Council Post: A Guide For The Satellite Perplexed

Aug 20, 2026 · 5 min read

Glenn Katz, Chief Commercial Officer, Telesat. Senior executive with deep expertise in complex networks and innovative service delivery.

Whether for linking remote geographic locations and mobile assets or complementing last-mile infrastructure, many enterprise CIOs and CTOs find themselves considering a breadth of new connectivity options available through the recent proliferation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite networks. For technical leaders long reliant on terrestrial fiber, satellite connectivity needs no longer be regarded only as a method of last resort.

The good news is that LEO is overcoming the latency, cost and reliability concerns traditionally seen with geostationary (GEO) satellites. The challenge is that CIOs and CTOs now need to decipher a new technology and market in which both emerging and some existing service providers offer LEO solutions. For the uninitiated, competing providers’ claims about integration, coverage and service quality can feel decidedly confusing.

A good guide will help cut through noise. For example, back in the 12th century, a rabbi and scholar called Maimonides summarized centuries worth of debate and analysis around topics such as Judaic law in the extant “A Guide for the Perplexed.” Simplifying such complex information and outlining their logic and purpose in the existent world helped millions of people get aligned on what previously seemed overwhelming and at times even contradictory.

Modern-day LEO networking might be similarly perplexing for today’s technical leaders. Accordingly, a foundational understanding of the LEO networking environment can help orient them to the landscape and help them assess the best service for their requirements.

Important LEO Capabilities To Evaluate

Like terrestrial networks, LEO networks are not created equal. The only thing they have in common is their closer proximity to the Earth that provides low-latency performance. There are different network classifications that address different user requirements. The three main classifications are narrowband (also known as direct to device), broadband provided on a best-effort basis and broadband provided on a guaranteed basis.

Within each network type, there are key capabilities that should be evaluated in the context of an organization’s needs: the network composition, the service reliability or terms under which it is provided, the network security measures that are integrated, and the flexibility of services that are available.

A satellite network may operate from a specific frequency band like L, Ka, Ku or others. The satellite provider’s chosen band influences service characteristics like data transmission capacity and susceptibility to atmospheric interference. Data linkage and compatibility with the existing enterprise network matters.

Does a service support the traditional Layer 2 carrier ethernet standard? Does it use Layer 3 IP Based (best effort) routing? Does it follow any telco standards like MEF 3.0 Carrier Ethernet? How interoperable is it with terrestrial networks? The answers affect the level of effort needed to integrate into the existing enterprise infrastructure.

Reliability of service delivery is also a key consideration. For instance, while delivering service on a best effort basis may be enough for use cases like household broadband or point-of-sale terminals, other use cases like military communications or high frequency stock trading need the certainty of a service-level agreement that guarantees capacity will be available on-demand.

Service security is paramount. Enterprises should factor a satellite operator’s grades of encryption and alignment with rigorous standards like the NIST Cybersecurity Framework to assess what is robust enough for their requirements. Technical leaders should also consider support for constructs such as a zero trust architecture, where each request for access requires authentication.

Finally, they should also consider the level of autonomy granted by the provider for them to define and modify the satellite services for each of their connected sites, so they can monitor performance and redirect capacity as needed. Interconnect options for public versus private networking can also be a factor, especially when considering sovereign data control.

Each LEO satellite provider has their own approach to these fundamental capabilities. Here is a brief introductory summary of network classifications aligned to primary use cases and the industries that are most likely to use each type of service. The intent is to help those venturing into the LEO networking world to overcome perplexity, be informed and make the best decision for their organization.

Narrowband LEO/Direct-To-Device Use Cases

• Emergency SOS and safety beacons for public safety and emergency services, maritime, aviation, outdoor and adventure, and mining

• Asset tracking and telemetry, such as for shipping containers and temperature control, in logistics and supply chain, transportation, maritime, energy and utilities

• Environmental and industrial IoT monitoring for agriculture, energy and utilities, smart infrastructure and environmental industries

• Backup signaling for remote operations such as mining, oil and gas, energy and construction

• Regulatory or compliance check‑ins for industries like transportation, maritime, aviation, energy & utilities and government

Broadband LEO/Best Effort Layer 3 IP Based Use Cases

• Internet for basic consumer and small business applications, useful in industries such as consumer broadband, remote workforce, quick service restaurants (QSR) and small business

• Backup connectivity for broadband terrestrial outages in industries like retail, healthcare and QSR

Broadband LEO/Guaranteed L2 Carrier Ethernet-Based Use Cases

• Enterprise branch connectivity for enterprise, banking, professional services, energy and mining

• Reliable mobile communications for maritime, aviation and telecom

• Government and defense communications for national security

• Cloud access and cloud access primary backup for enterprise IT, cloud service providers, software and technology

• Real‑time industrial control for manufacturing, energy and utilities, oil and gas, as well as mining

• Secure cloud interconnect for financial services, government, healthcare and large enterprises

• Financial trading and market data, such as high frequency trading and automated trading methods

• Primary connectivity for remote but critical sites, such as for mining or offshore platforms, as well as defense, aviation and maritime

• Latency‑sensitive edge compute for manufacturing, autonomous systems, telecom and smart infrastructure

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