While Comtech executives from around the world converged on the annual Satellite 2024 conference in Washington, DC to meet with dozens of customers, partners, and prospects, the company was also extremely well represented on key industry panels that took place throughout the week of the conference.
The engaging panel topics ranged from 5G NTN and cybersecurity to MilSatCom, next-generation ground segment, and the convergence of satellite and cellular.
Comtech led a headline CEO panel of satellite operators, service providers, and innovative users of new age connectivity during a standing room only general session titled Are Satellite and Cellular Worlds Converging or Colliding?
During the high-profile discussion, panel members made it clear the industry is embracing convergence as an inevitable direction of the future.
There was general consensus among the panelists that end users today don’t really care where connectivity is coming from, which is surprising given the diverse business models represented across the executive panel. “That bodes very well for companies like Comtech, as we continue to innovate new modem and ground system technologies to empower our customers with always on connectivity access regardless of the satellite orbit or frequency they’re operating within,” noted John Ratigan, Comtech Interim CEO, reflecting on the important conference panel.
Daniel Gizinski, Comtech’s Chief Strategy Officer, provided key insights during two conference panels, including one focused on Exploring Future Alternatives Beyond Starlink for Commercially Provided MilSatCom. The discussion involved SATCOM officials from the Space Force, the Department of Defense, and Amazon Kuiper and centered on improving rapid communications for US military forces with the deployment of LEO and MEO constellations.
“We’re seeing a big shift toward the need to pull together all of these disparate networks and legacy systems that weren’t designed or defined to interoperate,” Mr. Gizinski said during the panel that drew a big audience. “The need for complex orchestration capabilities increases exponentially, as well as the requirements for updated security policies and interfaces – all simultaneously.”
Mr. Gizinksi also provided keen insight during an informative panel on Space-Focused, Zero-Trust Cybersecurity for Hybrid Networks. “The fact that we’re sitting here on a panel representing equipment manufacturers, satellite operators alongside government agencies underscores the importance of designing and developing products with an eye toward cybersecurity from day zero,” Mr. Gizinski said following the discussion. “You can’t be successful at building and deploying products that are expected to be relied on over a long period of time without a focus on cyber assurance as a key part of overall mission assurance.”
Comtech’s Chief Technology Officer Anirban Chakraborty was featured on the panel titled 5G NTN: New Concepts and Use Cases to Achieve Mass Uptake. The group focused on the battle for market share in the 5G non-terrestrial networks sector, which is well underway with satellite operators, MNOs, and handset and equipment makers all vying for a position.
“The satellite-5G convergence is no longer a theory, it’s in front of us,” noted Anirban at the Satellite 2024 conference. “The term 5G NTN has been coined because eventually we will see not just satellite, but also high-altitude platforms. We will see drones, which are not traditional satellite infrastructure but are here today. We will see networks come into play and co-mingle, co-exist with 5G terrestrial systems.”
There was strong interest in the session called Designing the Digital Ground Segment of the Future, which provided an excellent opportunity for Comtech leaders to highlight the company’s vision of the future of ground infrastructure, and its exciting roadmap ahead.
Comtech has big advantages in developing next-gen digital ground systems, based on its work on the terrestrial and wireless side of the business. “We’ve already deployed in the cloud, and we have a lot of game-changing cloud partnerships,” Mr. Ratigan noted following Satellite 2024. “We have a strong understanding how standards are moving the industry forward, and we’re able to leverage our terrestrial and wireless experience and leadership in hybrid and multi-orbit networks for a real differentiator.”
On the heels of what the Satellite 2024 organizers are calling one of their most exciting conferences yet, with more than 15,000 attendees and new exhibitors from across the increasingly hybrid universe, Comtech played a pivotal role in the success of this year’s convention in Washington, DC.
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