• Q-KON and Rivada Space Networks have signed an MoU to deliver secure, high-speed satellite connectivity across Africa via Rivada’s Outernet.
• The partnership aims to enhance digital transformation in sectors requiring resilient and private data infrastructure, such as banking and government services.
• Rivada’s optical mesh LEO satellite network enables gigabit-speed, low-latency communications without routing through terrestrial infrastructure, supporting Africa’s evolving connectivity needs.

PRESS RELEASE – Q-KON, a leading provider of satellite solutions and services, and Outernet provider Rivada Space Networks have signed an MoU to provide next-generation connectivity to power network expansion and digital transformation across Africa and beyond.

Q-KON will leverage Rivada’s Outernet to provide resiliency for specialized data networks across Africa and a new level of cybersecurity to enterprises that require secure infrastructure, such as banking and financial services. The Outernet’s fast, seamless and secure connectivity will ramp up network performance and enable true digital transformation and new business opportunities through multi-gigabit bi-directional performance, combined with worldwide reach.

Data sovereignty and data resiliency are becoming paramount and whilst the availability of LEO satellite services are now coming of age in the African connectivity landscape in terms of high-speed, low-latency connectivity, the Outernet will now deliver a unique layer of resiliency and security for data communications providing a future-ready infrastructure that adheres to the highest standards of safety and privacy and enhancing trust in these networks and applications.

The Rivada Outernet is a next-generation Low-Earth Orbit satellite constellation designed to provide gigabit-speed connectivity to any point on the globe, without needing to touch the public internet or any third-party infrastructure. Combining inter-satellite laser links with advanced onboard processing and unique routing and switching capabilities, this optical mesh network, in which data stays in space from origin to destination, creates an ultra-secure network with pole-to-pole coverage, offering end-to-end latencies much lower than terrestrial fiber over similar long distances.

Dr Dawie de Wet, Group CEO of Q-KON, said: “We are pleased to start working with Rivada to develop specialized LEO solutions for the advanced enterprise, industry and government markets in Africa and to complement our growing Twoobii LEO Smart Satellite Services portfolio. We view the Outernet as an evolution on the LEO architecture roadmap that will follow-on and advance the industry from the classic broadband LEO services currently being deployed in Africa, to unlock bespoke applications and high security service-specific user applications.” 

Declan Ganley, CEO of Rivada Space Networks, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Q-KON supporting the development of communications across Africa. Rivada’s Outernet is what data communications has been waiting for – a game-changing constellation which re-defines connectivity in terms of security, latency, capacity, efficiency, and coverage. As a completely new type of LEO constellation, the Outernet can provide Africa with a next-generation digital infrastructure for secure, resilient communications and network expansion.”

• Rivada Space Networks has partnered with Pulsar International to expand secure satellite connectivity to maritime, agricultural, enterprise, and government sectors.
• Pulsar will integrate Rivada’s Outernet, a global LEO satellite network, to deliver high-speed, low-latency, and ultra-secure communication infrastructure in underserved and remote regions.
• Rivada reports more than $16 billion in global business for its Outernet system, which features laser-linked satellites that bypass terrestrial networks for end-to-end data security and global coverage.

PRESS RELEASE – Rivada Space Networks, a global network company launching a secure, low latency low earth orbit satellite network, has announced a new partnership with Pulsar International (Pulsar), to enable secure connectivity for customers in commercial maritime, Agri-tech, enterprise and government markets. Rivada has now lined up over $US16 billion of business globally for its unique LEO network.

Pulsar’s innovative land mobile and maritime solutions will leverage Rivada’s Outernet to provide resiliency for a range of data connectivity solutions and a new level of cybersecurity for customers that require secure infrastructure in places with limited or no connectivity. The Outernet’s fast, seamless and secure connectivity will ramp up network performance and enable true digital transformation and new business opportunities through multi-gigabit bi-directional performance, combined with worldwide reach.

As the first unified global communications network, the Rivada Outernet is transformative. A next-generation low-Earth orbit satellite constellation designed to provide gigabit-speed connectivity to any point on the globe, without needing to touch the public internet or any third-party infrastructure. Combining inter-satellite laser links with advanced onboard processing and unique routing and switching capabilities, this optical mesh network, in which data stays in space from origin to destination, creates an ultra-secure network with pole-to-pole coverage, offering end-to-end latencies much lower than terrestrial fiber over similar long distances.

For Enterprise and Government customers, the key attributes of the Outernet are ideal for a variety of applications, for example, to give banks and global companies secured networks with distributed offices, provide significantly more bandwidth for oil & gas exploration than is available today, enable seamless connectivity for shipping & fleet management, or provide 5G satellite backhaul connectivity network expansion for cellular operators. And with the continued expansion of the data-center market to be AI-ready, data resiliency and security are paramount for future-ready infrastructure and integrated systems that adhere to the highest standards of safety and privacy.

Robert Sakker, President and CEO of Pulsar said: “By bringing Rivada’s innovative satellite internet capabilities to the Pulsar Network, we’re empowering businesses, agencies, and organizations with unprecedented connectivity options regardless of their location. This integration represents our commitment to delivering cutting-edge communication solutions that enable our partners to reach previously underserved markets with reliable, high-speed internet service.” 

Declan Ganley, CEO of Rivada Space Networks, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Pulsar to provide a secure backbone to develop communications infrastructure in remote locations. Rivada’s Outernet is what data communications has been waiting for – a game-changing constellation which re-defines connectivity in terms of security, latency, capacity, efficiency, and coverage. As a completely new type of LEO constellation, the Outernet can provide any region in the world with a next-generation digital infrastructure for secure, resilient communications and network expansion.”

• Aalyria has been awarded a development contract with the European Space Agency (ESA), supported by the UK Space Agency (UKSA), to help unlock new 5G/6G Terrestrial (TN) and Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) capabilities.
• The project aims to develop a first-of-its-kind O-RAN compliant orchestration system that can stitch together disparate connectivity assets.
• Aalyria UK will serve as a hub for innovation, collaboration, and the development of world-class technologies, as the company works to establish Europe as the center of its 5G TN/NTN business.

PRESS RELEASE — Livermore, California & London / December 5, 2023 — Aalyria, a leader in advanced software-defined and optical networking communications, has been awarded a development contract with the European Space Agency (ESA), supported by the UK Space Agency (UKSA), to help unlock new 5G/6G Terrestrial (TN) and Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) capabilities. The project aims to develop a first-of-its-kind O-RAN compliant orchestration system that can stitch together disparate connectivity assets to form highly heterogeneous networks that span land, sea, air, and space to deliver new NTN connectivity features based on emerging 5G-Advanced and 6G standards. Representing the significance of the collaboration and a commitment to 5G TN/NTN services, Aalyria has also established a European entity of its business with headquarters in London.

Aalyria’s work with ESA is focused on enabling interoperability within and among existing and future TN/NTNs, such as those leveraging satellites, HAPS, and space-based assets. Stitching together these assets has proven difficult in the past because, as opposed to fixed, terrestrial ones, non-terrestrial assets are in constant motion relative to the Earth, one another, and potential users – and have traditionally relied on bespoke orchestration systems that are not built for interoperability.

Aalyria is solving this problem with its Spacetime platform – an advanced network orchestration capability that can create, manage, and remedy mesh communications networks that span any domain — land, sea, air, and space — across any number of communications-equipped assets, utilizing any radio frequency band or optical wavelength. Spacetime considers all factors that could impact the ability of any asset to close a connection and automatically reroutes connections in real-time to maintain optimal connectivity across the entire network. Spacetime is a production-validated platform, having orchestrated complex HAPS networks on Google’s Project Loon in Kenya and Peru. In recent months, Aalyria has struck partnerships with Telesat, Intelsat and Rivada Space Networks to utilize the Spacetime platform.

Working with ESA, Aalyria will adapt Spacetime to develop a novel TN/NTN-capable Service Management & Orchestration platform and make it available to partners at ESA’s ECSAT 5G/6G Hub in Harwell, United Kingdom. Aalyria and ESA will work to identify, implement, and test significant enhancements to the O-RAN Alliance’s standardized Radio Access Network management interfaces (O1, A1, E2) to support future use cases, such as at-sea connectivity; roaming between satellite and terrestrial assets; in-flight connectivity; connected vehicles; network management and optimization; and more.

In addition to the announcement, Aalyria has also established Aalyria UK – Aalyria’s global 5G TN/NTN headquarters in London. With a growing team of full-time staff now located in the United Kingdom, this new entity represents a significant expansion of Aalyria’s global presence and signifies the company’s commitment to strengthening ties within the United Kingdom’s thriving space industry.

Aalyria UK will serve as a hub for innovation, collaboration, and the development of world-class technologies, as the company works to establish Europe as the center of its 5G TN/NTN business. Furthermore, Aalyria UK will catalyze competition and sustainability, not only in the UK, but throughout the European continent.

Regarding these developments, Aalyria CEO Chris Taylor stated:

“This achievement marks a significant milestone in Aalyria’s journey towards reshaping the future of space communications to create a new universal connectivity fabric. Our collaboration with the European Space Agency is a testament to our dedication to pushing the boundaries of what is possible with 5G NTN connectivity. We are also excited to introduce Aalyria UK, which will serve as a strategic hub for our operations in the United Kingdom, fostering new partnerships and driving innovation in the region.”

Antonio Franchi, Head of Space for 5G and 6G Strategic Programme at ESA, said:

“Collaborations with industrial partners, like this one with Aalyria, play a pivotal role in ESA’s efforts to advance the digital transformation of industry and society, thanks to the integration of 5G/6G Terrestrial and Non-Terrestrial Networks. Establishing seamless ubiquitous and resilient connectivity is vital in the context of emerging technologies. The platform envisioned under this development contract could be a game-changing asset for telecommunications systems, with substantial benefits for stakeholders.”

Contact Information:

Scott Coriell
Aalyria
press@aalyria.com

SOURCE: Business Wire

Featured image: Credit: Aalyria

For more market insights, check out our latest space industry news here.

• Aalyria Technologies and HICO Investment Group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to deploy up to 200 of Aalyria’s high-speed, free space optics communications platforms across the maritime industry throughout the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean.
• The project will enable a large mesh network that will extend high-speed, ground-based connectivity far into the open ocean without relying on satellites.
• Aalyria’s Spacetime, an advanced software platform, is designed for orchestrating and managing complex mesh networks across all connectivity-equipped assets including satellites, ground stations, aircraft, and ships.

PRESS RELEASE — Livermore, California / October 24, 2023 — Aalyria Technologies and HICO Investment Group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (‘MOU’) that outlines the objectives and framework of a collaboration to deploy up to 200 of Aalyria’s high-speed, free space optics communications platforms across the maritime industry throughout the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Aalyria’s Tightbeam technology uses coherent light laser terminals to transmit data through the atmosphere at incredibly high speeds starting at 100 Gbps. Tightbeam is capable of operating with high fidelity in atmospheric conditions that have historically hampered predecessor optical technologies.

Aalyria aims to outfit thousands of marine vessels with Tightbeam terminals, enabling a large mesh network that will extend high-speed, ground-based connectivity far into the open ocean without relying on satellites. Tightbeam terminals operating onshore, in harbors, or on offshore stations will connect to nearby vessels and aircraft which can then connect to other vessels and aircraft operating farther from land. Through the extension of this connectivity across and among a variety of vessels and aircraft, a first-of-its-kind Global Surface Marine Internet will be created. Fiber-like speeds can be achieved through the atmosphere and data will be transported across oceans and to locations as never possible before.

The dynamic network needed to ensure connectivity is maintained across Tightbeam-equipped vessels is made possible by Aalyria’s Spacetime technology. Spacetime is an advanced software platform designed for orchestrating and managing complex mesh networks across all connectivity-equipped assets including satellites, ground stations, aircraft, and ships. Spacetime considers all factors that could impact the ability of Tightbeam terminals to close a connection and automatically reroutes connections in real-time to maintain optimal connectivity among all vessels in the fleet.

Aalyria has recently struck a number of deals with a range of public and private sector partners including the Defense Innovation Unit, Intelsat, Rivada Space Networks, Anduril, Leidos, the U.S. Navy, and others.

In a statement, Chris Hartnoll, CEO and Managing Director of HICO Ventures, said:

“The shipping industry has played a critical role in creating the global economy of today and will now play a critical role in the future of telecommunications. Aalyria’s high speed laser communication will allow us to create a new optical network above the sea that delivers highly efficient and high capacity communication between vessels, offshore infrastructure, and remote areas. We are excited to work with Aalyria on building the communication networks and services of the future.”

Aalyria’s CEO, Chris Taylor, said:

“Tightbeam’s coherent light free space optical capability is 100x faster, transmits 10x farther, and is more useful to more business and mission cases than all other FSO products today. Terabit laser connectivity changes the economics of the space, aviation, maritime, and terrestrial markets. HICO sees this future and shares a common vision. Our customers create new networks at revolutionary price points that leverage the most advanced AI in Spacetime with real time adaptive optics in Tightbeam to bring secure, high-speed reliable networking to the world.”

Contact Information:

For Aalyria media requests: press@aalyria.com

For HICO media requests: media@hico.one

SOURCE: Business Wire

Featured image: Credit: Aalyria

For more market insights, check out our latest space industry news here.

• Despite supply challenges and lingering inflation concerns, the smallsat market keeps growing in all metrics due to increasing government investments and new commercial entrants.
• The growth is driven by defense agencies in the wake of the SDA and robust Asian demand for smallsat hardware and data services.
• Around 26,104 smallsats  will be launched between 2023-2032, representing a daily launch mass of 1.5 tons over the 10-year period.

PRESS RELEASE — Paris, Washington D.C., Montreal, Yokohama, Sydney / July 25, 2023 — Around 26,104 smallsats (satellites <500 kg) will be launched between 2023-2032, representing a daily launch mass of 1.5 tons over the 10-year period, according to Euroconsult, the leading global strategy consulting and market intelligence firm specializing in the space sector and satellite-enabled verticals.

Two constellations alone – Starlink (SpaceX) and GuoWang (China SatNet) – will collectively account for nearly two-thirds of smallsats to be launched throughout the next decade and over four-fifths of smallsat launch mass. This significant prominence is largely a consequence of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) partial approval of Starlink Gen 2 filings, alongside SpaceX’s launch of 1G satellites on 2G orbital planes and the substantial expansion of GuoWang activities in China. However, the two mega-constellations will only represent less than a quarter of market value due to the considerable cost efficiencies of mega-constellations, leaving significant opportunities for other market participants.

Euroconsult’s latest ‘Prospects for the Small Satellite Market’ market intelligence report, now in its 9th edition, anticipates that the smallsat industry will accumulate around $110.5 billion in market value over the next decade, driven by the replenishment cycles of constellations around the world but also by more complex and costly single satellite missions for government users. Yet the high-volume market keeps presenting several challenges, including limited market addressability for suppliers, difficult profitability, oversupply, and dominance of commercial activities by a handful of established players.

“New constellations are expected to face scope reductions and consolidation, as inflation will keep impacting their materialization probability, alongside supply chain issues and growing costs or limited availability of semiconductors and raw materials,” said the report’s lead author Alexandre Najjar. “Nonetheless, smallsats still represent a significant capability-building opportunity for new entrants in the space sector, with the conflict in Ukraine spotlighting the merits and value of commercial satcom and Earth observation smallsat constellations.”

Regional demand retention rates and vertical integration are expected to only increase in the future, according to Euroconsult, as more emerging countries and operators seek to procure their own smallsat systems and develop their manufacturing or launch capabilities.

However, this will impose constraints on the addressable markets for many commercial smallsat players, with emerging launch operators also actively exploring opportunities to diversify into subsystems and satellite manufacturing, enticed by the higher profit margins offered compared to the launch industry. Some launch providers are even venturing into satellite operations and downstream services to further expand their business horizons. Several players are thus considering >500 kg constellations, including Starlink 2G, Project Kuiper, Telesat Lightspeed, Rivada, Intelsat MEO, and O3b mPower.

Though, as some constellation operators transition to larger satellites in a quest for more performance and lower capacity costs, this may create the impression of a shrinking smallsat market towards the end of the decade. SpaceX’s shift alone, powered by Starship’s entrance to the launch market, can lead to a perceived deficit in the industry. However, Euroconsult indicates that the industry’s growth is forecasted to continue at a steady rate when removing Starlink and GuoWang from the equation.

Long-term government agency contracts will continue to serve as a pivotal driver for this growth by offering reassurance and resilience to investors, including ESA’s commercial additions to its Copernicus program, Starlink’s government support, and the National Reconnaissance Office’s 10-year contract with Maxar, BlackSky, and Planet Labs.

Euroconsult will provide an even more in-depth overview of the next decade’s outlook for the smallsat market at the Small Satellite Conference in Utah on August 8th in a one-time-only presentation. Their ‘Prospects for the Small Satellite Market’ report, now available with a free extract, includes a comprehensive analysis of market drivers and inhibitors across five mass categories, six regions, seven satellite applications, five manufacturer typologies, and four types of operators. The intelligence report also carries a unique and exhaustive database of over 325 projects featuring tens of thousands of satellites, as well as Euroconsult’s brand new “Data Behind the Graphs” feature, which enables access to data from all the graphs in the report and a complete understanding of smallsat market trends.

For more market insights, check out our latest space industry news here.

Contact Information:

Montreal

Emeline Bardoux

ebardoux@euroconsult-na.com

SOURCE: Euroconsult

Featured image: Prospects for the small satellite market over the next decade. Credit: Euroconsult

• Rivada Space Networks has joined MEF, a global telecommunications industry association of network, cloud, security and technology providers working together to accelerate enterprise digital transformation.
• Rivada is launching a global low-latency point-to-point connectivity network of LEO satellites: the “OuterNET.”
• Oorbital networking creates an ultra-secure satellite network with pole-to-pole reach, offering end-to-end latencies similar to or better than terrestrial fiber.

PRESS RELEASE — July 20, 2023 — Rivada Space Networks has joined MEF, a global telecommunications industry association of network, cloud, security and technology providers working together to accelerate enterprise digital transformation. The organization and its members drive networking standards and certifications that ensure service quality and empower enterprises to leverage digital transformation and grow their business.

The communications landscape is evolving rapidly with the increasing convergence of terrestrial and satellite networks and the expectation of interoperability, whether connecting on land, sea or air. Next-generation low earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems are critical for the future expansion of enterprise connectivity, and Rivada will enable enterprises to dynamically scale their networks and tap into the $80 billion Carrier Ethernet market.

Rivada is launching a global low-latency point-to-point connectivity network of LEO satellites: the “OuterNET.” This unique next-generation architecture combines inter-satellite laser links with advanced onboard data routers to create an optical mesh network in space. This approach to “orbital networking,” where data stays in space from origin to destination, creates an ultra-secure satellite network with pole-to-pole reach, offering end-to-end latencies similar to or better than terrestrial fiber.

“Membership in MEF offers an opportunity to engage in business-driven collaboration with leading global organizations. Together, we enable dynamic, trusted, and certified services that empower enterprises to embrace their own digital transformation and grow their business. We welcome Rivada Space Network as the newest addition to our growing, vibrant community of MEF members who are working to progress our MEF 3.0 Global Services Framework,” said Nan Chen, President, MEF.

Dr. Konrad Nieradka, Rivada Space Networks VP Products & Services, said:

“The MEF standards and certification process are already a well-recognized ‘stamp of quality’ in the telecoms industry. With the continued convergence of terrestrial and satellite networking, we are delighted to join this prestigious organization to ensure this standard is applied to our next-generation satellite architecture and seamlessly integrated into our customers networking operations.”

Declan Ganley, Rivada Space Networks CEO, said:

“We are moving full speed ahead to deploy the first true OuterNET, with its unique data-connectivity capabilities. By empowering our customers and partners to offer ubiquitous, ultra-secure, low latency communications that are standards-compliant with existing terrestrial infrastructure, we are accelerating enterprise connectivity on a truly global basis.”

If you found this article to be informative, you can explore more current space industry news, exclusives, interviews, and podcasts.

Contact Information:

Melanie Dickie, SVP Marketing & Communications
Rivada Space Networks GmbH
Tel: +31 6 14 22 97 62
Email: mdickie@rivadaspace.com

Brian Carney, SVP Corporate Communications
Rivada Networks, Inc
Tel: +1 (207) 256-0386
Email: bcarney@rivada.com

SOURCE: Rivada Networks

Featured image: Rivada Space Networks: unique data connectivity satellite network in low Earth orbit LEO35. Credit: Rivada

• U.N. regulator finds Rivada meets criteria to launch satellite constellations beginning 2026.
• The ITU (International Telecommunications Union) waived a requirement for Rivada to put the first 10% of its planned satellite constellation into orbit by September 2023.
• The US $2.4 billion contract calls for Terran Orbital to design and build 300 satellites, each weighing approximately 500 kilograms, with Rivada holding an option for a second tranche of 300 satellites.

PRESS RELEASE — Boca Raton, Florida / July 6, 2023 — On Thursday, Terran Orbital Corporation (NYSE: LLAP) congratulated its customer Rivada Space Networks for receiving a waiver from regulators at the International Telecommunications Union.

Per a July 5, 2023 Rivada press release, the regulator’s waiver process sought evidence of Rivada’s financing for the project and information regarding satellite manufacturing and launch contracts with its key vendors, including Terran Orbital. The ITU waived a requirement for Rivada to put the first 10% of its planned satellite constellation into orbit by September 2023.

The waiver is also a significant milestone for Terran Orbital, allowing it to continue the development and manufacture of its first tranche of satellites for Rivada, under a contract the two companies signed in February 2023. The $2.4 billion contract calls for Terran Orbital to design and build 300 satellites, each weighing approximately 500 kilograms, with Rivada holding an option for a second tranche of 300 satellites.

Rivada’s two planned LEO constellations will comprise a communications network it calls the OuterNET. The program aims to produce a global network of laser-connected non-geostationary orbit satellites to provide secure, global, end-to-end enterprise-grade data connectivity with low latency for a host of customers in the telecom, enterprise, maritime, energy and government services sectors.

Terran Orbital Chairman and CEO Marc Bell said:

“Terran Orbital congratulates Rivada on meeting the ITU’s stringent waiver review requirements. Terran Orbital is working with Rivada to forge a new market for low-Earth orbit satellites that provide fast, dependable telecommunications services for various enterprise and government customers across markets and countries.”

For more market insights, check out our latest space industry news here.

Contact Information:

Media Contact

Dan Axelrod
pr@terranorbital.com
949-656-0037

Investor Relations Contact

Jonathan Siegmann
ir@terranorbital.com
949-202-8476

SOURCE: Terran Orbital

Featured image: Credit: Terran Orbital