The Rivada Outernet
With many LEO constellations either launching or in the advanced planning stage, do we need another one? The answer is YES, if you are building a unique and highly disruptive solution for enterprise and government communications. And not all constellations are created equal. Rivada’s “Outernet” is much more than just a last mile bridge between the user and the nearest Internet gateway. Our private network in space, comprising satellites equipped with laser links and advanced routers, can be accessed through Ka-band user terminals from anywhere on the globe. Data travels quickly and securely, premise-to-premise over the Rivada network without intermediate touchpoints on the ground.
Today’s global enterprise and government networks require infrastructure solutions that extend their reach and overcome the issues of cybersecurity, latency and speed associated with the complexity and fragmentation of terrestrial infrastructure – both wired and wireless.
Historically, satellite communications have always been viewed as a great alternative when there’s no alternative. And a poor alternative compared to terrestrial networks. Rivada’s satellite constellation is now set to change all that and bring forward a truly revolutionary satellite communications network – one that is faster than fiber, truly global and as secure as anything on the market. While existing “bent pipe” constellations bounce the signal off a satellite and straight back down to earth, where it is sent through a gateway and onto the same internet backbone as nearly everything else, Rivada’s Outernet is being built differently. A fully inter-connected orbital network will serve in effect as a second internet backbone in space, capable of routing traffic at gigabit speeds from one satellite to another, with no need for a gateway on earth until the data reaches its destination. That matters not just for speed and security but for coverage too.
By putting infrastructure in space and thus creating a truly global private network, Rivada’s “Outernet” will provide a new and revolutionary solution to today’s biggest data networking challenges. In doing so, we create new opportunities for enterprise and government customers and a highly secure global communications backbone that will power a new wave of innovation in the development of digital infrastructure.
What makes the Rivada Outernet unique?
The Outernet, an MPLS network in space
Private Network in Space: Rivada is providing much more than just a last mile bridge between the user and the nearest Internet gateway. Rivada’s satellites, equipped with laser links and advanced routers, form a private network in space which can be accessed through Ka-band user terminals form anywhere on the globe. Data travels premise-to-premise over the Rivada network without intermediate touchpoints on the ground.
Plug-and-play: Rivada is a member of Corporate Networking standards organization MEF Forum. We work closely with our MEF partners to enable seamless integration with reseller and user systems. Our private network is compliant with existing Corporate Networking standards, both in terms of technical standards as well as SLAs. Our standardization enables seamless integration into SD-WAN type virtualization environments.
Truly global: The fully interconnected space network will offer truly global end-to-end connectivity for fixed and mobile user terminals over the same logical network with high speed, low latency, and high levels of security.
Who is building the constellation and when will services be available?
Rivada is working with Terran Orbital to manufacture and SpaceX to launch our satellites. End of 2024 we will launch four precursor satellites. The first launches of the main constellation are planned for 2025. Early 2026, our services will be globally available, and we will add more capacity to the system through mid-2028.