County IT teams are facing increasing pressure to deliver resilient, secure, and scalable connectivity, no matter the terrain, population density, or budget realities. As digital services expand and emergency communications become more interconnected, leaders are searching for technologies that can strengthen their infrastructure without requiring a complete overhaul.
Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite networks are becoming a strategic part of that solution.
With options like Starlink, OneWeb, and Amazon LEO gaining capability, counties now have a viable path to enhance coverage, reduce single points of failure, and support mission-critical operations. The question is no longer whether to adopt LEO, but how to integrate it responsibly into the county’s long-term roadmap.
Below is a practical guide for county leaders and IT teams on how to plan, adopt, and operationalize LEO connectivity.
Why LEO Matters for Counties
LEO networks deliver benefits that directly support county operations, including:
- Continuity when terrestrial networks fail: Storms, fiber cuts, and infrastructure gaps can interrupt operations. LEO provides an independent and resilient path.
- Coverage in rural or uneven terrain: LEO supports counties with underserved areas, remote facilities, or challenging geography.
- Bandwidth that supports operational needs: Modern LEO networks support data-intensive applications such as CAD, RMS, VoIP, cloud platforms, and video systems.
- Rapid deployment for emergencies or temporary sites: EOCs, shelters, staging areas, and field operations can be brought online quickly.
As counties expand cloud environments, mobile command capabilities, and digital services, LEO helps fill long-standing gaps in reliability and reach.
Step 1: Assess Where LEO Provides the Highest Impact
Start with a structured connectivity audit:
- Identify locations with unreliable backhaul or limited service providers
- Review past outages and disruptions and examine root causes and impacts
- Highlight mission-critical systems that cannot tolerate downtime
- Note upcoming initiatives such as cloud migrations, security upgrades, or NG911 transitions that increase connectivity needs
This assessment helps identify which sites and workflows would benefit most from LEO integration.
Step 2: Determine the Deployment Model
Counties typically succeed with one of three approaches:
- LEO as a primary connection for hard-to-reach sites: Examples include remote public works facilities, fire stations, parks, water systems, or rural government buildings.
- LEO as a backup to fiber, microwave, or LTE and 5G: This provides an automatic failover path to maintain operations during outages.
- LEO as portable or mobile connectivity: Ideal for public safety, field operations, special events, or temporary county sites.
A hybrid approach that combines LEO with terrestrial networks often provides the strongest resiliency.
Step 3: Integrate LEO into the Network Security Framework
A common misconception is that LEO functions as a simple internet connection. In reality, it needs to be incorporated into the county’s existing cybersecurity architecture.
Counties should plan for:
- Zero trust principles
- Encrypted tunnels to county systems
- Controlled access routing
- Traffic segmentation, especially for public safety or CJIS-governed systems
- Performance monitoring and alerting
By treating LEO with the same security considerations as any other transport path, counties ensure it becomes a trusted and compliant part of the infrastructure.
Step 4: Build LEO into the Redundancy Strategy
Operational resiliency requires diversity in connectivity.
Pairing LEO with fiber, microwave, or 5G creates a multi-layered connectivity structure that keeps operations running even when one provider fails. Counties should map:
- Which sites require dual or triple redundancy
- Which systems must have automatic failover
- What performance targets support public safety, cloud environments, and county services
A clear redundancy plan ensures that LEO strengthens continuity operations instead of serving as just an add-on.
Step 5: Plan for Long-Term Management and Lifecycle Support
Integrating LEO is only the first step. Counties should prepare for ongoing operational needs such as:
- Device monitoring and health checks
- Adjustments as constellations evolve
- Firmware and security updates
- Standardized installation practices
- Integrating LEO into EOC activation processes
- Clear support paths for outages and configuration changes
Many counties partner with managed service providers like PEAKE to ensure stable long-term performance and seamless integration with their existing network environment.
Step 6: Start with a Pilot Before Scaling
A pilot deployment helps validate:
- Throughput and uptime
- Integration with the county’s existing security stack and network design
- Performance under both typical and high-demand conditions
- Failover behavior
- Field mobility requirements
- Any unexpected operational issues
A 60 to 90 day pilot usually provides the insight needed to support broader deployment.
LEO Is Not a Replacement. It Is a Force Multiplier.
LEO does not replace fiber, microwave, or 5G. It strengthens them by adding resilience and reach so counties can deliver services consistently, even during disruptions.
As cloud adoption expands and public safety needs grow more complex, counties that integrate LEO now will be better prepared for future demands.
How PEAKE Can Help
PEAKE supports counties throughout planning, engineering, deployment, and long-term management. We integrate LEO with existing county networks, secure cloud environments, and mission-critical applications used by public safety and county IT teams.
If your county is evaluating LEO or developing a long-term resiliency strategy, our team can help you build a roadmap that aligns with your operations, budget, and goals.