In conjunction with AsiaTech x Singapore 2022 taking place this week from the 31st of May to the 3rd of June, Tara Neal, Executive Editor at The Fast Mode spoke to Leslie Klein, the founder of C-COM Satellite Systems Inc, a market leading mobile satellite-based antenna system provider. In the brief interview, Leslie discusses the relationship between satellite and terrestrial connectivity, the trends and emerging use cases for satellite connectivity as well as C-COM's plans for and showcases at ATxSG 2022.
'Satellite vs terrestrial: Complementing or competing' - can you share your views on this?
I believe it is both. Terrestrial is competing with satellite but only in the areas where it makes sense to deploy terrestrial services and before this Satellite was the only choice. Complementing services such as cellular backhaul for example where terrestrial is deployed but satellite provides a complementary service to terrestrial.
In terms of the deployment of satellite connectivity for cellular backhaul, what is the take-up, specifically in the APAC region? What's pushing this?
From our experience having sold over 250 Manpack units to a large Japanese Telco and about 400 additional vehicle mount antennas, these are used to provide cellular backhaul during emergency when cell towers are down. I would say from our experience what is driving this development is disaster management and also private network deployment that can be done rapidly using vehicle based or Flyaway/Manpack solutions with satellite connectivity.
Can you share some of the other use cases for satellite connectivity, and the progress that is being made in these verticals?
Mobile Banking is a prime example of a novel use of satellite services, Oil and Gas exploration, government e-services for passport printing and pension check printing and distribution for remote locations, movie production in remote locations, TV station news gathering applications, military on the pause communications as well as delivering remote medical services like breast cancer screening and mobile surgery units. The latest was mobile Covid-19 labs used by pharmacies to do remote testing.
Finally, are you excited to be part of ATxSG? What are your key showcases at the event?
We look forward to reconnecting with our extensive dealer network in Asia and meet many of our new integrators we signed up since our last visit to ATxSG. We have missed 2 years of the trade shows and looking forward to meeting them at the show. We are showcasing our latest Manpack antenna as well our latest 74 cm Ka-band Vehicle Mount antenna which is getting a lot of interest from Ka-band service provider in Asia.
Leslie Klein is the founder of C-COM Satellite Systems Inc., which was established in 1997 with the intent of designing and developing an antenna system capable of delivering high speed Internet over satellite into vehicles and transportable structures with just a press of a button. With the rapidly growing demand for Internet services worldwide, and with no technology available to make it transportable, C-COM designs, develops, manufactures and sells its proprietary iNetVu® Mobile Satellite Antenna Systems which make it possible to deliver high speed Internet services, voice over IP and video over satellite into locations where no terrestrial infrastructure exists. The company has over 10,000 of its antenna products deployed in more than 100 countries around the world.
