Ad-Hoc Satcom Mega-Constellations through Heterogeneous Network Smart Contracting

Abstract

This paper introduces the Hybrid Submarine/Space Architecture to Ensure the Information Security of Telecommunications (HEIST), a system leveraging distributed ledger technology to securely reroute disrupted undersea cable communications to satellite networks. HEIST’s components enable the integration of ground and satellite heterogeneous networks into an ad-hoc and on-demand broadband mega-constellation, maximizing the non-terrestrial rerouting bandwidth to reduce the impact of failures on service quality and availability in submarine fiber optic networks.