestrial assets and customer relationships worldwide. Those companies that can combine
assets from both worlds – space and terrestrial – stand to benefit the most in the market.

So what does the future hold? And what steps do they need to take together to capitalize on this new frontier? In this white paper, we will discuss the emergence of the new space race, and outline how satellite operators and telcos should be thinking about working together to achieve success.