SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION USE CASES FOR THE UNICEF INNOVATION FUND - APRIL 2016

This publication is a market research study commissioned for UNICEF Innovation. The case studies mentioned and companies reflected in this document are hypothetical and do not necessarily reflect the views or intentions of UNICEF.

STEPHEN DENG

SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW SATELLITE SYSTEMS ARE USED TO TRANSMIT DATA FROM SPACE TO A POINT ON THE EARTH AND HELP BOUNCE SIGNALS FROM ONE POINT ON THE EARTH TO ANOTHER Right now, two major use cases involve using satellites to bring voice and internet data to remote areas, or to use satellites to take pictures of the Earth from space

In the future, as satellites become smaller and cheaper, connectivity will become more affordable, and imagery will automatically identify useful information

• Low-bandwidth digital education • Intermittent access to information • Digitized measurement and evaluation

• • • •

• Intermittent image-based population tracking with manual counting • Logistics monitoring and planning • Emergency response and preparation

• Automated and frequent population, logistics, and emergency response image-based algorithms • Additional functionality including image-based poverty mapping

Rich-multimedia, internet-connected digital education Persistent access to information Access to online marketplaces and services Participatory digitized measurement and evaluation

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SATELLITE PARTNERSHIPS OVERVIEW A tiered partnership approach that capitalizes on current needs to increase access to satellite technologies, seeks out opportunities in a quickly changing marketplace, and collaborates on research that can truly shift cost and capability

UNICEF

SATELLITE PARTNERS

1. CURRENT NEEDS

2. MARKET OPPORTUNITY

Satellite partners want to provide and showcase access and imagery opportunities with UNICEF using current technologies and UNICEF’s brand to highlight its CSR approach

Satellite partners look to create real shared-value, where new, high-growth markets and use-cases may help fend off the increasing commodification of satellite technologies

UNICEF wants to increase access for the needs that can be addressed now, capitalizing on situations where variable costs are low for the satellite partner to expand long-term access to connectivity and the use of imagery

UNICEF hopes to provide assistance with demand aggregation and partnership facilitation that may result in more a sustainable network of connectivity and imagery providers using current and near-term technologies

3. JOINT RESEARCH Satellite partners are looking to adapt or disrupt the market altogether with new satellite platforms, analysis tools, and ground equipment to lower prices and increase capability of satellite tech UNICEF is a close research partner, helping provide access to spectrum, assisting with pilots in emerging markets, and ground-truthing results in an effort to confirm a new technology’s use in UNICEF’s mission as well as the R&D goals of UNICEF’s partners

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SATELLITE SYSTEMS ARE USED TO TRANSMIT DATA FROM SPACE TO A POINT ON THE EARTH DISTINCT ADVANTAGES

1 HIGH COVERAGE

Satellites can quickly receive and transmit information across the entire globe

2 HIGH MOBILITY Satellite services are transportable, from small terminals on automobiles to hand-held devices

3 LOW INFRASTRUCTURE Ground equipment can be deployed quickly, and in certain cases, be battery and/or solar-powered

Photo Credit: BBC

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MOST SATELLITES ARE MADE OF TWO COMPONENTS: THE BUS, WHICH HELPS DELIVER THE PAYLOAD 1 THE BUS SATELLITE STRUCTURE & SUPPORT • • • •

Power Subsystems Telemetry and Command Subsystems Altitude and Control Subsystems Propulsion Subsystems

2 THE PAYLOAD SIGNAL EQUIPMENT AND SENSORS

Example GEO Satellite

• Signal Repeaters • Antennas • Note: Payloads can be “hosted” for independent satellite service providers

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HIGHER ORBITS OFFER GLOBAL COVERAGE WITH FEWER SATELLITES, BUT INCREASED SIGNAL DELAY Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO) • • • •

35,789 km above sea-level 250-280 millisecond propagation delay 3 satellites to cover most of the globe In a fixed position above the Earth

Mid-Earth Orbit (MEO) • • • •

2,000 to 35,789 km above sea-level 110-130 millisecond propagation delay 10-18 satellites to cover most of the globe Revolves around the Earth in 2 to 12 hours

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) • • • •

180 to 2,000 km above sea-level 20-25 millisecond propagation delay 40-70 satellites to cover most of the globe Revolves around the Earth in about 90 minutes

In comparison, the moon’s orbit is 384,000 km away 6

Increasing Frequency

Increasing Wavelength

THE ITU HAS DEFINED SPECIFIC MICROWAVE FREQUENCIES TO BE USED IN SATELLITE SERVICES Band

Frequency

L

1-2 GHz

Mobile Satellite Services (MSS)

S

2-4 GHz

MSS, Digital Audio Radio Services (DARS)

C

4-8 GHz

Fixed Satellite Services (FSS)

X

8 -12 GHz

Military, Satellite Imagery Downlink

Ku

12-18 GHz

FSS, Broadcast Satellite Services (BSS)

26-40 GHz

FSS Broadband and intersatellite links

Ka

Usage

MSS and FSS are simply ITU designations defined by the user terminal (mobile or fixed) and the segments are quickly overlapping due to the evolution of mobile FSS terminals such as Very-Small-Aperture Terminals (VSATs).

The Ka-band is being used in the latest satellite communication technologies, but is far more susceptible to interference in rain

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TWO ESTABLISHED SATELLITE SERVICES INCLUDE SATELLITE CONNECTIVITY AND REMOTE IMAGERY

VOICE & DATA CONNECTIVITY Satellites can provide a nearly-instant communications channel that is always up and accessible from anywhere

REMOTE IMAGERY Satellites can take high-resolution images of the Earth on a daily basis and capture a variety of visual information

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SATELLITES HELP EXTEND CONNECTIVITY INTO THE MOST REMOTE “LAST-MILE” SITUATIONS SATELLITE COMMUNICATION NETWORK

1

Satellite

1 SPACE SEGMENT

Bounces the signals from space to the Earth.

2 GROUND SEGMENT

“Translates” the signal so it can communicate with landlines, mobile phones, and/or the internet. Can also serve as way to move the signal.

3 USER TERMINALS

Ground Station

Wi-Fi Hotspot

2 Satellite Mobile

3

Devices for end-users to connect with the satellite signal. Examples include satellite-specific phones, satellite dishes, and Wi-Fi hotspots.

Internet Satellite Assembly (VSAT)

Mobile Network

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…BUT QUICK-DEPLOY VSATS OFFER A SUPERIOR COMBINATION OF MOBILITY AND CONNECTION SPEED

Equipment Mobility

Satellite Mobile Phone

Wi-Fi Hotspot

Thuraya XT • 193g • 128 x 53 x 27 mm • 60 Kbps

Inmarsat IsatHub • 850g • 179 x 170 x 30 mm • 200 Kbps

Quick-Deploy VSAT

GD Satcoms 1138QD • 1.2 meters • 256 to 3072 kbps

Fixed VSAT GD Satcoms 1244 • 2.4 meters • 256 to 3072 kbps

Connectivity Speed 11

SATELLITES ENABLE DAILY, SUB-METER PER PIXEL IMAGES OF THE EARTH SATELLITE IMAGERY NETWORK

1

Imaging Satellite

1 SPACE SENSOR

Captures various wavelengths of light coming from the Earth which are converted to pixels by the sensors

2 DOWNLINK

Light from the Earth

2

Downlink

Sends the information down to datacenters on the ground to convert pixels into data

3 DATA PLATFORM Imagery data is then able to be accessed, analyzed, and represented in software

3

Data & Analytics Platform

Note: There is an outstanding overview of satellite imagery at http://satsummit.github.io/landscape

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SATELLITE IMAGERY SERVICES HAVE FOUR MAIN MEASURES OF “RESOLUTION” 1 1 SPATIAL What area is covered and in how much detail?

Different spatial resolutions covering and American football field – measured in meters per pixel

2 2 TEMPORAL How often do satellites “revisit” the same areas for capture?

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3 SPECTRAL What wavelengths of light can be picked up by the sensors?

The electromagnetic spectrum – satellites imagery can often measure visible, UV, and IR light, depending on spectral resolution

4 4 RADIOLOGICAL How sensitive is the sensor in detecting differences within the image? (e.g. brightness)

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IMAGERY COSTS DEPEND ON SPECTRAL AND SPATIAL RESOLUTION AS WELL AS ARCHIVAL OR NEW IMAGES 0.5m High Spatial Resolution

1.5m Medium Spatial Resolution

Archive

New Task

Archive

New Task

Panchromatic

$10-14.50/km2

$23-24/km2

$3.90/km2

$4.50/km2

3-Band Pan-Sharpened

$10-17.50/km2

$23-27.50/km2

$5.15/km2

$6.20/km2

4 Band Pan-Sharpened

$10-17.50/km2

$23-27.50/km2

$5.15/km2

$6.20/km2

Panchromatic + 4-band Multispectral

$10-17.50/km2

$23-27.50/km2

$5.15/km2 (6m Multispectral)

$6.20/km2 (6m Multispectral)

8-Band Multispectral

$20/km2

$31.50/km2

8-Band Panchromatic + Multispectral

$20/km2

$31.50/km2

Spectral Resolution

At lower spatial resolutions (e.g. 5m or 6m per pixel) prices drop to approx. $1.70/km2

*Note: Prices from an image reseller for older, more traditional satellites (e.g. WorldView-1,2,3, QuickBird, GeoEye-1, IKONOS, RapidEye)

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47% OF SATELLITE INDUSTRY REVENUE COMES FROM SATELLITE TV Satellite Manufacturing Launch Industry $5.9B $15.9B

Mobile $3.3B

Earth Observation $1.6B

Fixed $17.1B

Ground Equip. $58.3B

Total: $203B 4% Growth

Satellite Services $122.9B

Total: $122.9B 4% Growth

Consumer* $100.9B

Global Satellite Services Revenue (2014)

Global Satellite Industry Revenues (2014)

*In Consumer Services,Satellite TV makes up 94% while Consumer Broadband makes up