Intelsat has recently announced a significant development in its service capabilities through an expanded partnership with Eutelsat Group about the latter’s OneWeb low-earth orbit (LEO) constellation. This deal is a major advancement for multi-orbit satellite connectivity solutions and positions Intelsat at the forefront of the next wave in global connectivity.
Under the agreement, Intelsat will commit US$250 million for LEO service over the first six years, with an option for an additional US$250 million. This partnership will expand and integrate LEO capabilities into Intelsat’s solutions offerings across its current and future customer base.
Dave Wajsgras, CEO of Intelsat, commented on the deal, saying that the company has been partnering with Eutelsat for quite some time now, leveraging its OneWeb LEO constellation to offer a multi-orbit solution primarily in commercial aviation. He added that they now see many additional opportunities for customers to benefit from multi-orbit solutions. Hence, they believe it’s in Intelsat’s, Eutelsat’s, and their customers’ interests to expand the partnership already in place, which is working well and has strong demand.
As part of the partnership, Intelsat will collaborate with Eutelsat in developing its Next Generation OneWeb constellation and provide direct design and functionality input to help ensure that the new constellation will have the capabilities to meet real-world customer needs going forward.
Eva Berneke, Chief Executive Officer of Eutelsat Group, added that this expanded partnership with Intelsat represents a strong vote of confidence in the capabilities of the OneWeb constellation today and well into the future. It showcases the necessity in today’s world for major satellite operators to be able to offer multi-orbit solutions to their customers.
Intelsat’s Wajsgras emphasized that their team is convinced that pairing Intelsat’s experience and GEO and terrestrial network with the capabilities they will access via Eutelsat Group’s OneWeb LEO network will enable Intelsat to deliver the best and most comprehensive customer solutions supporting networks, government, and mobility sectors and fueling their robust growth trajectory.
