Enterprise edge computing requires resilient connectivity to keep private industrial networks alive, a challenge Viasat is actively solving.
Viasat has introduced its Tactical Mission Fabric (TMF), an edge-to-cloud connectivity service built to orchestrate multi-path networks. The company launched TMF at a defence trade show, highlighting the extreme performance requirements the platform aims to meet. However, military applications often serve as the proving ground for commercial enterprise technology. Advanced encryption, global positioning systems, and early iterations of the internet all began as defence research projects before dominating the corporate sector.
Operations happening at the extreme edge demand continuous data flow to function safely. TMF provides real-time cloud access and AI-powered data analysis to secure these remote operations.
David Schmolke, VP of Mission Connections and Cybersecurity at Viasat Government, said: “TMF is built to help the Joint Force operate when communications links are disrupted or under attack—closing the gap between abundant edge systems and the applications and cloud services needed to turn that edge data into real-time mission decisions.”
While currently deployed for the Joint Force, this technology offers a massive preview of what is coming to commercial heavy industry.
Orchestrating the multi-path edge
Heavy industry operates in locations openly hostile to fragile communication arrays. Viasat’s approach patches this vulnerability by actively routing packets across the strongest available pathway in real-time. The TMF platform evaluates satellite and terrestrial broadcasts constantly, ensuring data reaches the central cloud without manual human intervention.
Integrating multi-orbit satellite architecture with local terrestrial networks solves the latency issue. Remote installations struggle to run heavy AI models locally because they lack the physical computing power on-site. Sending sensor data back to a central server takes too long if the pipeline relies on geostationary satellites. TMF blends low-earth orbit speed with high-capacity terrestrial connections to keep latency low enough for active machine management.
Software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) pioneered this concept for corporate branch offices. Enterprise IT teams grew accustomed to routing video calls over dedicated fibre while pushing background updates through cheaper broadband. Applying that same logic to moving machinery introduces extreme variables. A corporate office building stays completely stationary.
A fleet of autonomous haulage trucks constantly changes orientation, driving behind rock walls that block line-of-sight broadcasts. The network fabric must predict these physical obstructions and preemptively swap the data stream to an overhead satellite before the terrestrial connection fully dies.
Today, enterprise leaders treat satellite providers and terrestrial private network operators as completely distinct procurement categories. Buying a private 5G stack from Ericsson or Nokia happens in a separate budgeting room from acquiring satellite terminal contracts. Technology like TMF collapses these boundaries entirely. Creating an abstracted layer above the physical hardware allows network architects to write policies based on data priority rather than link type.
Imagine routing an automated guided vehicle across a massive logistics port, which requires millimetre precision. If the vehicle drives behind a stack of steel shipping containers, the local 5G connection might degrade to unusable levels. An orchestrated fabric detects the connection drop and instantly pushes the telemetry data through a backup pathway. The vehicle never stops moving, and the central control centre never loses visibility.
Viasat faces intense competition from new entrants in the connectivity space. Low-earth orbit operators have lowered the cost of satellite bandwidth, pushing traditional aerospace companies to offer more than just raw data capacity. Offering an intelligent orchestration fabric positions Viasat as a software and services partner, rather than a basic utility provider.
The true cost of connectivity issues
Investing millions in digital twins and predictive maintenance models means nothing if the central cloud cannot see the physical machines.
Processing data locally at the edge requires intelligent software capable of sorting valuable telemetry from useless noise. TMF incorporates AI-powered data analysis directly into the network fabric to check the data locally and only push anomalies up to the central cloud. This edge-native processing saves expensive satellite bandwidth and guarantees that human operators only see alerts requiring human intervention.
Distributing the load across a multi-path fabric allows organisations to separate traffic by importance. Routine telemetry can trickle up through slower, cheaper connections. Instant safety alerts or autonomous steering commands get priority access to the lowest-latency link.
Multi-path orchestration also fortifies security architectures. Relying on a single communication link gives adversaries a single point to jam or intercept. Splitting traffic across cellular, Wi-Fi, and varied satellite orbits makes external interception almost impossible. Data packets travel across entirely different physical infrastructure before reassembling securely inside the enterprise cloud environment.
Physical hardware will fail, especially in such demanding environments. The true measure of a private industrial network is how gracefully it adapts, and the defense sector is already showing commercial enterprises what that adaptation looks like.
See also: Physical AI and edge computing drive true factory automation
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