This annual conference started life as IET MilSatcom. I remember the first time I attended; it was in a room that could’ve hosted a medium sized board meeting and there were probably a few dozen people in the room at most. It got bigger and bigger and over time built to three-figure attendances. In the early 2020s, the potential for a sister conference for commercial Satcom was explored, but it never really took off for various reasons. In 2023 the IET MilSatcom conference expanded to include a commercial stream; this was a success and the feedback was good. It expanded again in 2024 with a concurrent 6G stream added to run alongside the Satcom piece. This year a further expansion included Quantum technology.
Over the years, the conferences have been held in many venues, with my first one being in a hotel on the South Bank and last year’s being in the Royal Institute of British Architects. For the 2025 conference, the event came back to the IET, with Savoy Place being the perfect venue to host multi-stream events.
I found the mix of Satcom, 6G and Quantum specialists really refreshing, with lots of cross-pollination and sharing of ideas. The networking was exceptional, with lots of varied communities coming together in a shared space, with lots of overlap. I struggled at times, with 2 or 3 sessions I wanted to be in at the same time, but that’s a good problem to have and I made sure I found the presenters I’d missed during the breaks and got the shortened version of their session.
For me, the mix of sessions was a real treat.
There was the eccentric Stuart Eves providing a glimpse into the subtle delights of elliptical orbits and challenging the popular circular orbit majority, with some real food for thought.
Another interesting session was the slightly scary overview on post-quantum encryption and how the existing cryptography protocols are under threat from a powerful force, which is fast-approaching. I didn’t know about Q-Day before the conference, but it’s definitely going to have a big impact when it comes.
A panel of the next generation of leaders from the Young Space Executive Network challenged the audience on how us older industry members can support and develop young talent. We were advised to be welcoming, transparent, allow lessons to be learnt in a supportive environment and above all, prepare the future generations to be adaptable and aware of the risks and pain-points.
We learnt about AI Fight Club. I forget what the first rule of AI Fight Club was, but it can’t have been important…
The first day was wrapped up with a demo of technology on the amazing Johnson Roof Terrace. As an aside, the IET are seriously missing a trick there – it’s the perfect place for a Gin Bar and if there was a regular IET Thursday happy hour, it would be an excellent venue for networking and exchange of thought leadership between members; as membership benefits go, it’s a winner in my view.
But for me the highlight of the conference was an IET Technical Network panel, where representatives from 5 of the IET’s Technical Networks came together on the stage to discuss some of the shared challenges and how they can be met from different perspectives. The Technical Networks taking part were:
- Antennas & Propagation
- Internet of Things
- Quantum Engineering
- RF & Microwave Technology
- Satellite
The panel discussed what key technologies in their sector would revolutionize the space and communications ecosystem and explored how the disparate technologies could function in a more collaborative way to optimize the end user experience. There were also some great questions from the audience and it was a real showcase of how the IET Technical Networks can work together to inspire, inform and influence; the whole really was far greater than the sum of the parts.
I’m already looking forward to the 2026 event (with a rooftop terrace Gin Bar?).
Dave Davis, Satellite TN Vice Chair
