International Trade Today is a service of Warren Communications News.

BridgeSat, Surrey Partner on Laser Satellite Communications System

BridgeSat and Surrey Satellite Technology US jointly will work on developing a laser-based satellite communications system with secure data downlinks to a ground network at speeds faster than RF spectrum, the companies said in a news release Tuesday. They…

Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article

If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.

said Surrey will build the flight laser terminal units that will communicate with BridgeSat’s global ground network, with the aim of data transmissions of up to 10 Gbps per link. The Surrey terminals will be equipped with standardized interfaces, letting them be used with either Surrey satellites or as flight units for other satellite operators, they said. They said the laser communications system is expected to be operational "within the next couple of years."