Future satellite networks: virtualisation, standards-based orchestration and AI adoption

This report examines why the satellite communications (satcom) industry must tackle slow network modernisation, rising complexity and fragmented architectures by focusing on virtualisation, standards-based orchestration and AI adoption. Virtualisation comes first, standardised orchestration unifies operations to enable multi-orbit interoperable networks and AI improves efficiency and unlocks new services. Executing these technological steps decisively ensures agile, efficient and competitive multi-orbit, multi-vendor satellite networks.

The report also explains why hardware-bound networks cannot achieve the same service level as a multi-orbit, multi-service network, and how virtualisation, supported by standards and modular software, provides the foundation for cloud-native satcom. It highlights the role of network software vendors in driving the shift from hardware-bound networks to cloud-native networks via both technology and new software-as-a-service business models. It outlines how infrastructure abstraction and standards-based orchestration unlock agility, efficiency and service scalability for operators.

Questions answered in this report

• Which strategies should vendors and operators adopt to build modular, cloud-native and AI-ready satellite networks?
• Why is a phased, ecosystem-aligned approach critical for deploying virtualisation, orchestration and AI across multi-orbit and multi-service networks?
• What role does standards-based orchestration play in reducing network complexity and ensuring service-level agreement (SLA) compliance across diverse satellite networks?
• How can AI transform satellite operations from being reactive to being predictive and optimised? What are the technical prerequisites?