How is FirstNet LEO satellite different from traditional geostationary satellite (VSAT)?

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Accepted Answer

FirstNet's LEO (low-Earth-orbit) satellite service uses satellites that orbit much closer to Earth than traditional geostationary ones, so latency is far lower. That makes voice, video calls, cloud platforms and remote access more responsive.

FirstNet's enterprise LEO service runs on Eutelsat OneWeb. It is delivered in South Africa through ICASA-licensed partner arrangements, and it is a very different experience from legacy geostationary VSAT:
- Typical latency of around 50 to 80 ms.
- Speeds of up to around 150 Mbps, depending on your service profile.
- Support for SD-WAN, VoIP, cloud apps and video.
- Available in South Africa and across Africa.
- Managed installation, monitoring and support included.

For context, geostationary satellites sit roughly 36,000 km above the equator. LEO satellites orbit at a small fraction of that height, which is why the delay drops so sharply. As a result, LEO works for interactive cloud apps and calls that struggle on older satellite links.

FirstNet treats LEO as part of a managed network, not a standalone dish. It links LEO with fibre, LTE/5G, SD-WAN and security, with one accountable partner.