The connectivity needs of businesses today are evolving. While an internet connection has been a mainstay for companies for quite some time now, particularly post Covid-19 we have begun to rely upon connectivity as a primary driver for industry. Remote working, digital transformation, virtual networking, and cloud computing are transforming the way we work forever. In this blog post, we’ll examine how six industries are transforming the way they operate thanks to reliable connectivity provided by satellite.

Market Transformation Powered by Connectivity

Business is beginning to see the effects of transformation. Higher-level services and capabilities such as cloud computing, SDN networking, private LTE services, and other emerging corporate-based requirements are becoming the norm in urban areas. Yet even developed regions like North America and Western Europe, which are increasingly reliant on connectivity to power the growth of their industry and economy, need satellite services and bandwidth provision to ensure reliable coverage not just in urban areas but beyond, in rural and underserved regions too.

For example, a remote retail outlet can rely on satellite services scaling from narrowband POS transactions, up to high-resolution on-site video advertising and remote training capabilities. Connectivity requirements will continue to increase, due to higher bandwidth demand per site, with total HTS capacity demand in 2029 estimated to reach up to 7.97 Tbps[1].

Let’s look at six prominent industries that will benefit from remote satellite connectivity now, and into the future.

Civil Services

Satellites can connect schools, universities, administrations, public entities, hospitals and more, with efficient, highly reliable, point-to-multipoint networks that can provide connectivity in even the harshest environments. This fast-growing sector is forecast to reach over USD 13 Billion between 2019 and 2029[1] as countries work to reach universal service obligations for rural connectivity.

Areas and communities that have traditionally lacked service can now access learning tools to be connected to greater opportunities. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, for example, local start-up Schoolap is providing high-speed internet via satellite to thousands of schools, giving students and teachers access to educational content, and ensuring all students have equal access to education across sub-Saharan Africa’s largest country.

Remote research and medical facilities can also become more productive and collaborate with professionals internationally or at their own headquarters in urban centers.

Banking and Insurance

Connectivity can provide remote offices, ATMs and insurance companies with scalable infrastructure that grows with their client base and ensure business continuity. Supply chains are getting increasingly globalised and complicated. Many financial organisations participate as commodities producers, and to function securely they have to manage high-risk data responsibly.

Satellite connectivity can work with remote financial IoT devices. ATMs, digitized banking and other measures are great examples of how remote satellite connectivity can transform business challenges into opportunities.

Additionally, by enabling fast and secure connectivity, satellites can enable new ways for insurers and financial representatives to do business. Online meetings, remote access and more all become possible, no matter your location.

Energy & Utilities

ADVANCE gives you the power to make smart grids, solar plants, and other renewable energy plants a viable business reality. Without significant amounts of energy for growth, transportation, and agriculture, no country can grow. We are presently at a fork in the road where fossil fuels, renewable energy, fast development, and increasing environmental concerns collide.

The system can be tailored to utility firms that must monitor and operate large infrastructures.

New instruments and procedures are being created regularly to improve energy production as well as monitor and safeguard existing sources. Analysing massive quantities of new and deteriorating infrastructure needs enormous volumes of up-to-date, accurate data.

In the future, satellite communication might be the key to constructing green, high-performance grids that communicate and work together. This is why 60% of utility firms already use satellite communication, with another 22% planning to do so in the near future.

Retail & Hospitality

Connectivity improves employee and customer satisfaction. ADVANCE introduces this aspect to retail and distribution warehouses, campsites and remote tourist sites, as well as hotels with an easy, reliable and rapid solution. Satellite technology can offer customers new shopping and dining experiences at airports and large malls. By providing an improved broadband experience to customers, businesses can add satellite technology to their array of services and increase their appeal.

Retail businesses can be connected to analysts who predict supplier requests via a worldwide satellite system to the supplier network, which shows real-time sales data from cash registers to distribution facilities. Every link in the supply chain is connected through a central database, store-level point-of-sale systems, and a satellite network. Suppliers and manufacturers within the supply chain synchronise their demand projections under collaborative planning, forecasting, and replenishment schemes.

In addition, eco-tourism initiatives and hotels in the world’s most remote areas can offer connectivity without traditional infrastructure. This means that they have more to offer their customers and their staff. For example, Guyanese internet service provider i-Net Communications brought broadband internet to eco-lodges in Guyana, offering a reliable, scalable connectivity solution only possible via satellite in such a remote environment.

Construction & Mining

Remotely managed construction, BTP, mining and landfill sites, roads, railways, and infrastructure operations are all made possible through satellite connectivity. IoT devices powered by satellite can remotely monitor and manage daily activities for construction and mining operations, increasing safety and maximising the efficiency of maintenance procedures.

Surveying and planning activities on a new site can be more precise with high-quality, up-to-date data, lowering total expenses, margins of error, and possible hazards for on-site accidents. Satellite connectivity enables the communication between remote recon operations and headquarters, increasing productivity and convenience. When DD Mining needed a portable internet connection to analyse data on remote expeditions they chose a rugged satellite solution that could be easily transported and setup in less than an hour, enabling workers and researchers to communicate between the camps and head-office, as well as with family and friends.

Agriculture

Satellites can be of great value to the agricultural industry, and Eutelsat ADVANCE provides broadband access to even the most distant locations for optimised farming activities such as connecting with suppliers and customers and following stock market prices. Remote sensors provide critical data for monitoring soil, snow cover, drought and crop development. There are three major benefits of applying space-based technology to farmers, agronomists and food manufacturers.

IoT sensors enable remote monitoring of herds, and detailed analytics for weather patterns, crop predictions and equipment performance. Sowing and harvesting (including grassland mowing) and irrigation are examples of agricultural activities that could be improved and optimised through satellite technology and connectivity. Alternatively, if farmers look at the data over a longer period, they can see changes in land usage, essential for long-term agricultural success.