EUSPA Launches GNSS and Secure SATCOM User Technology Report

The first edition of the report looks at the latest developments and trends in GNSS and secure satellite communications, with an emphasis on user technology and on potential and existing synergies.

Evolving security concerns, the drive towards digitalisation, the rapid development of artificial intelligence and the launch of the New Space sector are all factors defining a new era of satellite communication and positioning.

Against this backdrop, EUSPA has published the first edition of its GNSS and Secure SATCOM User Technology Report strengthening its commitment to empowering stakeholders with actionable intelligence that drives innovation and competitiveness in Europe’s space industry.

An evolution of the previous GNSS User Technology and Secure SATCOM Market and User Technology reports, this new publication is designed to provide readers with a comprehensive understanding of the latest developments and trends in Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and Secure Satellite Communications (secure SATCOM).

“With these two pivotal technologies, having tangible user technology – terminals and receivers, we decided to combine our GNSS and secure SATCOM technology reports and present them in a single publication that also includes insights into their synergies,” says EUSPA Executive Director Rodrigo da Costa.

Recent developments and future trends in GNSS technology

The Report opens with a summary of the recent developments and future trends in GNSS technology that are relevant to end users. As new GNSS frequencies and signals become available for civilian applications, receivers’ manufacturers are keeping up to speed by upgrading their receivers’ baselines, thus addressing most of the GNSS satellites in Medium Earth Orbit. This advancement in receivers’ technology is well supported by the international coordination among GNSS, RNSS, and SBAS providers that has led to the adoption of open access signals with compatible frequency plans, common multiple access schemes, and modulation schemes. Also, a GNSS service-oriented approach is emerging; building on the infrastructure development, an extended service portfolio will provide the GNSS users with increased performance and security. European GNSS is at the forefront of this process as underscored by the recently rolled-out Galileo High Accuracy Service (HAS) or Open Service Navigation Message Authentication (OSNMA) feature.

Among other topics selected, the spoofing and jamming threats are becoming a priority to be addressed both at the system and user level. Solutions like the Galileo OSNMA authentication, more resilient receivers with multiple antennas and sensor hybridisation are being explored and are starting to be implemented.

Developments in secure SATCOM systems

The secure SATCOM section of the Report outlines key evolutionary trends in the secure SATCOM domain by emphasising enhanced performance and system management optimisation that can now rely on digitalisation processes, cloud environments, the advent of AI techniques and the standardisation effort for the integration of non-terrestrial networks in the 5G ecosystem. Ongoing deployment of large NGSO (Non-Geostationary Orbits) constellations is also aiming at improved performances, most notably reduced latency transmissions, relying on more advanced user terminals that need to track and switch among multiple fast-moving satellites across the sky.

This report also emphasises significant developments that directly affect users, particularly those requiring enhanced security in SATCOM transmissions. Like terrestrial communications, satellite communications face risks from malicious actors. As a result, the development of governmental and commercial SATCOM systems is increasingly driven by the growing demand for enhanced confidentiality, integrity and availability when it comes to satellite communication links.

The Report also discusses how the digitalisation of core system components is shifting SATCOM systems away from legacy hardware-centric designs and towards modern software-oriented solutions. This digital transition enables user terminals to leverage multiple constellations and frequencies, significantly improving the availability of communication links and thus mitigating disruptions caused by natural factors or intentional interference.

“From the push for digitalisation to the integration of artificial intelligence and cloud computing and the deployment of large NGSO constellations, this Report puts the spotlight on the significant developments that directly affect users, particularly those requiring enhanced security in SATCOM transmissions,” adds da Costa.

Download the Report here.

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