Ibadan, 17 March 2025. – Rivada in collaboration with Cisco, is publishing a whitepaper on advanced data networking from space which acts as a blueprint for secure, resilient data communications in orbit. The company subsequently presented the whitepaper at the Satellite 2025 event in Washington DC.
Global demand for reliable, high-bandwidth connectivity is increasing, requiring solutions that extend their reach and overcome the issues of cybersecurity, latency and speed associated with the complexity and fragmentation of terrestrial infrastructure. This need is particularly critical in remote and underserved areas lacking traditional terrestrial infrastructure, where robust connectivity is essential for vital industries.
Satellite transport has historically been perceived as an ill-suited choice for IP WAN connectivity, reserved for remote sites lacking terrestrial options or as a backup path providing temporary connectivity during a terrestrial circuit failure. LEO satellite constellations however offer a promising approach. By deploying numerous satellites in LEO (160 – 2000 km), these systems create a space-based network capable of providing access to a resilient data network virtually anywhere on the planet.
Compared to traditional geostationary (GEO) satellites, LEO satellites orbit closer to Earth, resulting in significantly lower latency and higher bandwidth, making them well-suited for data-intensive applications and providing connectivity where terrestrial solutions are impractical or cost-prohibitive.
As a result, Rivada Space Network’s Outernet aims to completely eliminate terrestrial ground station backhauls to the public Internet, presenting customers with private, space-based, carrier Ethernet solutions where security and resiliency are baked into the network architecture.
For decades, Cisco Systems has been a driving force in networking, powering the Internet and enabling businesses worldwide to connect and operate more effectively. Now, by providing their advanced networking technology to Rivada Space Networks and their innovative Outernet, Cisco is helping to enable a new era of global connectivity.
