From Analog Bottlenecks to Fully Virtualized, AI-Driven SATCOM Infrastructure Executive Summary Digitized modem architecture with Digital Intermediate Frequency (Digital IF) has emerged as a foundational enabler of next-generation satellite communications, underpinning the transition toward software-defined satellites, cloud-native ground systems, and multi-orbit network architectures. Advances in high-speed data converters, FPGA-based processing, and IP-based transport—combined with standards…

