DE-CIX, one of the world’s largest Internet Exchange operators, has partnered with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) to research new methods of improving communication between low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations and ground-based infrastructure. The collaboration is part of the European Space Agency’s OFELIAS project, which focuses on enhancing data transmission using laser-based communication systems.
The initiative aims to overcome the limitations of traditional satellite communication by developing advanced protocols, algorithms, and procedures that can optimize data flows between optical ground stations and satellites. While optical laser links offer significantly greater bandwidth and higher data rates compared with radio frequency transmissions, they are also more vulnerable to interference caused by atmospheric conditions such as cloud cover, fog, and rain. The OFELIAS project is set to run until mid-2026, with the goal of creating techniques that allow more resilient and weatherproof optical satellite communication.
According to Hermann Bischl, Project and Group Manager at the DLR Institute of Communication and Navigation, the task involves developing innovative approaches to signal processing and network control that will increase the availability of optical satellite networks for end users. He emphasized that all-optical transmission presents unique challenges but noted that solving them is critical to ensuring reliable connectivity.
Matthias Wichtlhuber, Team Lead for Research & Development at DE-CIX, explained that the joint effort aims to make optical satellite systems robust enough to integrate seamlessly with terrestrial networks. With over three decades of experience in network interconnection, DE-CIX sees this research as an opportunity to help shape the connectivity of the future.
LEO Satellites
The partnership also touches on broader ambitions for space-based digital infrastructure. As industries increasingly rely on artificial intelligence, immersive applications, and real-time robotics, demand for ultra-low latency connectivity – sometimes within single-digit milliseconds – is intensifying. LEO satellites are seen as a key enabler of such performance, providing global coverage and extending high-speed connectivity to underserved regions.
Ivo Ivanov, CEO of DE-CIX, highlighted that the work aligns with the company’s broader vision for Space-IX, an initiative designed to interconnect satellite operators directly with global content, cloud, and application networks. According to Ivanov, enabling this level of interconnection will not only support current applications but also establish the foundation for new business models spanning Earth and space.
As space increasingly becomes an arena of economic activity, both DE-CIX and the DLR see the integration of resilient satellite communication systems as essential to building the next generation of digital infrastructure. By combining terrestrial interconnection expertise with aerospace research, the collaboration seeks to ensure that future networks can meet the growing demand for speed, reliability, and global reach.
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