Satellite Networks

Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO), a research institution dedicated to enhancing agricultural productivity and rural development in Kenya, has partnered with SatSure Analytics India, a leading Earth Observation (EO) data refinery platform, to revolutionise agricultural productivity and resilience in Kenya through the use of advanced satellite data and analytics.

Satellite communications firm EchoStar is moving ahead with plans to join the global direct-to-device (D2D) satellite race via a new LEO satellite constellation, and has awarded an initial US$1.3 billion contract to MDA Space to help build it.

Eutelsat said on Wednesday it has signed a new agreement with India-based maritime communications firm Station Satcom to incorporate Eutelsat’s OneWeb LEO satellite services into its maritime connectivity portfolio.

Space42, a UAE-based spacetech company, has announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with tech giant Microsoft and GIS mapping software specialist Esri to deliver high-resolution, scalable base maps across all 54 African countries, serving over 1.4 billion people.

Satellite operator SES announced on Tuesday it has launched its latest pair of O3b mPOWER satellites, bringing its next-gen constellation to ten MEO satellites providing global coverage.

UAE-based satellite company Space42 announced on Wednesday that it has signed a US$695.5 million Export Credit Agency (ECA)-backed financing facility to fund the development of its next-generation geostationary satellites, Al Yah 4 and Al Yah 5.

Satellite networking technology, solutions and services company Gilat Satellite Networks has announced today that its Peruvian subsidiary, Gilat Perú, has been awarded approximately $60 million in orders from Pronatel (Programa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones), Peru’s national telecommunications programme.

Saudi Arabian VSAT integrator and ISP First Gulf Company (FGC) said on Monday it has signed an agreement with Arabsat to collaborate on delivering exclusive VSAT and satellite data services across Saudi Arabia.

A strategic partnership agreement to deliver low-cost satellite IoT services globally is about to support use cases in Brazil, according to the partners Wyld Networks and Myriota.

Ukrainian operator Kyivstar is set to become one of the first European carriers to launch direct-to-cell (D2C) satellite communication services through a partnership with Starlink.

Satellite communications will be among the areas targeted by Oman’s Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MTCIT) in a new national space solutions-focused initiative launched this week.

A private Indian aerospace company, Ananth Technologies, which already works with the government in the space domain, has secured authorisation from space regulator Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) for offering broadband space services from 2028.

Kacific Broadband Satellites Group continued its blitz of deals to provide satellite broadband services to rural Pakistan last week via an MoU with public sector company Pak Datacom.

Satellite operator Sateliot, which says it is the first company to operate a constellation of 5G NB-IoT satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), has announced a boost to its satellite deployment plans, along with preparations to launch its commercial service in Brazil.

Kacific Broadband Satellites Group announced on Tuesday it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) and Telco Integrators (TI) to expand satellite internet, broadband, and voice services across Pakistan.

It may be some way behind Starlink in deployment terms, but Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellite initiative has been making headway both in terms of launches and regulatory approvals in recent weeks.

Regulator the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel), the government of Spain and Spanish company Hispasat have signed a collaboration agreement to explore the participation of the Dominican Republic in the development of a joint project to share space-based telecommunications infrastructures.

Nigeria’s National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) reportedly signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Wednesday with Chinese LEO satellite player Galaxy Space to deploy direct‑to‑device (D2D) satellite services nationwide by the end of this year.

Satellite communications company ST Engineering iDirect has announced a strategic partnership with Solutions by STC, an enabler of digital transformation in Saudi Arabia and the region and part of the massive ICT services company STC Group, to deliver advanced satellite communication services across Saudi Arabia.

Indian operator Vodafone Idea and AST SpaceMobile, which is building a space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by everyday smartphones, have announced a strategic partnership to expand mobile connectivity across India’s unconnected regions.

Satellite operator Eutelsat has officially launched its Eutelsat OneWeb earth station in Angola, which it says brings OneWeb’s LEO satellite offering online for Angola and Central Africa.

SpaceX’s LEO satellite broadband operator Starlink is set to officially launch services in Kazakhstan later this year after it signed a regulatory compliance agreement with the country’s Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry (MDAI).

Veon-owned Ukrainian telco Kyivstar said on Monday it has successfully connected its core network to Starlink’s LEO satellite infrastructure, bringing it a step closer to offering direct-to-device (D2D) satellite services later this year.

Eutelsat Group and Orange have signed a deal that enables Orange leverage the Eutelsat OneWeb constellation to offer LEO satellite connectivity services to its enterprise and government customers worldwide, particularly in Africa and the Middle East.

India’s Ministry of Home Affairs has approved Starlink’s bid for a crucial licence that will allow the SpaceX unit to provide satellite services in the market.

Weather intelligence specialist Tomorrow.io says it has partnered with the Philippines National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to help farmers adapt to volatile and challenging climate conditions and boost productivity using artificial intelligence.

Kacific Broadband Satellites Group announced it has signed a strategic partnership deal with telecoms and data network service provider Supernet Limited to resell Kacific’s satellite broadband solutions in rural areas across Pakistan.

LEO satellite operator Iridium Communications announced on Thursday it has signed a partnership deal with Syniverse to support the rollout of Iridium’s planned direct-to-device (D2D) satellite service that will offer non-terrestrial network (NTN) services for terrestrial mobile operators.

Global satellite player Intelsat announced on Wednesday it has broadened its managed-services collaboration with Solomon Telekom Company Limited (STCL) to deliver improved cellular backhaul connectivity in the Solomon Islands, particularly in remote areas.

UAE-based satellite firm Space42 said on Monday that its high altitude platform stations (HAPS) subsidiary Mira Aerospace has opened a HAPS manufacturing facility in Abu Dhabi, making it the first such facility in the MENA region.

It’s been another busy week for satcoms, with Agility Beyond Space (ABS), a global satellite operator, and SpaceBridge, a provider of satellite network equipment solutions, targeting managed services in EMEA, while satellite communications service Starlink is reportedly pursuing a Wi-Fi deal with the Emirates airline.