LEO Satellite Communications

LEO’s close proximity to Earth (500-1500Km) means much lower latency levels (less than 100ms) and far higher speeds (100Mbps+), but for LEO communications to provide a suitable service for communications purposes the LEO satellites need to operate as part of a large combination, or 'constellation', of multiple satellites launched to create a ‘net’ or ‘mesh’ around Earth. This enables them to cover large areas of Earth simultaneously by working together. Within the global maritime industry there are two emerging LEO Satellite services, Starlink and OneWeb, which are set to change the way maritime communications are delivered and used by vessels around the world.