SpaceTech 2026 Research Talks – Jianping Pan

Why It Matters

Understanding LEO handover dynamics enables telecoms to redesign protocols, ensuring reliable, low‑latency broadband for millions of users as satellite constellations expand.

Key Takeaways

• LEO testbed spans all Canadian provinces, expanding globally
• Measured handover occurs every 15 seconds, faster than expected
• Latency spikes align with satellite switches, affecting TCP performance
• Mobile dishes on buses and aircraft demonstrate real‑world coverage
• Simple congestion‑control freeze improves throughput during handovers

Summary

Dr. Jianping Pan presented the Coast‑to‑Coast (CCC) LEO testbed, a Canada‑wide measurement platform that now includes stations in every province, territory, and early deployments in the United States. The infrastructure consists of fixed and mobile dishes equipped with mini‑PCs that automatically record signal strength, latency, and satellite handover events.

The research revealed that satellites hand over to the next visible node roughly every 15 seconds—far quicker than the several‑minute intervals originally assumed. These rapid switches produce latency spikes that directly correlate with TCP time‑outs and reduced congestion‑window growth, especially when GEO systems claim priority and force LEO beams to pause.

Illustrative examples included Antarctic research stations where dishes clustered for better connectivity, a school bus on Vancouver Island carrying a moving dish to monitor coverage gaps, and aircraft transitioning from GEO to LEO links, showing dramatic throughput gains. A simple mitigation—freezing the congestion‑control algorithm for about 100 ms during handover—restored throughput and lowered video‑streaming latency.

The findings underscore the need for LEO‑aware transport protocols and network‑planning tools, as operators scale to millions of users worldwide. Faster handovers, interference management, and mobile deployment strategies will shape service reliability and commercial viability of emerging satellite broadband constellations.

Original Description

Jianping Pan, Professor of Computer Science, University of Victoria