Overview
- The journal Engineering publishes a synthesis arguing that integrating satellite layers with terrestrial systems is key to near-global, continuous connectivity.
- GEO, MEO, and LEO satellites are positioned for distinct roles, with LEO enabling lower-latency broadband and IoT and GEO serving fixed services that tolerate higher latency.
- Recent advances—high-throughput platforms, beamforming, onboard processing, and especially optical inter-satellite links—narrow performance gaps with ground networks by lifting capacity and improving latency.
- The study details persistent hurdles including long propagation delays, Doppler effects, efficient spectrum and power allocation, dynamic beam coverage, robust mobility and handover, and routing across multiple orbits.
- Priority research areas include AI-driven orchestration, direct smartphone-to-satellite access, spectrum sharing frameworks, optical wireless links, and reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, alongside reducing costs and improving beam pointing accuracy.