Isotropic Systems and SES today announced the successful completion of the first-ever simultaneous multi-orbit antenna field tests. They said it is a game-changing development empowering a new age of connectivity on land, in the air and at sea for both civil and defence communications.
Isotropic Systems’ UK-built multi-link antenna underwent a series of field tests at SES’s Manassas, Virginia teleport.The terminal established multiple simultaneous, full-performance link connections with SES satellites – linking to a geostationary (GEO) satellite while simultaneously connected with an O3b satellite in medium earth orbit (MEO).
Currently, users are reliant on legacy ground antennas which only connect to a single network at a time. This industry breakthrough enables satellite end-users to combine the best attributes of all available networks achieving superior network uptime and application performance.
Isotropic’s deep tech solution multiplies the performance of siIngle antenna solutions to transform the global appeal of satellite connectivity, ensuring critical defence communications infrastructure and delivering multiple broadband connections that are highly reliable.
John Finney, founder and CEO of Isotropic Systems, said: “We have removed the major bottleneck holding back the expansion of the satellite sector for both commercial and defence communications. Users can finally connect to as many satellites as they want, when they want, wherever they want and that’s a game-changer for enterprise, aero, maritime, government and defence.
“This test proves space is now open, as we mesh networks together in a way that is unparalleled, without compromise. We have delivered on our vision to combine the full performance of multiple antennas into one multi-link, solid state, software defined terminal without any restrictions.”
Steve Collar, CEO of SES, added: “The success of these multi-orbit antenna trials opens the door to a new level of multi-orbit service delivery, as we integrate our geostationary satellites with our second-generation low-latency, high-throughput O3b mPOWER system to provide seamless services for our customers.
“Isotropic’s unique architecture enables our customers to be connected to multiple simultaneous beams from both GEO and MEO satellites, enabling us to deliver industry-defining performance and orbital resilience services. It is a game changer for resilient, secure, global networks built on SES’s state-of-the-art fleet.”
Mike Rudd, head of telecommunications strategy at the UK Space Agency, said: “This is a significant breakthrough that will put UK technology developed by Isotropic Systems at the heart of meeting the unprecedented demand for global connectivity.
“It’s a great example of the innovation found within the UK’s growing space sector and has been made possible by our leading investments in telecommunications research through the European Space Agency.”
