Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellations are an emerging disruptive technology in global Internet communications. There are more than ten such projects in development, the most notable being Starlink by SpaceX led by Elon Musk and Kuiper by Blue Origin led by Jeff Bezos.

This talk will explain this technology, why it is emerging now and what the consequences will be for global connectivity. The talk will also consider what effect LEO satellites might have in Ireland, especially in the context of the National Broadband Plan.

Don’t miss this opportunity to find out more about a next generation technology that is sure to have a transformational impact on global connectivity.

This event is free to it@cork members and will take place at the UCC Centre for Executive Education, No 1 Lapps Quay.

If you are interested in finding out more about it@cork membership, please email: admin@itcork.ie.

Speaker Bio

Niall Smith studied astrophysics at University College Dublin and graduated with his PhD in 1990. He lectured in the Department of Applied Physics & Instrumentation in Cork Institute of Technology for 18 years before becoming the Institute’s first Head of Research in 2005, now providing strategic oversight of a budget of €14m per annum across disciplines from science and engineering to arts and music. Niall is the Founder-Director of the internationally award-winning Blackrock Castle Observatory which has just celebrated its 12th anniversary and over 1.2 million visitors. In 2017, Niall was the host Director for the International Space University Space Studies Programme which is the largest conference programme ever to come to Cork, lasting a total of 9 weeks and involving over 320 global space experts. Niall’s research focuses on space topics including uses of small satellites in low earth orbit for a wide range of functions from imaging to broadband. He is a member of the National Steering Group for the soon-to-be published Space Strategy for Enterprise.

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