LEO Satellite

A traditional geostationary satellite operates from around 36,000 kilometers above Earth, which creates significant latency, typically 600 milliseconds or more. This latency makes it unsuitable for real-time applications, voice, and video services. A LEO satellite operates at between 550 and 1,200 kilometers, which reduces latency to 20 to 40 milliseconds, and delivers throughput that is comparable to fixed broadband.

The leading LEO providers in the enterprise space include Starlink Business, Amazon LEO, Eutelsat, and Telesat. Each offers high-throughput, low-latency connectivity services that have transformed what is possible for remote and mobile deployments.

Globalgig can advise on your satellite connectivity options as part of a broader wireless deployment, including hybrid configurations that combine satellite with cellular services for resilient multi-transport connections. Speak to us about your specific situation, and we will help you work out the right approach.

Yes, we design and manage hybrid connections that combine a LEO satellite with cellular services, using multi-WAN bonding to create a single resilient transport. Satellite can operate as the primary connection, as a failover path, or as a load-balanced layer alongside cellular services, depending on your coverage requirements and application priorities.

A low Earth orbit satellite provides high-throughput, low-latency connectivity services via satellites operating closer to Earth than traditional geostationary systems. It is particularly relevant for remote sites, maritime deployments, and locations where terrestrial 4G/5G coverage is unavailable or unreliable. We offer LEO satellite connectivity as part of our wireless portfolio, and can integrate it alongside cellular connectivity for resilient hybrid connections.

Globalgig offers three options, depending on how much you want us to manage. SIM-only services offers SIM supply and carrier access, self-managed through your team. SIM and hardware services add device procurement, configuration, and management alongside your SIM estate. SIM, hardware, and Premier Managed Network Services is the complete service, adding 24/7 NOC monitoring, proactive fault resolution, incident response, and direct access to senior engineers. Most customers start with one option and upgrade as their requirements grow.

Yes, we offer LEO satellite connectivity for remote and maritime locations where terrestrial 4G/5G coverage is unavailable, unreliable, or insufficient. It can be deployed as a primary connection, or combined with cellular connectivity for a resilient hybrid connection, which is particularly effective using multi-WAN bonding hardware.

It involves a satellite terminal with a clear view of the sky, and a power source. Installation is straightforward for most fixed sites and can be completed in hours by a qualified engineer. For maritime and mobile deployments, stabilised antenna systems are available for vessels and vehicles. Professional installation is available under Globalgig’s managed services.

It depends on the IoT application. LEO satellite is suitable for IoT deployments in remote locations where cellular coverage is unavailable, such as agricultural sensors, remote industrial monitoring, and maritime asset tracking. It is less appropriate for low-power IoT devices that need to maintain a constant connection on a minimal battery, and where LTE-M or NB-IoT are more efficient. We help you match the right connectivity technology to each IoT application in your deployment.

Multi-WAN bonding combines multiple network connections (such as LEO satellite and cellular) into a single resilient transport, with intelligent traffic steering applications to the best available path in real time. For satellite deployments, bonding means that latency-sensitive applications can be steered to cellular services when available, while throughput-heavy applications use satellite capacity. The result is a more reliable and higher-performing connection than either transport alone. Globalgig deploys and manages bonded LEO and cellular configurations using hardware with proven multi-WAN capability.

As primary connectivity, LEO satellite is the main connection at a site, with no terrestrial alternative. As a failover, LEO satellite operates alongside a primary terrestrial connection, cellular or fixed-line, and activates automatically when the primary fails. LEO latency is low enough to keep active applications running, so users never feel the failover. Many deployments use a hybrid model: LEO and cellular services bonded together, with traffic steered intelligently across both.

Yes, for many applications. A LEO satellite delivers performance that is comparable to fixed broadband services for most enterprise workloads, including cloud applications, video conferencing, VoIP, and real-time monitoring. It is worth asking whether your specific applications have latency or throughput requirements that LEO cannot consistently meet at your location. We will give you an honest assessment based on your use case and location before you commit.

The LEO satellite market includes several providers serving enterprise customers, including Starlink Business, Amazon LEO (formerly Amazon Kuiper), Eutelsat, and Telesat. Globalgig advises on the right provider for your specific requirements, coverage needs, and hardware preferences. Speak to us about your requirements, and we will help you identify the right approach.

A traditional geostationary satellite operates from around 36,000 kilometers above Earth. At that distance, the round-trip signal time creates latency of 600 milliseconds or more, making it unsuitable for real-time applications. A LEO satellite operates at between 550 and 1,200 kilometers, reducing latency to 20 to 40 milliseconds (over 95% lower latency than traditional geostationary satellite), and delivering throughput comparable to fixed broadband. LEO satellites also provide global coverage, including maritime and polar regions that geostationary systems cover poorly.

LEO satellite can be added as a transport layer in your SD-WAN deployment, alongside dedicated internet, broadband, MPLS, LTE, and 5G. SD-WAN policy management then handles traffic steering across all available transports, based on application priority, path performance, and availability. For sites where LEO is the primary or sole transport, SD-WAN provides the application-aware routing and failover management that optimizes how that connection is used.