How It Works
Laser communication is awesome. It beats existing RF communication hands down. It is way faster than RF, is more secure than RF, is a lot easier to deploy than RF, is more compact than RF and it’s cheaper than RF.
Because of this it is used to transmit large amounts of data wirelessly between airplanes, drones and even satellites. Think of it as data highways in the sky and space that allow the transmission of thousands of video streams at the same time.
Now for those of you with a technical bent, a bit more detail on the detail: Our communication system works by utilizing an accurately steered infrared laser beam to transmit data unguided through air and allows for greatly superior performance parameters than competing X-, Ka-, E- or even D-band communication systems.
Lasercom‘s Place in the Network
The trouble with the way things work at the moment is that you need to lay fiber optic cables to increase network capacity and keep all the new devices data-connected. And that is really expensive. And really tricky. Why not beam it down from the skies or space? Makes life so much easier. And cheaper.
Our laser terminals are placed on satellites, or drones – or even the plane you take to go on holiday – and send data to each other. Lots of data. And over really long distances. Really long.
And it is not just between two aircraft or two drones or two satellites but numerous. Hundreds, even thousands. This creates a network of flying objects all linked by laser communication and capable of delivering broadband internet to any place on earth no matter how remote. And it does all this without the need for optical fibers in the ground.
Constellations
Airplane constellations are laser-linked networks of airplanes which provide lightning fast in-flight WiFi connectivity and real-time access to maintenance data from the ground to improve predictive aircraft management for cockpit and ground maintenance teams.
High-altitude networks utilize high-altitude platforms such as balloons or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and interconnects them using high-speed laser communication links. These are then linked to the existing terrestrial network through high-speed air-to-ground connections.
Constellations in space are networks of hundreds – actually it will be thousands – of satellites all linked by laser communication. The distance between each satellite can be up to 4,500 km allowing for a network that can bridge distances circling the entire planet.
Earth Observation missions from space monitor numerous activities back on the ground. But vital information concerning agriculture, the environment, shipping routes and a whole range of other areas is currently lost as limitations in existing communication mean only 70% of information makes it back to Earth for interpretation. Laser communication would solve this bottle-neck and allow for all information collected to be transmitted back to the ground.