Eviden unveils satellite monitoring tool, as Starlink asks UK for E band access

Space broadband and space-linked phones all very well, but someone's got to track them

Satellites have evolved, thanks to SpaceX's Starlink and incomer AST SpaceMobile pumping out high-speed broadband and cellular services for everyday phones delivered from low Earth orbit (LEO) hardware.

And troubled French tech titan Atos is hitching a ride, rolling out a next-gen satellite monitoring platform it's pitching to operators to allow them to manage digital comms systems, while providing regulators with greater visibility and control over spectrum use.

SkyMon NG was developed by Eviden, the professional services subsidiary of Atos, which comprises its digital, cloud, big data and security divisions. The tool was created with a virtualized ground station feature that lets satellite operator allocate frequency resources where needed.

The evolution of satellite tech for cellphones has shifted from static payloads to more complex software-defined systems which need monitoring tools able to support dynamic, reconfigurable behavior, according to Eviden.

The SkyMon NG set offers a phased approach for the upgrade from legacy systems, says the tech giant, meaning a reduced need for lift and shift infrastructure upgrades. Operators should be able to re-use existing servers and infrastructure, it promises, theoretically helping to keep costs down while gaining new capabilities. 

"With the ability to monitor high-throughput and beam hopping satellites, and its cloud-ready architecture, SkyMon NG ensures efficient use of satellite resources, providing a strategic edge for operators looking to optimize satellite performance in variable-demand environments," Eviden's Head of Aerospace & Defense Electronics, Mission-Critical Systems, Bruno Milard, said in a statement.

Eviden's parent Atos recently hired Philippe Salle, the seventh CEO at the troubled IT giant in three years. The integrator itself is still undergoing a difficult restructuring process after securing funding for a rescue plan with a group of its banks and bondholders last year.

Starlink in the UK?

Meanwhile, Britain's telco watchdog Ofcom is consulting on a proposal to grant temporary fixed-term licenses to Musk-run Starlink. This means the satellite slinger will be able to use E band frequencies at three Earth gateway stations in the UK.

Starlink currently offers the only direct-to-consumer non-geostationary satellite service in the country, and the move will allow Starlink to up the capacity of its services to support more consumers and biz customers, Ofcom said.

The E band (which covers 71-76 GHz and 81-86 GHz) is currently not available in the UK for use by gateways, but Starlink requested this because of capacity constraints on its UK operations.

If granted, the temporary authorizations would be subject to technical conditions for the protection of existing services in and adjacent to the E band, including the Fixed Service for point-to-point wireless links and the Earth Exploration Satellite Service (passive).

Anyone wishing to respond to the consultation can find the proposal [PDF] here, and submit responses using the consultation response form [ODT], no later than 5pm on June 27. ®