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VOL. 2 NO. 4, 2024

OCTOBER/DECEMBER

VOLUME 2 NUMBER 4, 2024

OCTOBER/DECEMBER 2024

Satellites versus Fibre Optics: Goliath Meets Goliath

IN A GAME INVOLVING A DAVID AND A GOLIATH, THERE IS DEFINITELY NO ROOM FOR AMBIGUITY WHEN IT COMES TO REACHING A CONCLUSION REGARDING WHO THE VICTOR AND WHO THE VANQUISHED WOULD BE. THAT’S JUST SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF THROUGH BIBLICAL FIAT AND NO LEVEL OF DEXTERITY APPEARS TO BE POTENT ENOUGH TO ALTER A DIVINELY CODIFIED DECISION. BUT, IN A SMOLDERING GAME INVOLVING TWO GOLIATHS, PONTIFICATING ABOUT WHO THE VICTOR AND WHO THE VANQUISHED WOULD TURN OUT TO BE LOOKS VERY MUCH LIKE A HUGE BURDEN IF NOT OUTRIGHTLY A HUGE EFFORT IN FUTILITY.

That exactly is the case when it comes to debating which technology is more superior and more robust between satellite technology and fibre optics technology. Both technologies are giants in their own rights, albeit the former is effectively space-based whilst the latter is largely terrestrial-based. And what’s more: both technologies can comfortably boast tentacles straddling the length and breadth of the globe, notwithstanding the fact that issues surrounding the actual ramifications of these tentacles remain a heated topic.

“Literally, fiber optics and communication satellites are two distinct technologies used for the transmission of data, voice, and video signals over long distances,” says Maiwada Abdulaziz, retired General Manager (Electronic Communication) at the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and currently Technical Manager for Germany-based MOCOM Communications GmbH. “To compare the capabilities of fiber optics with those of a communication satellite, one needs to holistically look at the advantages and limitations of the two super-highways. Fiber optics excels in terms of bandwidth, latency, and security, while communication satellites offer global coverage and mobility.”

 

SATELLITES OR FIBRE OPTICS?

 

Times are really changing and changing very fast when it comes to the continuing emergence of innovative technologies and the growing complexities of techno-operational processes globally. The appetite of users of communication infrastructures for super-high bandwidth and platforms for channeling multiple forms of data, voice and images over a single network is equally growing. This is undoubtedly generating heated debates around the question: Satellites or Fibre Optics?

To be sure, the preponderance of opinion is that both satellite and fibre optics technologies have inherent advantages and disadvantages that have to do with the kind of applications that are put in place. Experts who spoke to Air Traffic Safety Electronics International were of the opinion that it’s all about applying innovative trade-offs when it comes to meeting clients’ requirements.

“Both technologies offer advantages and disadvantages and are highly effective and efficient in terms of their respective usage in communication,” says Ivon Setswe, Executive President of the South African Air Traffic Safety Electronics Personnel Association (SAATSEPA). “None is superior to the other as they serve different purposes.”

Availability and reliability are just everything, experts agree. And this applies across the board, touching the whole spectrums of space-based, terrestrial-based, and hybrid applications.

“As much as there are innovative solutions in the fibre optics space, by virtue of it being ground-based and at times requiring laying of cables, service interruptions, attributable to cables being cut cannot be avoided,” says Sam Mahlangu, the IFATSEA Regional Director for Africa. “The reliability and availability of these technologies are paramount.”

Juxtaposing the service interruption shortcoming of fibre optics with the minuses and pluses of satellite communications technology, Maiwada Abdulaziz says: “Satellite communication actually comes with a number of features, including lower bandwidth (typically 1-10 Gbps), higher latency (typically 240-280 ms), signal degradation due to atmospheric interference, high operational costs depending on the number of nodes, as well as vulnerability to space weather and satellite failures. There is also the excellent ability of satellites to provide global coverage or footprints.”

Experts who spoke to Air Traffic Safety Electronics International believed that the actual discriminators are client’s requirements and use cases and not really any advantages or limitations.

“The choice between the two technologies depends on specific requirements and use cases,” says Abdulaziz. “To deploy any of the two, it is better to compare the capabilities of both technologies.”

“Satellite technology and fibre optics technology are key for modern communication systems,” says Ivon Setswe. “However, they differ in application and capabilities. So, it depends on the clients’ requirements and application. If speed and bandwidth are what is required, then fibre optics technology is the answer. However, if global coverage is what is required, satellite technology is the answer.”

 

WHEN BANDWIDTH BECOMES THE REAL ISSUE

 

As communication operations across industrial sectors become increasingly network centric, the need for reliable, robust and bandwidth intensive applications are becoming very intensive. Bandwidth, experts agree, is becoming the greatest determining factor. And experts are unanimous regarding which technology comes to the fore when the need is all about bandwidth.

“Fiber optics is more robust in terms of communication because it has an exceptional bandwidth with ability to carry many signals concurrently,” says Abdulaziz. “It possesses a better quality of service and is immune to electromagnetic interference. It is very secure and resistant to eavesdropping. No threat to adjacent network and does not emit electromagnetic signals.

The emphasis on bandwidth has quite a lot to do with the fact that frequency spectrum is becoming increasingly scarce, making spectrum-efficiency the current talk in town.

“The radio frequency spectrum allocated to satellites is already facing threat from the mobile service,” says Abdulaziz. “The ITU-WRC 2023 held in Dubai allocated some sections of the satellite bands to the mobile for the implementation of 5th and 6th generation of mobile communication. It is necessary for any air navigation service provider to look for alternatives and fiber optics is the best option.”

SATELLITES RULE IN THE SKIES

 

As much as experts are divided over whether satellites should be rated over fibre optics or vice versa, there appears to be a convergence of opinions regarding which technology rules the skies and which technology is more suitable for the aviation ecosystem.

“Given the essence of reliability and availability of services for the aviation industry, the technological advancements that are satellite-based are more appropriate for the aviation industry, “says Sam Mahlangu.

That opinion seems to be very pertinent as satellites have been positioning themselves as the rulers of the skies particularly when it comes to delivering communications, navigation ad surveillance services for the aviation industry. And there are several examples to drive the opinion home.

First was the case of Tenzing’s onboard Internet connectivity service, trialed severally aboard Cathay Pacific Airbus A340-600 flights using Inmarsat Swift64 equipment. Second was the Boeing Company’s broadband-to-aircraft service, CONNEXION By Boeing Service, which the Seattle-headquartered aerospace giant discontinued in 2006 due to poor return-on-investment climates and the non-maturity of high-speed broadband in-flight service at the time. The fee-based high-speed broadband inflight connectivity – designed to provide real-time, WiFi-based Internet connectivity aboard commercial passenger flights – was premiered on May 17, 2004 using Lufthansa German Airlines’ FlyNet portal onboard Lufthansa Flight LH 452 from Munich, Germany to Los Angeles, USA.

There is also Inmarsat’s BGAN (Broadband Global Area Network) service, premierred sometime in 2005 with the successful orbiting of the Inmarsat 4 satellite. BGAN was designed as a Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) for delivering broadband data and voice. Developed to support IP services as well as circuit-switched voice and ISDN data services, BGAN allows users to access corporate Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), access the Internet, and make telephone calls, all at data rates of up to 432 kbps.

Satellites are also the technology of choice for the delivery of aeronautical voice and data communications service in the AFI (Africa Indian Ocean) Region under the AFISNET (Africa Indian Ocean Satellite Network), a regional satellite communication group coordinated by ICAO and comprising the ASECNA countries, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority and the Roberts Flight Information Region incorporating Liberia, Sierra Lone and the Gambia. Maiwada Abdulaziz submits: “In ICAO AFI Region, satellite technology is the sole option as there is no substantial fiber optics installation on the ground to deliver service.”

Experts are of the opinion that satellite technology use cases are what actually accentuate the supremacy of satellites in the skies. According to Abdulaziz, communication satellite use cases include: “Rural or remote area connectivity, mobile networks, aeronautical and maritime communication, emergency response and disaster recovery as well as global broadcasting and television, using spot beam.”

 

FIBRE OPTICS: RUNNING THE TERRESTRIAL SHOW

 

When it comes to running and dominating the terrestrial show, fibre optics undeniably holds all the aces. This is due, to a greater extent, to the inherent characteristics of fibre optics, which include, according to some experts, the ability of fibre optics technology to carry up to 32 terabytes of data per second as well as fiber optics’ inherent security due to difficulty in intercepting the signals.

According to Abdulaziz: “Fibre optics is known for its higher bandwidth (up to 100 Gbps), lower latency (typically 50-70 ms), greater reliability with excellent uptime, cost-effectiveness for long-distance transmission, immunity to electromagnetic interference, and its limitation to areas with the network infrastructures.”

Fiber optics’ domination of the terrestrial space is actually accentuated by its diverse use cases, which, in the words of Abdulaziz, include: High-speed Internet connectivity, data centers and cloud-based services, financial transactions and banking services, as well as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

ALL EYES ON CONVERGENCE

 

Technologies and industry demands are in a state of flux, buoyed by the increasing complexities of all spheres of aviation operations. And as the global traffic continues to surge with a surge in the activities of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), the demand is equally rising for more reliable, spectrum-efficient and higher-bandwidth platforms.

Given the growing demands in the industry, stakeholders are giving more than a passing attention to hybrid networks, combining the capabilities of both space-based and terrestrial-based infrastructure to deliver service in a more reliable, efficient, robust, and economical manner. In the AFI region and elsewhere, the hybrid solution is being critically considered particularly for remotely-controlled upper airspace communications. AFISNET, for example, is cautiously treading this path already as experts conversant with the AFI Region telecommunications infrastructure claim.

Maiwada Abdulaziz argues that, generally, fiber optics and satellite communication have always been complementing each other to provide essential services. According to him: “AFISNET has deployed satellites as the main communication network infrastructure, complemented by fiber optics for medium- and short-haul communication.” Nigeria, an AFISNET founding member, is also taking serious steps towards maximizing the combined capabilities of satellites and terrestrial-based communications infrastructure particularly for the upgrade of its remotely-controlled upper airspace communications service. According to Abdulaziz, Nigeria is yet to fully commit to implementing the hybrid networks solution, albeit this solution has been adopted for short-haul communication services with a reasonable level of success recorded so far.

When it comes to supporting convergence, both satellite technology and fiber optics technology are a good match. Experts attest to the exceptional capability of fiber optics when it comes to working cooperatively with other technologies to deliver cutting-edge solutions.

“Fiber optics has the capability to operate in conjuction with any technology to deliver service,” says Abdulaziz. “To cap it all, it is very affordable, fast and distance-sensitive for communication.

Distance sensitivity is a characteristic fiber optics shares alongside its low susceptibility to attenuation effects. Whereas satellites are famed for their susceptibility to attenuation due largely to the effects of precipitation, fibre optics exhibit negligible susceptibility to attenuation with the degree of attenuation to which fibre optics may be subjected over a distance varying according to the wavelength of the infrared light as well as the composition of the fibre. Glass fibres, of course, are known to give the least attenuation.

 

DEFINING THE FUTURE

 

Looking at a lot of issues surrounding efforts to continue to deliver increasingly reliable, robust, efficient, and spectrum-efficient services cutting across the whole spectrum of aviation operations from air navigation services/air traffic management (ANS/ATM) to airline operational control (AOC), the future appears to depend largely on a technological approach that integrates and homogenises a multiplicity of space-based and terrestrial-based resources. With this approach, users will be able to enjoy maximum benefits at a very good price as the disadvantage of one platform can be cancelled by the advantage of the other platform. This is convergence and convergence surely is the future of service provision in aviation. ◙

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