Barriers to colocation could hold back DC market
Author: Joe Peck
Speaking from the Space Comm Expo Europe event in London, Strategies in Satellite Ground Segment (SSGS), the organiser of the world’s only conference dedicated exclusively to the satellite ground segment, has warned that the global success of data centres is at risk if barriers to their colocation with satellite ground stations are not removed.
SSGS argues that the advantages to placing a satellite ground station next to a data centre are already clear. It suggests that, for example, keeping the antenna systems physically close to compute and storage functions eliminates long terrestrial backhaul links and helps to reduce latency. Both the data centre and ground station can benefit from cost-savings and can become scalable digital hubs as capacity can be quickly added to meet increased demand.
However, securing the necessary planning permissions, obtaining sufficient levels of funding, obtaining the necessary spectrum licenses in already crowded frequency bands, and event issues relating to data sovereignty can all hold up the process of colocation.
Colocating data centres with satellite ground systems
Kevin French, Director of the SSGS conference and exhibition, says, “Satellite ground systems are increasingly being colocated with data centres, and it’s not a coincidence; it’s a structural shift.
“As demand for high-capacity, low-latency services accelerate, bringing ground infrastructure closer to compute isn’t just efficient; it’s transformative.
“Colocation enables virtualised architectures, cloud native workflows, and far more resilient end-to-end operations. It ensures that satellite data isn’t just collected, but processed, stored, and delivered with the speed and reliability that modern networks now require.”
While there are successful colocation projects in operation – such as the recent approval given to Amazon’s Project Kuiper to operate a satellite earth station gateway at the National Space Centre (NSC) in Cork, Ireland – there are fears that the speed of approvals in some jurisdictions could lag behind demand and create a two-tier system.
The issue of colocation, data centres, cloud, and edge computing is set to be a major topic of discussion at the SSGS conference being held at the Park Plaza Hotel in London on 30 September 2026.
Registration is now open. Find out more by clicking here.
