Satellite Internet Research Articles

Commercial Space Industry Development from the Perspective of the Triple Helix: Evidence from China and the United States

Abstract: The university-industry-government triple helix has been an ideal approach to interpret the growth of innovative industries, especially in the context of todays technological leap. This study examines the commercial space sectors in United States and China, the two leading space powers, to analyze how the triple helix structures evolve and synergize to shape their respective industries. It is found that in the United States, the helix is rooted in legislation and procurement support, spurred by a well-developed industrial system, and reinforced by extensive enterprise-university collaboration programs. In contrast, the Chinese triple helix formation trajectory begins with experimental policies and space infrastructure construction, evolves through enterprises considered positioning in reusable rocket and satellite internet, and is potentially propelled by an expanding scale of talents exiting state-owned space institutions or fostered by emerging academies. After that, a lateral comparison between the two triple-helix models is undertaken to unveil the characteristics, similarities, and disparities within the commercial space industries of these two nations. This paper concludes that, for nations aiming at establishing a commercially sustainable space industry, the essence lies in a fully developed triple helix where efforts of government, industry, and academia can systematically converge without significant lag in any aspect. The paper also mentions the potential benefits of commercial space cooperation between the United States and China.

A review of research on the development of low-orbit Internet constellations

In recent years, with the surge in Internet users, innovative companies such as SpaceX and OneWeb have planned to build low-orbit Internet constellations, triggering a global boom in the development of low-orbit satellite Internet constellations. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the development of low-orbit Internet constellations at home and abroad and the technical difficulties currently faced by low-orbit Internet constellations in their development. This paper first introduces three representative low-orbit Internet constellation plans abroad (Starlink, OneWeb, Lightspeed) and the latest development of domestic constellations. Then, based on the characteristics of low-orbit Internet constellations, the five major technical challenges faced by low-orbit Internet constellations are analyzed in detail: constellation relative motion evolution prediction, constellation autonomous navigation and orbit determination, constellation variable path planning, constellation self-organization collaborative control, constellation communication and network services. Finally, based on the current development trend of low-orbit Internet constellations, suggestions are given for the development of low-orbit Internet constellations in my country based on my country's national conditions.

STC-BERT (Satellite Traffic Classification-BERT): A Traffic Classification Model for Low-Earth-Orbit Satellite Internet Systems

The low-Earth-orbit satellite internet supports the transmission of multiple business types. With increasing business volume and advancements in encryption technology, the quality of service faces challenges. Traditional models lack flexibility in optimizing network performance and ensuring service quality, particularly showing poor performance in identifying encrypted traffic. Therefore, designing a model that can accurately identify multiple business scenarios as well as encrypted traffic with strong generalization capabilities is a challenging issue to resolve. In this paper, addressing the characteristics of diverse low-Earth-orbit satellite traffic and encryption, the authors propose STC-BERT (satellite traffic classification-BERT). During the pretraining phase, this model learns contextual relationships of large-scale unlabeled traffic data, while in the fine-tuning phase, it utilizes a semantic-enhancement algorithm to highlight the significance of key tokens. Post semantic enhancement, a satellite traffic feature fusion module is introduced to integrate tokens into specific low-dimensional scales and achieve final classification in fully connected layers. The experimental results demonstrate our approach’s outstanding performance compared to other models: achieving 99.31% (0.2%↑) in the USTC-TFC task, 99.49% in the ISCX-VPN task, 98.44% (0.9%↑) in the Cross-Platform task, and 98.19% (0.8%↑) in the CSTNET-TLS1.3 task.

Watercraft as Overwater Ambulance Exchange Points to Enhance Air Medical Evacuation

Ambulance exchange points are preidentified sites where patients are transferred between evacuation platforms while en route to enhanced medical care. We propose a new capability for maritime medical evacuation, which involves co-opting underway watercraft as overwater ambulance exchange points to transfer patients between medical evacuation aircraft. We partnered with the US Army's 25th Combat Aviation Brigade to demonstrate the use of Army watercraft as overwater ambulance exchange points. A manikin was transferred between 2 HH-60M medical evacuation Black Hawk helicopters conducting hoist operations over Army Logistics Support Vessel 3, which was traveling south of Honolulu, HI. The demonstration was enabled by a decision support system for dispatching aircraft, hoist stabilization technology, commercial satellite internet, military geospatial infrastructure applications, and digital medical documentation tools, the benefits of which are all discussed. Three extensions of the overwater ambulance exchange point are introduced, and civilian applications are considered.

Deep Learning-Based Joint Channel Prediction and Multibeam Precoding for LEO Satellite Internet of Things

Deep Learning-Based Joint Channel Prediction and Multibeam Precoding for LEO Satellite Internet of Things

Exploring the Role of Wireless Networking in Uganda’s Socio-Economic Development: Deployment, Impact, and Challenges

In Uganda, wireless networking technologies are considered an indispensable destination for advancement in connectivity, digital inclusion, and socio-economic progress. Wi-Fi connectivity is the technology that uses radio waves to send data without cables, permitting devices to share files wirelessly. Resolving the linkage problem and creating a chance for a digital economy are what matter most in Uganda’s economic development. Because of the high cost of setting up and operating wireless infrastructure in rural areas, we could use cellular networks, Wi-Fi, and satellite internet in tandem to bridge the digital divide. Such an infrastructure also provides an enabling environment for innovations, start-ups, job creation, and education. This paper will examine the deployment of wireless networks in Uganda, specifically focusing on sectors like telecommunications, education, healthcare, and agriculture. It emphasized the importance of Wi-Fi and its various benefits, including bridging the digital divide, promoting digital inclusion, and fostering innovation. Nevertheless, these problems of infrastructure constraints, spectrum allocation problems, interference issues, and socioeconomic hurdles are still there and remain. The content also includes sections on power supply, safety, staffing deficiencies, and regulatory compliance. It is capable of demonstrating the current level of cellular networking as well as its future growth prospects. We will employ pertinent recently published data (2014–2024) from multiple reliable databases. Uganda’s wireless technology future is promising for growth, innovation, and social-economic development. Accelerating 5G deployment, developing rural connectivity, and investing in IoT and smart infrastructure are essential. The government should provide financial incentives, strengthen cybersecurity, raise public awareness, and collaborate on modernised curriculum and certifications. Keywords: wireless networking, Uganda, telecommunications, digital inclusion, innovation, challenges, opportunities.

Research on angular displacement detection technology of inter-satellite laser communication based on coherent system

With the rapid development of spatial information networks technologies, inter-satellite laser communication links have played an important role in the satellite Internet. High-precision relative angular displacement detection is the foundation for achieving real-time tracking of laser communication links, and its accuracy directly impacts the tracking performance and communication quality of the laser communication link. Traditional laser communication systems utilize intensity-based position detection methods to calculate angular displacement, requiring setting separate Charge Coupled Device (CCD) or Four-quadrant Detector (QD) as well as independent optical tracking branches. This setup makes it difficult to integrate with high-speed coherent communication systems. Additionally, the method employing intensity detection to determine angular displacement based on spot position has lower accuracy in theory. A angular displacement detection of coherent-based inter-satellite laser communication is proposed in this paper. Firstly, real-time calculation of phase differences at different positions of the beam is achieved through heterodyne coherent array detection and dual high-precision phase-locked loops. Then, a model correlating wave front phase difference with relative angular displacement is established, phase noise during beam transmission and detection processes is analyzed, and algorithm for detecting angular displacement in coherent systems is studied. Finally, a laser communication link is constructed under laboratory condition, and experimental validation work is carried out. When the relative angle deviation is 1°, the phase difference changes by 0.089049795 rad, and the angular displacement detection error of 0.66697μrad(σ). When the relative angle error is 0.603873μrad(σ), the detection sensitivity is −43.93dBm. The experimental results show that in the coherent system, the relative angular displacement detection with high precision can be realized by using the wavefront phase difference of beam, which can support the laser communication tracking system to achieve higher precision beam tracking.

Power-domain collision-tolerant random access method with auxiliary beam for satellite Internet of Things: A new solution

Power-domain collision-tolerant random access method with auxiliary beam for satellite Internet of Things: A new solution

The concept, technical architecture, applications and impacts of satellite internet: A systematic literature review

To conduct a comprehensive review of international publications, this study focuses on discussing the development status and future trends of Satellite Internet. In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, all peer-reviewed publications in English from journals indexed with the SSCI and SCIE categories of the Web of Science are reviewed, with an emphasis on studies that focused only on the architecture, functions, technologies, and applications of Satellite Internet across the entire period. A total of 2085 records were identified, of which 69 met the inclusion criteria. Through a systematic literature review, the results show that three main research perspectives were summarised and a unified Satellite Internet definition and technical architecture were innovatively provided. Additionally, Satellite Internet application industries and scenarios were comprehensively sorted, and four types of potential impacts were categorised and discussed. This study provides an insightful analysis of recent trends in Satellite Internet research, which may provide guidance for planning and supporting the forthcoming wave of information infrastructure growth. Future research should broaden the scope of theoretical studies when assessing the strategic importance of Satellite Internet. Further quantitative research is needed to provide a more scientific and comprehensive perspective.

Improvement of the Cybersecurity of the Satellite Internet of Vehicles through the Application of an Authentication Protocol Based on a Modular Error-Correction Code

Improvement of the Cybersecurity of the Satellite Internet of Vehicles through the Application of an Authentication Protocol Based on a Modular Error-Correction Code

Starlink Satellite Project in A Developing Country

SpaceX and Elon Musk are leading a long-term initiative called Starlink to solve inequities in rural broadband Internet access.In order to provide constant, high-speed Internet access worldwide, the project aims to launch thousands of smallsat-class satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO) as a component of a mega constellation. SpaceX thinks that by utilizing shallow orbits, their technology may surpass the competition. Starlink assures its clients of reduced latency and improved connection quality in contrast to conventional geosynchronous satellite Internet infrastructure (Walker & Elliott, 2021). The purpose of this study is to look at how the Thai public views the Starlink satellite project. An online survey was employed to gather data from a convenience sample of 1,258 people in Thailand, using a quantitative methodology. To analyze the data, binary regression analysis was done. The results showed that factors such as gender, age, computer, laptop, tablet, wearable device, length of Internet use, mobile Internet, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube could all be used to characterize how the public in Thailand felt about the Starlink Satellite project.The major reason is Starlink needs to come up with a clever plan to encourage customers to adopt satellite Internet in nations where fiber Internet is more readily available and reasonably priced.

Democratizing LEO Satellite Network Measurement

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite networks are quickly gaining traction with promises of impressively low latency, high bandwidth, and global reach. However, the research community knows relatively little about their operation and performance in practice. The obscurity is largely due to the high barrier of entry for measuring LEO networks, which requires deploying specialized hardware or recruiting large numbers of satellite Internet customers. In this paper, we introduce HitchHiking, a methodology that democratizes global visibility into LEO satellite networks. HitchHiking builds on the observation that Internet-exposed services that use LEO Internet can reveal satellite network architecture and performance, bypassing the need for specialized hardware. We evaluate HitchHiking against ground truth measurements and prior methods, showing that it provides more coverage and accuracy. With HitchHiking, we complete the largest study to date of Starlink network latency, measuring over 2,400~users across 27~countries. We uncover unexpected patterns in latency that surface how LEO routing is more complex than previously understood. Finally, we conclude with recommendations for future research on LEO networks.

Cultural Harmony Between Satellite Internet and Private Community Mesh Wi-Fi Network: A Conceptual Paper

The wireless internet is undeniably crucial for nations, particularly in developing countries, serving as a critical component in connecting people residing in remote and inaccessible areas. This is especially true for archipelago nations where traditional landline internet infrastructure may not be economically viable. In developing countries, the internet plays a vital role in propelling advancements in education, productions, and services. Unlike developed nations where technology often overshadows religion, developing countries tend to approach technological progress cautiously, prioritizing the preservation of their religious beliefs. Despite the increasing availability of satellite internet providing vast and unrestricted access, governmental authorities and religious leaders in developing countries remain cautious about potential negative influences on religion. Therefore, establishing a cultural harmony framework that promotes good will is essential for stakeholders to find common ground for the benefit of the people and the nation.

Integrating Communication, Sensing and Computing in Satellite Internet of Things: Challenges and Opportunities

Integrating Communication, Sensing and Computing in Satellite Internet of Things: Challenges and Opportunities

Interspectral Error Tracking and Compensation of DSDT in Satellite Internet of Things

With the rapid growth of satellite Internet of Things (SIoT) services, existing frequency band resources are insufficient to meet future business demands. To effectively address this issue, it is necessary to enhance the utilization of existing frequency resources. However, idle frequency resources are typically scattered across multiple bands and vary in bandwidth size. Direct Spectrum Division Transmission (DSDT), dividing a complete signal into sub-spectrum signals for transmission in idle frequency bands, can take the use of fragmented spectrum resources for satellite communication. Nevertheless, the performance of DSDT depends heavily on accurate synchronization toward multiple sub-spectrums. In this paper, an algorithm for error synchronization tracking and compensation is proposed by utilizing the focusing nature of constellation. All sub-spectrums are weighed by the minimum Euclidean distance of the constellation to compensate for amplitude–frequency–phase errors simultaneously. Simulations and experimental verification demonstrate synchronization performance and feasibility of proposed method in a multi-radio frequency channels environment.

The Past, Present, and Future of the Internet: A Statistical, Technical, and Functional Comparison of Wired/Wireless Fixed/Mobile Internet

This paper examines the quantitative and qualitative situation of the current fixed and mobile Internet and its expected future. It provides a detailed insight into the past, present, and future of the Internet along with the development of technology and the problems that have arisen in accessing and using broadband Internet. First, the number of users and penetration rate of the Internet, the various types of services in different countries, the ranking of countries in terms of the mean and median download and upload Internet data speeds, Internet data volume, and number and location of data centers in the world are presented. The second task introduces and details twelve performance evaluation metrics for broadband Internet access. Third, different wired and wireless Internet technologies are introduced and compared based on data rate, coverage, type of infrastructure, and their advantages and disadvantages. Based on the technical and functional criteria, in the fourth work, two popular wired and wireless Internet platforms, one based on optical fiber and the other based on the 5G cellular network, are compared in the world in general and Australia in particular. Moreover, this paper has a look at Starlink as the latest satellite Internet candidate, especially for rural and remote areas. The fifth task outlines the latest technologies and emerging broadband Internet-based services and applications in the spotlight. Sixthly, it focuses on three problems in the future Internet in the world, namely the digital divide due to the different qualities of available Internet and new Internet-based services and applications of emerging technologies, the impact of the Internet on social interactions, and hacking and insecurity on the Internet. Finally, some solutions to these problems are proposed.

Cooperative Caching and Resource Allocation in Integrated Satellite–Terrestrial Networks

Due to the rapid development of low earth orbit satellite constellations, e.g., Starlink, OneWeb, etc., integrated satellite-terrestrial networks have been viewed as a promising paradigm to globally provide satellite internet services for users. However, when the contents from ground data centers are provided for users by satellite networks, there will be high capital expenditures in terms of communication delay and bandwidth usage. To this end, in this paper, a cooperative-caching and resource-allocation problem is investigated in integrated satellite–terrestrial networks. Popular contents, which are cached on satellites and ground data centers, can be accessed via inter-satellite and satellite–terrestrial networks in a cooperative way. The optimization problem is formulated to jointly minimize the deployment costs of storage resource usage and network bandwidth consumption. A cooperative caching and resource allocation (CCRA) algorithm based on a neighborhood search is proposed to address the problem. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed CCRA algorithm outperforms Greedy and BFS in reducing the deployment costs.

Connecting space missions through NGSO constellations: feasibility study

A satellite internet provider (e.g., Starlink, OneWeb, O3b mPOWR), despite possessing the capability to provide internet services to on-ground users in a global scale, can dramatically change the way space missions are designed and operated in the foreseeable future. Assuming a scenario where space mission satellites can access the internet via a space internet system, the satellite can be connected to the network permanently (24 × 7) and act as mere terminal independently from its location. The ability to communicate with the satellite on-demand has the potential to improve aspects such as real-time tasking, outage minimization, operation cost, and dependency on the ground. This paper performs a feasibility study on the concept of connecting space missions to the network through commercial mega-constellations. This study includes a review of existing and near-future space internet systems, identification of candidate space missions for the aforementioned concept, a necessary adaptation of existing Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) terminals to be plugged into space mission satellites, assessment of communication performance, and investigation of the legal aspects of the radio frequency (RF) spectrum usage. The paper evidences that the concept is practically possible to implement in the near future. Among the studied space internet systems (i.e., Starlink, OneWeb, O3b mPOWER), O3b mPOWER stands out as the most suitable system allowing permanent coverage of low earth orbit (LEO) space missions with data rates that can reach up to 21 Mbps per satellite. Although the concept is very promising and can be implemented in the near future, our investigations show that some regulatory aspects regarding the RF usage should be solved for future exploitation of connecting space missions through NGSO (Non-Geostationary Satellite Orbit) constellations.

Near Real-Time Remote Sensing Based on Satellite Internet: Architectures, Key Techniques, and Experimental Progress

Remote sensing has become an essential tool for geological exploration, disaster monitoring, emergency rescue, and environmental supervision, while the limited number of remote sensing satellites and ground stations restricts the timeliness of remote sensing services. Satellite Internet has features of large bandwidth, low latency, and wide coverage, which can provide ubiquitous high-speed access for time-sensitive remote sensing users. This study proposes a near real-time remote sensing (NRRS) architecture, which allows satellites to transmit remote sensing data via inter-satellite links and offload to the Earth Stations from the satellite that moves overhead. The NRRS architecture has the advantages of instant response, ubiquitous access, and intelligent integration. Based on a test communication constellation, a vehicle-mounted Satcom on-the-move experiment was conducted to validate the presented NRRS architecture. The results show that the whole process from demand collection to image acquisition takes no more than 25 min, which provides an engineering reference for the subsequent implementation of near real-time remote sensing.

Democratizing LEO Satellite Network Measurement

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite networks are quickly gaining traction with promises of impressively low latency, high bandwidth, and global reach. However, the research community knows relatively little about their operation and performance in practice. The obscurity is largely due to the high barrier of entry for measuring LEO networks, which requires deploying specialized hardware or recruiting large numbers of satellite Internet customers. In this paper, we introduce HitchHiking, a methodology that democratizes global visibility into LEO satellite networks. HitchHiking builds on the observation that Internet-exposed services that use LEO Internet can reveal satellite network architecture and performance, bypassing the need for specialized hardware. We evaluate HitchHiking against ground truth measurements and prior methods, showing that it provides more coverage and accuracy. With HitchHiking, we complete the largest study to date of Starlink network latency, measuring over 2,400 users across 27 countries. We uncover unexpected patterns in latency that surface how LEO routing is more complex than previously understood. Finally, we conclude with recommendations for future research on LEO networks.