Satellite Internet Upgrade: AI to Help Deliver Better Connections to Rural Areas in Canada

Satellite internet is now perceived to be the solution for far-flung areas to get connectivity, but in some rural areas, it is still not enough, with researchers now looking to integrate AI to help bridge this gap. Through machine learning, the AI would help problems, from minor to major ones, to help determine them before issues get worse, centering on Canada.

Massive companies like SpaceX's Starlink may still be at their early expansion stage, but remote areas have used it for a long time now but have yet to improve it for better connections.

Satellite Internet Gets AI Upgrade for Rural Areas

The University of Waterloo, in partnership with the National Research Council, has formed a team of researchers to help improve satellite internet, with the academics now leveraging AI to be its key to a connected future. Its main focus is to stem the problems that satellite internet is facing, creating a new method that combines various AI models to solve this issue.

"The problem is that the operation of those satellites can be expensive and time-consuming, and issues with them can lead to populations being cut off from the rest of the world," said Peng Hu, a professor at Waterloo and author of the study.

They introduced the Multivariate Variance-based Genetic Ensemble Learning Method, which helps detect any anomaly or problem present with the satellite internet connection and fix it.

By doing so, AI could help prevent the problem from causing massive issues and avoid any worsening.

Expanding Better Connections with AI

The team published its study in the journal, IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, sharing this new system that could possibly expand more of satellite internet connections with AI. With its model, the team was able to outperform existing ones in helping diagnose and determine problems with the services available in Canada.

Satellite Internet Features

One of the best features of satellite internet is how it can be placed anywhere in the world and bring the connection to users, at least for what Elon Musk's SpaceX and Starlink are pushing for now. In its expansion to Southeast Asia, SpaceX has also partnered with organizations that advocate internet connections for all, particularly for a school on the remote island of Pangan-an in Cebu, Philippines.

SpaceX is only one of the many companies that are now pushing for satellite internet services in the world, and another notable company is Amazon with its Kuiper technology. The satellite would come from Amazon and it would beam down internet connections like Starlink, with the service also promising future access to areas that have limited options for online needs.

Musk's Starlink popularized satellite internet accessibility and portability, allowing a different kind of experience that users may take with them in various places for a wider experience. Not all satellite internet is reliable, and not all reliable services are available in different regions, which is why this new study is set to be beneficial to users, with AI leading the charge to upgrade the experience.