In our modern world it is, ironically, all too easy to forget about our technology. I’m not talking about our Smart Phones or the latest wearable tech or electric cars, but rather the underlying base of technology that we’ve built over the last 50 years to enable all of the modern innovations we take for granted. Our modern world is standing on the shoulders of giants and we sometimes forget this, much to our own potential detriment.

There’s a great video on this from the Society of Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) here: http://sspi.org/cpages/whathasasatellitedoneforyoulately (Just to be upfront, I’m Chair of the Society and at ManSat we sponsored the video because we believe in this so much. I know ‘rah’ for us, but these conversations need to be started and need to be had.)

Think of the satellite communications highlighted in the video, for example, services that are the literal communications backbone for the entire human race. Yet a critical infrastructure that is sometimes out of sight and out of mind and as a result is now potentially endangered by a short term and some would say short sighted attempted spectrum ‘grab’ by the wireless industry seeking to cut costs. A great article on this all happening now here from Space News: http://spacenews.com/satellite-sector-spoiling-for-a-spectrum-fight-at-wrc-15/

It’s an understandable struggle though – everyone needs more spectrum, everyone wants more tech, and this one section of the industry is trying its best to acquire more spectrum at the least financial cost to itself, though while not understanding the potential damage it’s doing to itself and to those who enable their market to exist in the first place. It’s like standing in a bucket and trying to pull yourself up – Global Corporate Cannibalism at its worst and a recipe for real disaster if it succeeds.

Satellite Communications do such a good job and do it so well and so quietly that sometimes we forget. It’s easy to see the smart phone in your hand. It’s hard to see the satellite 22,600 miles away up in space that makes it all happen.