Satcom

Another day, another mega LEO constellation. 

Last week, Air France was the latest major airline to announce it will be moving its in-flight Wi-Fi to the Starlink network, offering it for free to members of its frequent flier program. 

Traditional Ground Station as a Service (GSaaS) providers will soon face competition from relay communications networks that promise faster transmitting, simplified licensing, and potentially lower cost. 

Out are the days of onesie twosies large GEO satcom birds, and in are the mega-constellations in LEO, consisting of an army of hundreds or thousands of smaller satellites that provide ultra-fast connectivity. 

Space businesses have gained a reputation as cash-burning machines. Investors typically fork over tens of millions in development dollars before a startup can launch a single piece of hardware.

SpaceX unveiled its Starlink Mini terminal last week.

EchoStar reported another quarter of declining revenue last week as its Hughes Network satellite broadband, TV (Dish + Sling), and retail wireless (Boost Mobile) subscriber base continues to shrink.