The green light for E-band use in emerging satellite networks highlights the industry's move towards higher frequencies, enabling greater capacity and performance. Companies like SpaceX have received the approval to use E-band (71-86GHz) frequencies for its Starlink-network, and it’s a sign of where the satellite industry is heading.
Once limited by high costs and low production volumes, space technology is progressing alongside the growth of low Earth orbit (LEO) constellations and demand for fast, reliable data transmission.
E-band delivers high-capacity, low-latency connectivity that’s ideal for next-generation satellite networks. With access to wide bandwidths in the 71-76 GHz and 81-86 GHz range, it marks a leap in data throughput over traditional frequency bands.
Depending on implementation, E-band can quadruple data capacity to that of other frequency bands, making it suitable for Earth observation and SatCom.
Elsewhere, E-band helps ease spectrum congestion by offering a high-capacity alternative to heavily used and tightly regulated bands like Ka-band, which made it tough for new operators to secure bandwidth. With less competition for bandwidth, E-band provides new operators with easier access while enhancing overall network efficiency, especially for backhaul and gateway access.
E-band’s high-frequency also enables narrow, high-gain beams, which boosts spectral efficiency and minimise interference. This means that multiple satellites can reuse the same frequencies without excessive signal congestion, which is a significant advantage for LEO constellations that rely on hundreds or even thousands of satellites working together.
E-Band viability
New technology comes with challenges, and E-band is no exception. Signals at these frequencies experience greater atmospheric attenuation, weakening as they pass through the atmosphere due to absorption by oxygen and water vapour.
Generating sufficient power is another obstacle. E-band requires more power than lower-frequency bands, requiring the development of high-efficiency semiconductor technology that keeps signals strong over long distances.
Even though LEO satellites operate closer to Earth, they still require advanced RF systems to ensure reliable performance in space. That said, these challenges are manageable.
The shorter transmission distance in LEO helps minimise signal loss, while E-band’s high-gain, narrow-beam properties allow for precise signal focus, reducing interference and improving efficiency.
Meanwhile, advancements in semiconductor technology, combined with innovative engineering design are enhancing power efficiency and enabling high-linearity RF components, supporting advanced modulation techniques for maximum data throughput.
Spectrum into scale
Beyond this, manufacturing for E-band also presents its own set of challenges. Integrating components into a high-yield, reliable transceiver module is far more complex at these frequencies than at lower bands.
Therefore, achieving scalable, high-performance, repeatable production is a barrier for new entrants, requiring specialised expertise in semiconductor fabrication, RF design and system integration.
This is where expertise in high-frequency RF technology is required. Filtronic, with more than a decade of experience in E-band development and tens of thousands of deployed modules in terrestrial networks, has been working on solutions to overcome these challenges.
By applying what works in high-frequency terrestrial communications to space applications, the company is focused on improving power efficiency and signal integrity at these demanding frequencies.
One of the biggest areas of innovation in E-band technology has been in semiconductor materials like gallium arsenide (GaAs) and gallium nitride (GaN). These materials are key to developing high-performance power amplifiers that keep signals strong and efficient, even in the harsh environment of space.
Rather than relying on standard off-the-shelf components, Filtronic design custom chipsets across the RF spectrum. They work closely with semiconductor foundries to refine processes and improve design tools, helping to push performance at these high frequencies.
In addition to semiconductor development, a vertically integrated approach that spans the entire RF chain, from chipset design to fully integrated transceiver modules, is implemented.
This level of control allows for fine-tuning at every stage, ensuring that E-band technology not only meets the technical demands of space applications but can also achieve high-yield, scalable production.
Regulatory landscape
As the industry moves toward high-volume manufacturing to support growing LEO constellations, having solutions that are both high-performance and scalable will be key to making E-band a mainstream part of satellite communications.
That’s why we’re seeing major satellite operators and industry disruptors recognising its potential for high-data-rate applications, leading to growing interest and investment in this spectrum.
Regulatory bodies have responded by establishing frameworks that support E-band adoption, easing market entry in some markets through relatively light-touch licensing compared to the more congested lower-frequency bands, which face greater competition for spectrum.
Although these factors pose E-band as an attractive option for high-capacity, next-generation satellite networks, the complexity of working at these frequencies is no small feat.
Getting it right from the start can be the difference between leading the pack or playing catch-up, so for companies looking to break into E-band, the smartest approach isn’t going solo.
Partnering with experts who understand the complexities, from high-frequency design to scalable manufacturing, ensures the successful deployment of next-generation satellite communication solutions.
Author details: Michael Guess is mmWave team lead engineer at Filtronic
