Counting Stars: Earth-based Strategies to Understand Space-based ISPs

Title: Counting Stars: Earth-based Strategies to Understand Space-based ISPs
Host Faculty: Prof.Bheemarjuna Reddy Tamma
Speaker: Prof. Nishanth Sastry
Date: October 9th
Time: 12:00 pm
Venue: CSE Seminar Hall-1 (GF)

Abstract

Satellite communications is seeing a resurgence with new space-based ISPs such as Starlink. Using thousands of satellites in Low Earth Orbits, such mega constellations of satellites aim to provide connectivity rivalling terrestrial broadband providers, and are largely succeeding. Yet, complexities created by the fast moving satellites may require reexamining or redesigning higher layers of the network stack. This talk will look at various ways to measure and understand the promise and pitfalls of space-based connectivity from right here on earth, using techniques ranging from browser extension-based measurements to developing a distributed testbed that aims to be a “PlanetLab for Starlink” to developing a “digital twin” that can scale to the size of today’s mega constellations and beyond

Bio

Prof. Nishanth Sastry is Associate Head of School for Research and Innovation in the School of CSEE, and leads the Networked Systems Theme within the Surrey Centre for Cyber Security. He is also a Surrey AI Fellow and co-leads the Pan University Surrey Security Network. Nationally, he is a member of several advisory bodies including the College of Experts advising the Chief Scientific Advisor of the UK Government’s Department of Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT) College of Experts, the REF 2029 sub-panel for Computer Science and Informatics (UoA 11), the EPSRC Digital Security and Resilience Strategic Advisory Team and the EPSRC Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Skills Strategic Advisory Network. He is an ACM Distinguished Speaker and co-leads the Social Data Science Interest Group at the Alan Turing Institute for Data Science and AI. His work spans a number of topics related to social media and computer networking, including content delivery, LEO Satellite Networks, web privacy and online harms.