Independent Space Industry Group Formed to Advance Interoperability in Satellite and Ground System Networks
September 01 2021 - 6:00AM
Leading companies and organizations in the space industry,
including two major branches of the U.S. Department of Defense,
have come together to form the Digital IF Interoperability (DIFI)
Consortium, a non-profit industry group created to advance
interoperability among space and ground system networks. Formed
under the auspices of The IEEE Industry Standards and Technology
Organization (ISTO), an international federation of leading
industry groups and consortia dedicated to the advancement of
standardized technologies for the benefit of industry. The founding
board members include Hawkeye 360, Intelsat Corp. (OTCMKTS: INTEQ),
Kongsberg Satellite Services AS (KSAT), Kratos Defense &
Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: KTOS), Kymeta Corp. and
Microsoft, as well as founding government member the U.S. Navy.
Other U.S. military service branches have also expressed interest
in working with the Consortium.
The mission of DIFI is to enable the digital transformation of
space, satellite and related industries by providing a simple,
open, interoperable Digital IF/RF standard that replaces the
natural interoperability of analog IF signals and helps prevent
vendor lock-in. The newly formed consortium is in the process of
implementing administrative structures and recruiting additional
member companies and organizations with an interest in space
networks to become active participants in DIFI.
According to Stuart Daughtridge, SVP of Advanced Technology at
Kratos who will serve as DIFI’s initial chairman, “Framework
standards exist today for digital IF, but they do not assure
interoperability between vendor systems. DIFI’s goal is to create
and promote easy-to-implement standards for Digital IF systems that
will enable satellite operators, including commercial and
government operators, to confidently design, build, operate and
evolve multi-vendor satellite networks and ground systems.”
“Space technologies are an area of tremendous innovation today
especially in the areas of networks and software-defined systems,”
said Marco W. Migliaro, IEEE-ISTO president and CEO. “We are
pleased to support standards-building efforts which will continue
industry innovation through the ability of these systems to work
together.”
While other industries have capitalized on using virtualization,
cloud and other network technologies, the space industry is still
early in its digital transformation process and faces unique
challenges, including the lack of certain key standards. This has
led to stovepipes within and across space networks used for both
earth observation and communications purposes.
“Achieving interoperability in space network systems is critical
as the industry looks to virtualization to enable new and improved
capabilities,” commented Ben Hilburn, Principal Program Manager at
Microsoft Azure and a DIFI board Director. “Cloud-based services,
such as Microsoft Azure Orbital managed ground station service,
unlock new capability and reduce cost for operators. With
virtualization, these services support many customers with a
variety of missions and infrastructure needs.”
“Achieving Interoperability across the many networks in the U.S.
government that supply, use or consume satellite-related data is a
mission critical imperative, especially within the Department of
Defense,” commented William Joo, PEO C4I PMW/A 170 Special Projects
Engineer who will represent the U.S. Navy as a member of DIFI.
“This need becomes even more important when looking across systems
used by allies around the world.”
The DIFI board has approved version 1.0 of an interoperability
standard based upon VITA 49, entitled IEEE-ISTO Std 4900-2021:
Digital IF Interoperability Standard. VITA 49 is an American
National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard already widely used in
satellite and software-defined radio applications. With the support
of ANSI, the DIFI-led IEEE-ISTO standard effort will build upon the
current VITA 49 by adding framework definitions to enhance
inter-vendor interoperability. These enhancements will be held to a
minimal set that will assure data can be transmitted easily and
securely to work between systems, while leaving vendors and
operators flexibility in how they transport and use digitized RF
data.
According to Carmel Ortiz, VP, Systems Innovation at Intelsat
and a DIFI board Director, “As the foundational architects of
satellite communications, Intelsat has a long history of supporting
open standards and interoperability. The future of our industry is
software-defined, virtualized, and digital; expanding this to our
ground networks is essential to interoperate with our customers and
supply chain partners.”
The IEEE-ISTO Std 4900-2021: Digital IF Interoperability 1.0
Standard is available today at the DIFI website. The Consortium
invites all interested companies and organizations to join and
contribute to efforts that encourage interoperability and digital
transformation in the space industry. Membership and other
information is available at the Consortium’s website:
https://www.dificonsortium.org.
About ISTOISTO provides today’s industry
alliances and trade associations with turnkey legal and operational
support. Provided by an award-winning staff, ISTO provides a legal
infrastructure for incepting organizations and offers best practice
operations management, enabling organizational stakeholders to
focus on the work at hand. ISTO is the premier trusted partner of
the global technology community for the development, adoption, and
certification of industry standards and technology solutions that
benefit industry. An international federation of member programs,
its mission is to facilitate the life cycle of industry standards
development through a dedicated staff committed to offering vendor
neutrality, quality support and member satisfaction. ISTO Programs
span the spectrum of today’s information and communications
technologies. For more information, visit ieee-isto.org.
Contact:Joni Sterlaccij.sterlacci@ieee.org732-562-5464
A graphic accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7485cba2-a1f4-4049-a19d-abc878791354
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