As in the best years of LEO placing itself in all debates, the 2023 edition of the Washington event had a new protagonist: direct satellite services to mobile devices. Matt Desch, CEO of Iridium, assured that the trend of converged networks is set for the next 15 years, although he acknowledged that the industry is "very exaggerated in terms of expectations."
In the case of Lynk, it is expected to obtain income from this business for SMS during 2023. Charles Miller, CEO of the firm, stated that Link's technology is capable of operating "with all mobile phones on the planet." Lynk currently has commercial contracts in 41 countries and underway in 19.
To accompany this trend, the economics of direct connectivity to the device must be changed, with the production of satellites with a cost of less than US$200,000 to build. So far, Lynk's fleet is three craft, but it will expand to 1,000 by 2025.
Mark Dankberg, CEO of Viasat laced cold washcloths. “For many countries, space is about national security, it is about sovereignty. The idea that a very small number of dynamic companies are going into a country and say, "Here's your answer, use all resources for access to space", that's going to be difficult,” he warned.
Still, the Viasat leader admitted that the segment will have a significant impact on how the satellite market develops.