X-band

Extremely low rates of atmospheric attenuation allow X-band SATCOM to remain robust in the harshest weather conditions on the planet. Users experience exceptionally high link availability, routinely above 99.9%, even in rain, sand storm, and other challenging weather – even when using small (sub-meter) terminals. Read more about X-band’s performance in the rain.

X-band’s unique position on the RF spectrum permits it to efficiently support voice, data, imagery and HD video.

Greater satellite spacing (twice as much space between orbital slots for X-band satellites than their counterparts) permits small terminals to transmit at high power densities and without using spread-spectrum techniques, and allows X-band to naturally achieve High Throughput Satellite (HTS)-like efficiencies 2.5 times greater than Ku-band. As a result, X-band users often use less space segment and therefore incur lower bandwidth costs than users in C-, Ku- and Ka-bands.

Greater satellite spacing also reduces the risk of adjacent satellite interference (ASI). Further, as X-band is a reserved frequency, there are fewer antennas pointed at the X-band constellation of satellites, meaning fewer yet better trained users, also decreasing the chance of interference.

X-band’s properties are so unique that this band is reserved for military and government use only.