Finding the Signal in the Noise: Why Quadsat Matters

In today’s world, the spectrum is “contested and congested”. The rapid expansion of satcom networks — from Starlink to Amazon’s Project Kuiper — is crowding the skies with signals, creating interference risks that can degrade service, disrupt operations, and threaten mission-critical communications. For both the defence and commercial sectors, the ability to monitor, test, and geolocate RF signals is no longer optional.

That’s why we invested in Quadsat.

SHF vs. Lower Frequencies — What’s the Difference?

Satcom and defence increasingly operate in the Super High Frequency (SHF) bands (3–30 GHz). These frequencies enable high data rates and advanced radar capabilities, but they’re also harder to track and geolocate than lower-frequency signals. SHF waves travel line-of-sight and are highly directional, so they can be easily distorted by the atmosphere. Traditional spectrum monitoring tools, designed for lower bands, struggle to keep pace.

Lower-frequency signals, including HF, VHF, and UHF bands below 3 GHz, are used in applications such as military radios, air traffic control, naval communications, GPS (L-band), and legacy radar systems. These signals are generally omnidirectional, can travel long distances — sometimes even bouncing off the ionosphere — and are relatively easier to detect and geolocate. By contrast, Super High Frequency (SHF) signals, ranging from 3 to 30 GHz and used in satellite communications (C-, Ku-, and Ka-bands), advanced military radars, missile guidance systems, and high-data-rate tactical links, present much greater challenges. SHF signals are highly directional, travel primarily line-of-sight, and are susceptible to attenuation from things such as rain, terrain, and atmospheric conditions.

These characteristics make detection and geolocation far more complex. It’s precisely these challenges that have made SHF a blind spot for traditional spectrum monitoring, highlighting the importance of technologies capable of addressing it.

Source: ESA — Frequency bands

What Makes Quadsat Different

Knowing where an emitter is operating is just as important as identifying what it is. In congested bands, interference may be accidental — but in contested environments, it can be deliberate. Pinpointing the source enables operators to restore service, enforce compliance, or gain tactical advantage. At SHF, this has been one of the industry’s toughest challenges.

Unlike conventional spectrum monitoring solutions, Quadsat was born in satcom, where testing and calibration at SHF are mission-critical. Their technology is more than just software — it’s a system, integrating:

• Robotics: Intelligent, mechatronic platforms capable of precise pointing, tracking, and stabilization.
• Payloads: RF gimbals and arms tuned for 2–31 GHz, transferable across multiple drone types (both quadcopter and fixed-wing).
• Software & Control: Autonomy and control systems that manage the robotics while enabling accurate, repeatable testing and geolocation.

Testing satcom antennas has historically been a cumbersome and costly process. To qualify an antenna for use, operators often ship it to a designated test facility, chosen based on the antenna’s size and frequency band. This involves transporting large hardware across the globe and relying on fixed infrastructure. The result is significant downtime, high logistics costs, and wasted operating hours — a model reminiscent of oil & gas testing, where ships would sail in circles to verify antenna connectivity.

Quadsat replaces this static model with a mobile test laboratory. By mounting RF payloads on drones, the system adapts to any antenna size, tracking mechanism, or satellite frequency. Instead of moving antennas to test chambers, the laboratory comes to the antenna — creating a custom, on-site setup in hours.

Why Quadsat Is the Go-To Technology

• Proven pedigree: Emerging from the same robotics cluster that produced Denmark’s Universal Robots, with a team blending robotics, aerospace, and RF engineering.
• Versatility: Payloads can operate from drones or fixed positions, covering a wide range of missions from antenna calibration to emitter geolocation.
• Relevance: Purpose-built for the SHF era, where high-value targets — satellites, military comms, advanced radars — increasingly reside.
• Efficiency: Field deployment reduces testing from days to minutes, with in-situ accuracy that translates directly to operational advantage.

Quadsat delivers a new generation of RF capability. It is built for a spectrum environment that is no longer just busy, but strategically decisive. By enabling precise monitoring, testing, and geolocation in SHF bands, Quadsat bridges a critical gap between the expanding satcom sector and defence’s need for dominance in congested and contested environments.

That’s what made this technology tick for us.