‍The proliferation of satellites—with various orbital planes, unique constellation formations, and security demands—requires a modernized ground architecture that enables similar proliferation to enhance the flexibility of SATCOM. Additionally, various commercial, enterprise, and tactical environments need responsive deployments that are transportable and scalable to suit the situation or mission.

At the DIFI Consortium Digital Transformation of SATCOM Workshop, held during IEEE MILCOM 2025, ThinKom CTO Bill Milroy will explain the evolving technological landscape driving the demand for scalable and transportable ground architecture.

Following the successful 2024 SATCOM Digital Transformation workshop, the DIFI consortium will host a full-day 2025 workshop focused on digitization and virtualization in SATCOM. Key to boosting innovation, expanding scale, and reducing costs, digital transformation is vital to meet next-gen commercial and DoD SATCOM requirements. This transformation, based on the twin pillars of digitization and virtualization, streamlines modem designs via modularization and standardization, fostering common hardware use and innovative digital IF interfaces using the DIFI protocol. Such digitization and DIFI-standardized digital IF pave the way for virtualized SATCOM applications. These digitally upgraded ground networks allow new use cases, enhancing network and terminal flexibility and resilience.

Given the positive feedback from the 80+ attendees of last year's event, the 2025 workshop will be a full-day event, providing a broader platform for engagement and knowledge exchange. The morning will commence with paper sessions, allowing participants to delve deeper into the latest developments in the DIFI standard, digital IF research,  and advancements. The paper sessions will conclude with a panel, which will provide an in-depth examination of the progress of the DIFI protocol and the remaining challenges. The afternoon will be followed by a combined poster session and technology demonstrations, showcasing emerging applications of digital IF and virtualization in SATCOM.

About IEEE MILCOM 2025

IEEE MILCOM 2025 will feature a comprehensive high-quality technical program including five technical tracks, workshops, a variety of technical panels and tutorials, for both unclassified technical program and restricted access technical program. The conference will also feature keynotes and plenary panels with prominent speakers from government, industry and research organizations, as well as vendor exhibition. This year, MILCOM 2025 will take place in Los Angeles, California.

IEEE MILCOM 2025 technical program consists of rigorously peer-reviewed technical papers, selected tutorials, workshops, and technical panels on current and emerging topics applicable to all facets of military communications. We encourage professionals in industry, academia, and government worldwide to attend the in-person conference and have a rewarding and fruitful full conference experience. The general forum will be open to all and accepted technical papers will be published in IEEE Xplore. There will also be a Restricted Access Program to support Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) materials in the same venue, and a Classified Program available.

About DIFI

The mission of the Digital Intermediate Frequency Interoperability (DIFI) Consortium is to enable the digital transformation of space, satellite, and related industries by providing a simple, open, interoperable Digital IF/RF standard that replaces the natural interoperability of analog IF signals and helps prevent vendor lock-in.