Enhanced digital experience

New practices are emerging in the way people interact with each other, as well as with the products and services they use: remote and hybrid working is here to stay, learning activities are no longer limited to buildings, interactive entertainment and communications have been extensively digitalised.  

The value that end-users and businesses place on reliable connectivity is shifting considerably.  From small businesses to large corporates, organisations across different sectors are increasing their reliance on efficient and secure connectivity to manage an expanding number of tasks. They require fast, reliable exchange of information and a user-friendly experience to keep pace with demand for data from monitoring assets and operations, handling logistics and supply chains, to embedding automation into standard practices.  

New network strategies place a greater emphasis on the pursuit of more manageable as well as ubiquitous connectivity. Satcoms technology, once regarded as a costly feature with high barriers to entry, is now an option to adopt and manage across different sectors, opening up new opportunities for use cases and applications that those sectors need most.  

Sectors such as maritime, aviation, or infrastructure are already exploring the benefits of this expanding horizon. High-speed connectivity and low-latency enable the creation of new services on land, at sea, and in the air. As it reaches a growing number of user groups, weather analysts getting to work with real-time performance data, ship officers able to better organise crew scheduling, or families enjoying connected entertainment on a long-haul flight, their needs are shaping new customer experience journeys.  

End-users accustomed to seamless digital experiences in their day-to-day lives, look for the same, or similar, in a satellite-enabled world; new applications should be as easy to use as the data-led services customers access on their terrestrial networks. Fewer and fewer will compromise on ease-of-use and installation, integration or customisation, for reliable performance and security.  

Connectivity as-a-Service  

The expectation that Local or Wide Area Networks set up in isolation can now be better integrated and perform more effectively with space-based connectivity is taking satellite CX in exciting new directions. Businesses want to be able to increase or decrease according to user numbers month by month more easily. Service providers can standardise, and overlay software orchestration, as well as provide the knowledge base and support services that simplify satellite communications. Network managers should be able to complete their daily and weekly administrative tasks and changes through a self-service portal, and rapidly flex or scale connectivity according to need.  

Given that many end-users face an increasingly complex set of applications, regulations, and processes, the actual complexities of the underpinning network technology should disappear into the background. This is especially relevant for applications concerning welfare and safety. With the real possibility of rethinking connectivity services through this lens, with new digital tools coming online and more cloud services available to do so, now is an exciting time for organisations to deliver more efficient, user-centric, and adaptable solutions enabled by satellite technology, low latency, and ubiquitous global connectivity. 

The author Richard Dolamore is Communications and Special Project manager at Satellite Applications Catapult, one of a network of UK-based technology and innovation companies aiming to drive economic growth through the commercialisation of research in the global space market.