Signals from space: SD-WAN marks the next stage in commercialized space-based comms

Companies
such
as
Iridium
and
Viasat
handle
highly
specialized
public
and
private
sector
workloads.
Space
X’s
Starlink
is
perhaps
the
most
recognizable
player
in
the
space-based
comms
race.
Starlink’s
aim
is
to
provide
affordable
internet
access
to
everyone,
anywhere
in
the
world,
and
its
service
has
grown
rapidly
over
the
past
four
years,
with
more
than

3,000
satellites
in
orbit
and
over

500,000
customers
since
2019.
It
has
clearly
demonstrated
its
influence,
reach,
and
resiliency
as
the
communications
network
helping
Ukraine
to
resist
the
Russian
invasion.  

Low-orbit
earth
satellites
and
SD-WAN
combine 

The
pros
of
satellite
services
are
clear:
with
blanket
coverage
across
our
planet,
it’s
conceivable
that
one
day
every
square
inch
will
be
covered.
From
an
environmental
perspective,
they’re
almost
completely
fueled
by
solar
power,
and
can
be
more
cost-effective
for
communication
over
long
distances. 

As
a
WAN
access
technology
though,
satellite
communication
does
experience
its
fair
share
of
obstacles.
For
example,
because
signals
must
travel
into
space
and
back
down
to
earth,
there
is
the
inescapable
physics
of
latency
eroding
performance.  

Additionally,
some
providers
tend
to
rely
on
packet
manipulation,
such
as
queuing,
to
deliver
a
higher
quality
service.
However,
when
this
is
combined
with
business–focused
overlay
technology
–
such
as
SD-WAN
–
the
packet
manipulation
can
damage
network
performance. 

Fortunately,
several
providers
have
developed
ways
around
this.
Starlink’s
technology
specifically
uses
low-earth
orbit
systems
that
operate
physically
closer
to
earth,
which
greatly
reduces
latency
and
the
associated
heavy
processing
demands
of
traditional
satellites.
This
is
making
it
possible
to
easily
integrate
space-based
access
paths
into
existing
terrestrial
SD-WAN
networks. 

The
result:
low
latency
and
high
bandwidth
communications
capable
of
reaching
the
most
remote
locations
on
the
planet,
where
the
internet
was
previously
inaccessible.
The
idea
is,
anywhere
you
can
see
the
sky,
you
can
access
the
internet.  

About Author

AndyC

Andy Curtis is an award-winning security consultant, researcher and public speaker. He has been working in the computer security industry since the early 1990s, having been employed by state and federal government, leading healthcare and banking providers across three continents. He has given talks about computer security for some of the world’s largest companies, worked with law enforcement agencies on investigations into hacking groups, and is a regular voice on TV and radio explaining IT security threats.

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