AWS Public Sector Blog

AWS announces Satellite Resiliency for AWS Outposts

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Announced at AWS re:Invent 2024, Satellite Resiliency for AWS Outposts offers a comprehensive, Partner-managed solution for resilient cloud-connected edge computing that extends the reach of Amazon Web Services (AWS) to the most remote and geographically dispersed environments on earth. AWS Outposts typically run connected to a parent AWS Region for resource management, access control, and software updates. When terrestrial network connectivity between an Outpost and its parent AWS Region is unavailable, this solution routes traffic back to the parent Region over a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite connection, supporting business continuity and data residency requirements.

Organizations with high resiliency needs or regulatory requirements, such as government agencies and financial institutions, need to be able to rely on local data processing and machine learning (ML) in remote edge environments. Outposts allows them to do this by connecting them to the power of the Regions. This offers low latency and local data processing as well as meeting any data residency requirements. However, when there are terrestrial network disconnections due to disruptive events such as extreme weather, cable cuts, or power issues, critical service providers need continual connectivity.

overhead image of lava flowing from a volcano in Iceland

Volcanic activity on the Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland, with lava and magma coming out of a volcano’s crater.

Iceland has 32 volcanoes and faces a risk that volcanic activity will disrupt terrestrial connections to the rest of Europe, from which it is separated by the North Atlantic.

“We are interested to try Satellite Resiliency for AWS Outposts with our local partner Andes. With Digital Iceland’s unique challenges as an island nation responsible for critical government services, it’s important to provide continuity of critical government services, even during our most severe disaster planning scenarios where connectivity to Iceland would be disrupted,” said Birna Íris Jónsdóttir, CEO of Digital Iceland.

“With Satellite Resiliency for AWS Outposts we are able provide extra local resiliency to customers in government and highly regulated industries like banking who need highly resilient services that can continue to operate even if there is limited local connectivity back to the AWS Region,” said Hlöðver Thor, CEO of AWS Partner Andes.

Government, financial services, and industry have told us they want the power of AWS in their remote locations, but also require a level of last-mile resiliency that terrestrial connections don’t provide. Terrestrial communications infrastructure for remote locations can be costly to deploy and vulnerable to outages. Meanwhile, satellite solutions, especially those needing more than one constellation, are difficult to implement and operate. From my work with global governments, I know these organizations find it difficult at times to use the cloud’s full potential due to unreliable connectivity and the complexity of integrating cloud computing with satellite communications. Organizations want to enhance service resiliency to address this challenge.

This solution is managed by AWS Partners, including Accenture, Andes, Capgemini, Deloitte, Kyndryl, and TCS for a one-stop-shop customer experience, from purchase to operation, to optimization and maintenance. It features smart network routing to select the optimal satellite signal path, providing resilient network availability. This enables customers to keep applications and workloads running. Furthermore, the solution allows business continuity of critical services, supporting speedy recovery from events such as natural disasters. Organizations can use this solution to bring AWS Cloud to previously unavailable locations. Satellite Resiliency for AWS Outposts puts the AWS edge on mountains, islands, open ocean, and in disaster locations.

“We work extensively with remote mining facilities. These facilities are looking to increase productivity and reduce costs with cloud capabilities. Satellite Resiliency for AWS Outposts will allow them to bring the power of the AWS Cloud to remote mining sites,” said Hossein Taybei, partner of Deloitte Australia.

“We are excited that customers can benefit from combining high-speed, low-latency Low Earth Orbit connectivity with AWS Outposts to offer a resilient solution to increase uptime of using cloud in remote manufacturing locations around the globe,” said Maurizio Vanotti, Vice President for Commercial Strategy and Innovation at Eutelsat Group.