Overview

Xenesis, Inc. is a managed services provider for the telecommunications industry whose backbone optical communications network offers Mobile Network Operators (MNO) and Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) a cost advantage of 10x between points of presence and a sizable latency advantage over terrestrial fiber. [1]

Xenesis is a network enabler with its’ tested and proven 10Gbs optical flight terminal called Xen-Hub. Their mission is to produce and distribute a “set-top-box” for any operator, whether it be Facebook, Google, OneWeb, or any other satellite operator or client, to access a fully optical backhaul space-based network at a fraction of the cost of a full Radio Frequency (RF) solution. They are solving the capacity and latency issues currently under development and are a prominent figure in terms of accessibility. Over the course of the coming 5 years, Xenesis aims to become “the Cisco of Space.” [2]

Xen-link

In February 2021, Xenesis announced their first all-optical communication service from space to ground, dubbed “Xen-link,” reaching anywhere on the Earth that can connect to the terrestrial internet backbone.

Xen-Link services consist of the Xen-Hub (space terminal) and a Xen-Node (dedicated ground terminal) and offer a 10Gb/s full-duplex high data rate link. Xen-Link can also transport 2,600 Gigabits or 2.6 Terabits of data in just over 4 minutes. This is the average time a LEO satellite is in view of a single ground Xen-Node during an orbit, which is about 100 times more data than a 100 Mbps RF data link.

The real barriers Xen-Link addresses are two-fold: the high cost of data acquisition for a satellite operator and the high capital expenditure (capex) of converting to optical versus RF. Xenesis removes these barriers completely, as Xen-Link is a zero capex solution that delivers a >50x increase in throughput, thereby reducing the actual cost of acquiring any kind of data by a factor of >20x.

In addition, Xen-Link would be set to lower the barrier entry to space by allowing more accessibility for other companies in the industry that may have been previously met with the challenges of the high costs in acquiring data and limited bandwidth that is associated with RF. [3]

Space Micro

On June 15, 2021, Xenesis acquired a minority stake in Space Micro Inc. Through this agreement, Space Micro will be able to include Xenesis devices in their catalog while also becoming the exclusive manufacturer for components used in the Xenesis product line. A number of these devices have already been designated to be used in the Xenesis Intercessor constellation due to be launched in 2023. Xenesis and Space Micro will continue to work together while offering downlinking capabilities of 10 Gbps, real-time latency, reduced costs, and an inherently secure/data-agnostic FSO network.

Related Links

Optical Satcom: Under the Spotlight

FSO for Ultrafast Secure Communications