SATELLITE 2019 took place last week in D.C. and offered attendees a glimpse of the latest technology, upcoming trends in the space industry, and the opportunity to hear from a variety of notable speakers. The theme this year, The Business of Meaningful Connections, is a clever play on words. The conference allows industry leaders to connect with each other and highlights the importance of satellite connectivity to the military, government agencies, and the world.
The 15,000 attendees this year were able to hear from notable speakers including Tony Bruno, President and CEO of United Launch Alliance, Steve Spengler, CEO of Intelsat, and Mike Pence, Vice President of the United States. Speakers highlighted the technological advancements the satellite industry has gained in the past year as well as areas that innovation is still lacking. Digitalization and data systems, and the advancements they need were the main topic of conversation at the IoT of the Oceans panel.
.@torybruno We must develop the natural resources that reside on our doorstep, our children will inherit a post scarcity human future. #SATShow pic.twitter.com/1XxPBb1Y2v
— ULA (@ulalaunch) May 6, 2019
“As an industry we need to better show the benefits of digitalisation to the shipping industry… We need to develop a standardized system to manage the vast amounts of data produced by a vessel.”- Iridium VP Maritime Wouter Deknopper during the IoT of the Oceans panel #satshow pic.twitter.com/6SpH36Wzxs
— Iridium (@IridiumComm) May 9, 2019
@INTELSAT CEO Steve Spengler: What has changed in the MNO sector is that advances in space and on the ground allow network operators to close business cases today they previously could not – in both developing and developed areas. #SATShow pic.twitter.com/i1mw2PdiSO
— Intelsat (@INTELSAT) May 7, 2019
During the show, GPS and Wi-Fi were reoccurring topics. Both technologies, made possible by satellites, have seen tremendous advancement in the past year. Intelsat’s Jean-Phillipe Gillet touched on the importance of bringing Wi-Fi to the edge but offering more than just bandwidth. By pairing technology and connectivity, satellite providers like Intelsat can offer companies and government agencies the opportunity to connect communities that haven’t been reachable in the past.
The benefits and future of #GPS is on display at the @NASASCaN booth during the 2019 #SATShow! pic.twitter.com/1vz9WJEa4o
— J. David Grossman (@jdavidGPS) May 7, 2019
Delivering WiFi alone to low-ARPU areas at the edge is challenging, says @INTELSAT’s Jean-Phillipe Gillet. But pair it with other services, such as Intelsat‘s work with Coca-Cola’s Ekocenter, you change the delivery economics, build a business & have a real impact on a community. pic.twitter.com/BpKuEhyFN1
— Intelsat (@INTELSAT) May 8, 2019
During the #SATShow, much discussion focused on growing U.S. Government support for commercial #space. #COMSATCOM providers look forward to more predictability from @DeptofDefense with the flexible enterprise satcom architecture. https://t.co/eUQrHYjbqp: https://t.co/WgKaAwfsx5
— Intelsat General (@IGCorp) May 9, 2019
Perhaps the most talked about topic at the conference was 5G. Speakers, including Mike Pence, highlighted the importance of 5G to government connectivity, especially for military at the edge. In coming years, 5G won’t just be its own technology, but part of every technology. For the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security, 5G is emerging as an important tool that will be utilized for years to come.
Glad to see #5G being mentioned and discussed in multiple sessions during #SatShow! #Satellite2019 pic.twitter.com/5ZsKBJsPLP
— ♈️ico! @Ericsson ????????? (@vfiorese_) May 7, 2019
“If everyone doesn’t realize that there is more than one technology that will be part of 5G, they’ll be unprepared.” Jennifer Manner shared insights on What’s at Stake for the Satellite Industry at #SatShow pic.twitter.com/LLo6o3XBvC
— Hughes (@HughesConnects) May 8, 2019
Vice-President Mike Pence talks at #Satshow about the importance of #5G and spectrum availability to ensure future US leadership pic.twitter.com/Qw8lf9YZgF
— Matthieu Richard (@SpaceMatthieu) May 6, 2019
To learn more about satellite technology connecting our world today, click here.
