EUSPA launches first Secure SATCOM Market and User Technology Report

Thanks to such publications as the EO and GNSS Market Report, GNSS User Technology Report, EU Space for Green Transformation and the GNSS Investment Report, EUSPA has positioned itself as the leading provider of critical market intelligence. 

The secure SATCOM Market and User Technology Report intends to build upon the growing investments made by the EU with forthcoming EU GOVSATCOM, which aims to provide secure and cost-efficient communication capabilities to security and safety critical missions and operations, and the recently launched IRIS² initiative that will further expand the EU space-based connectivity capabilities of the EU Space Programme.

“As the go-to-source for all things EU Space, EUSPA has a well-earned reputation for being a trusted provider of insightful information and expertise that policymakers, entrepreneurs and major corporations can rely on,” says EUSPA Executive Director Rodrigo da Costa.

Today, the Agency adds a new title to its already rich library of publications with the launch of the 1st Secure SATCOM Market and User Technology Report.  

“The EU needs autonomous, secure, resilient and high-speed, space-based connectivity to satisfy the requirements of its institutions, bodies, agencies and Member States,” adds Fiammetta Diani, EUSPA Head of Market Downstream and Innovation. “Secure SATCOM answers this need by providing one or two-way resilient and guaranteed satellite capacity and services for communication purposes.” 

The report is intended for such secure SATCOM users as governmental entities from Member States and EU agencies and organisations, as well as for small businesses and established enterprises willing to make investments into this strategic and fast-growing sector.

Greatest demand for secure SATCOM to come from key infrastructure 

The Secure SATCOM Market and User Technology Report characterises users within the framework of 13 use cases organised into four categories: 

1. Surveillance (Land Border and Maritime)
2. Crisis Management (Maritime Emergency, Humanitarian Aid, Civil Protection, Law Enforcement Interventions, EU External Actions and Forces Deployment)
3. Key Infrastructure (Transport, Space, Institutional Communications and Other Critical infrastructures)
4. One transversal specific use case focusing on secure Satellite Communications in Polar Regions.

According to the Report, the user demand for fixed satellite services (FSS) in the EU will increase by a factor of 14 between 2025 and 2040, reaching around 186 Gbps by 2040. In 2025, the FSS capacity demand for Crisis Management is expected to count for around half of all FSS capacity demand. The Report further estimates that the Key Infrastructure category is set to generate the highest level of demand by 2040, representing around 50% of total capacity demand. The two largest use cases within this segment are Institutional Communications and Other Critical Infrastructures. About two-thirds of the estimated FSS capacity demand will come from Europe and waters geographical area and will include the need for permanent operational missions and for backup communications, with an increasing need to guarantee additional resilience to communication networks. The demand forecasted for EU missions and operations in Middle East and Africa is the second geographical area for the FSS capacity demand. It is worth noting that the vast majority of demand in this region comes from three uses cases from the Crisis Management category: Humanitarian Aid, EU External Action and Forces Deployment.

User demand for secure SATCOM from mobile satellite services (MSS) is expected to increase from around 1.2 Gbps (2025) to 3.9 Gbps (2040), with the majority coming from the maritime surveillance use case.

Digital technologies responsible for transforming secure SATCOM  

The Secure SATCOM Market and User Technology Report further discusses the various structural drivers that are transforming and increasing the volume of telecommunication capacity offered through satellite assets, which will also necessarily impact the capacity and services for secured connectivity. 

According to the Report, digital technologies are at the heart of this transformation, alongside the use of multi-orbital solutions, higher frequency bands and other features. However, as with any technology, new space-based connectivity solutions can be subject to certain limits and/or require cycles of adoptions. Examples include the need to deploy new interoperable terminals either because the new networks make use of new frequency bands or because access to Non-Geostationary Orbit (NGSO) requires a fast-tracking antenna. 

Changes ahead 

The Report goes on to note that the introduction of new technologies and business models, as well as the advent of new entrants, is strongly impacting the market. To name a few examples, the deployment of NGSO Geostationary constellations will significantly increase the volume and diversity of capacity available. Furthermore, the organisations are moving toward a vertical integration and the market landscape is overall experiencing a consolidation bringing to life stronger and more competitive groups. 

Other elements that could impact the use of secure SATCOM include geopolitical trends, climate change, economic growth or stagnation, the rise of the digital economy, national and international regulations and EU policy.

The Report further highlights the potential impact of the so-called New Space actors. “These companies bring innovative and cost-effective solutions at a high pace, enriching the market ecosystem which will have to be increasingly able to deliver secure and resilient SATCOM capabilities and products tailored to a variety of users” says Flavio Sbardellati, EUSPA Market Downstream and Innovation.

To learn more, be sure to download your free copy of EUSPA’s Secure SATCOM Market and User Technology Report today!

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