A satellite communications engineer, or connectivity systems developer, is a specialist who studies and develops networks, components, and technologies for wireless data transmission. They ensure modern, high-quality digital connectivity in regions with underdeveloped wired infrastructure, develop technologies for the Internet of Things, smart cities, and satellite control, prioritize data transmission security, and create new connectivity standards with higher internet speeds – such as 5G and 6G. In order to be successful in the field, a satellite communications engineer needs to have a good command of interdisciplinary knowledge in radio physics and communication theory, as well as be able to code, work with network equipment, and develop prototypes of digital and analog high-frequency devices. Here are the top five handy skills for engineers in the field: Software development. Before you get to develop hardware or implement new communication algorithms, you will need to test them by playing them out with equations and functions. This practice conserves resources: you can fix the mistakes that may occur during the making of a new device and test your algorithms in advance. That’s why to start with, engineers create a mathematical model of the system and “pass” it through a simulation software that imitates real system behavior. These mathematical models are created mainly using Python and C++. However, existing software rarely fits the narrowly specialized wireless communications demands, which is why engineers need to be able to develop software for their unique systems. Algorithms. These are the rules, actions, and mathematical operations performed by an object of a communication system. They are necessary to optimize the system, for instance, by lowering its energy consumption or increasing the traffic. Another example of using algorithms is noiseless coding. It’s needed when the wireless transmission channel has a lot of noise made by the signal reflecting from buildings