Prospects for the Development of Global Satellite Communication Constellations in the Context of New Services in the Telecommunications Market

Abstract

A technique for assessing the market of advanced global telecommunication networks, including the space segment, as global coverage communication megaconstellations is considered. According to our results, the worldwide traffic consumption by 5G mobile devices by 2022 will be almost 8.5 EB/month. The possible cost of deploying a megaconstellation of communications to provide broadband Internet access at any place in the world can range from $5 to $50 billion, depending on service requirements. We have shown that modern and prospective space communications constellations can be integrated into a new-generation global telecommunication infrastructure. Deployment of a constellation of 600 or more devices with a cost of almost $10 billion can provide traffic transit from base stations in remote areas delivering the population with broadband Internet through 5G networks.