Decentralized Satellite Network

Fundamentally, the Internet is a vast interconnected network of computers forming a unified global addressing system, packet format, and routing methods. Cellular networks, on the other hand, are networks of specialized computers connected via terrestrial antennas. Since satellites are essentially computers in orbit, they can function as specialized computers forming a cellular network from space.

The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is the mobile communications standard body known for LTE and 5G. 3GPP proposes a non-terrestrial network (NTN) standard as the solution. An NTN consists of spaceborne (GEO, MEO, LEO) or airborne (UAS and HAPS) vehicles that function as relay nodes or base stations. Non-terrestrial access enables service delivery in regions without terrestrial coverage, enhancing service scalability and ubiquity.

Building on top of the 5G-NTN standard, we propose creating a decentralized 5G-NTN composed of cubesats. The decentralization enhances resistance to censorship and increases overall network security,15 improving net neutrality. With a construction cost of approximately $5,000 and a launch cost of $30,000 per unit, cubesats have democratized satellite technology accessible to even the smallest enterprises and nations.16 After years of collective research and development, forming a decentralized satellite network is now economically feasible.

Of course, the problem of a decentralized network is coordinating without having to trust the counterparty. Space AI addresses this problem by leveraging deterministic smart contracts to enforce the fine-tuned incentive mechanisms that ensure decentralized consensus around a transparent ledger of accounts.