Future-Proofing Satellite Communications: ST Engineering’s Platforms for Scalable Connectivity at IBC 2024  

At IBC 2024 in Amsterdam, Our Founder and Chief Editor, Akim Benamara, sat down for an interesting conversation with Craig Bowley, Regional Vice President for EMEA of ST Engineering iDirect to discuss the company’s latest innovations and vision for the future, particularly their efforts to connect the unconnected and their strategies to help transform markets like Africa through cutting-edge technology.  

He introduced several new and exciting products that are shaping ST Engineering’s portfolio, including the 5010 remote and award-winning MCX8000, which has seen impressive adoption since its introduction. It’s been particularly successful in Africa, where the market has welcomed it with open arms. Additionally, the company’s IoT capabilities, powered by their Evolution platform, allow seamless integration and business growth across various sectors. 

Bowley highlighted the company’s commitment to connecting the unconnected, with a focus on expanding their Skyflow ecosystem—a DVB-native IP solution that is already making waves. The Skyflow system has already made a significant impact in Peru, connecting previously unconnected regions and enabling access to education, healthcare, and governmental services. He sees this solution as a game-changer for Africa, where a more significant percentage of the population remains unconnected.  

“We recently deployed SkyFlow in Peru, where about 30% of the population lacked connectivity. With this system, we’ve been able to provide connectivity for education, healthcare, and government access, all in line with the Peruvian government’s initiatives. This model can also be applied to Africa, where between 60-80% of people lack reliable connectivity. There’s a huge opportunity to help bridge that gap, and SkyFlow is a scalable solution that can bring significant benefits to the continent, particularly in rural areas.” – Craig Bowley, Regional Vice President for EMEA, ST Engineering iDirect  

He also spoke about “Intuition,” a future-forward platform consolidating their existing technologies. Intuition will incorporate the best elements of their Evolution, Defense, and Dialog platforms while embracing next-gen technologies like 5G, virtualization, and multi-orbit capabilities. With these innovations, ST Engineering iDirect is not only advancing technology but also shaping a path toward broader, more accessible connectivity.  

By working with partners to map out multi-year business plans, ST Engineering is helping its customers navigate the evolving landscape of satellite connectivity. Intuition will provide a natural evolution for existing users, while also positioning them to take advantage of emerging technologies like low-earth orbit (LEO) and medium-earth orbit (MEO) satellites.  

“Intuition is our future-focused platform, and we’re very excited about it. Essentially, it consolidates our existing platforms, such as Evolution, Dialog, and our defense systems, into a single, streamlined platform. It’s built with the future in mind, including 3GPP standards, virtualization, and multi-orbit capabilities. A key part of this is ensuring a seamless transition for our customers.” – Craig Bowley, Regional Vice President for EMEA, ST Engineering iDirect