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HiSky Satellite Networks
A Smartwatch for kids with a family secured communications hub.
 
Knowledge Center
HiSky Satellite Networks
A low-bandwidth, high-latency, voice communications platform for fleet management.
Knowledge Center
HiSky Satellite Networks
A low-bandwidth, high-latency, voice communications platform for fleet management.

HiSky Satellite Networks

Company Overview

Company Name: hiSky Satellite Networks
Location: Global
Website: hiskysat.com
Product Name: Multiple Terminal Products

Product Description

Founded in 2015, hiSky provides innovative satellite communication solutions. hiSky specializes in creating accessible narrowband IoT and MSS services crucial for Industry 4.0 and 5.0 transformations. hiSky’s asset-light business model democratizes next-generation connectivity, reducing service costs. Their proprietary technology and global partnerships enable efficient and affordable satellite communication networks across five continents.

The Challenge

Key Issues

Passing voice calls over a satellite network presents several challenges. The primary issue is latency, as signals must travel vast distances to and from satellites, causing delays. Additionally, signal degradation can occur due to atmospheric conditions, leading to reduced call quality. Bandwidth limitations also affect the clarity and reliability of voice transmission. Lastly, the cost of satellite communication infrastructure and services can be high, making them less accessible for widespread use.

After evaluating various options, hiSky chose Cloudonix for its global voice communications solution. Cloudonix offered a comprehensive answer to the challenges they faced.

  • Low Bandwidth Support
    Normal VoIP codecs require up to 64kbps for voice transmission, which satellite networks can't support. Satellite networks have limited bandwidth and struggle with this high data rate. Instead, they need more efficient codecs that use less bandwidth, ensuring smooth and clear voice communication without overloading the network.
  • Static Packetization
    Most VoIP networks use a 20ms packetization scheme for voice data. Satellite networks need a fixed 40ms packetization to manage higher latency and jitter. Traditional VoIP systems don't support this, making it hard to transmit clear voice calls over satellite. The 40ms packetization ensures better voice quality and stability in satellite communications.

Impact of Challenges

As a result of the above challenges, transmitting clear VoIP calls over a satellite network is difficult. Efficient codecs that use less bandwidth are essential for smooth and stable voice communication on satellite networks, ensuring that the limited bandwidth isn’t overloaded while maintaining good call quality.

The Solution

Why Cloudonix?

Cloudonix’s global network is designed to sustain non-standard VoIP Codecs, such as Opus™, Speex™ and AMR codecs. This enabled hiSky to utilize their home-grown VoIP application, on-top of the Cloudonix global network – without changing their existing mobile application or services network.
  • Opus™ Re-Packetization Support
    Using Cloudonix's custom media services network, the company provided a seamless transcoding solution for hiSky. This "black-box" transcoding connected hiSky's unique codec and packetization needs with traditional telephony networks, ensuring compatibility and smooth communication.
  • Carrier Agnostic Routing
    Cloudonix's platform is carrier agnostic, and as such enables its customers to connect to any telephony network in the world.

Nir Simionovich

CEO, Cloudonix

We never shy away from a technical challenge. For the Cloudonix team, NickWatch wasn’t just another customer – it was an important calling. As parents, we understand the importance of such a product – and adapting our mobile SDK to this platform was more than just a feature request – is was a calling.

Implementation

Leveraging the Cloudonix Mobile Fragmentation Engine, the NickWatch device profile was added to the engine. Following that addition, the engine had several new features introduced – that enabled it to account to profiling devices that had various ‘chassis’ related constraints.

Network roaming constraints, which manifested as DNS resolution issues were resolved by adding new fall-back resolution techniques to the mobile SDK, ones the circumvent the normal operating system lookup functionality.

In order to address the CPU limitations with using the Opus codec, a new feature was added to the fragmentation engine, enabling it to preset the Opus complexity level – on a per device profile. This enabled the Mobile Fragmentation Engine to provide the NickWatch device with an optimal operational profile.