Eutelsat and OneWeb Partner with Iridium to Deliver Resilient Satellite Communications for U.S. Government
In a significant development for the U.S. government’s satellite communication needs, Eutelsat America Corp. and OneWeb Technologies Inc. (EACOWT) have announced a strategic partnership with Iridium Communications Inc. This collaboration will deliver a comprehensive suite of services, combining the best of both worlds in LEO satellite technology.
EACOWT, operating as a wholly owned independent U.S. subsidiary of Eutelsat Group, will now offer a robust GNSS-resilient LEO Ku-Band/L-band solution for U.S. government customers. This new solution will leverage the combined power of Eutelsat OneWeb’s high-speed Ku-band network, comprising over 600 LEO satellites, as the primary service. To further enhance resilience and ensure uninterrupted connectivity, even in challenging conditions, EACOWT will integrate Iridium’s ultra-reliable and weather-resilient Iridium Certus® and Iridium® Satellite Time and Location (STL®) services.
The integration of Iridium Certus and STL services adds a critical layer of resilience, providing a reliable alternative source of positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) information. This is particularly crucial for mission-critical operations and government-managed infrastructure, where GNSS-challenged environments are a constant concern.
“Mission critical operations require continuous connectivity, along with precise and reliable positioning and navigational awareness. Our customers demand uninterrupted communications regardless of their terrain, environment or GPS availability. We are thrilled to add Iridium’s capabilities to deliver the most resilient LEO communications solutions, available even in highly contested environments,” said Kevin Steen, president and CEO of Eutelsat America Corp. and OneWeb Technologies.
“For years, our customers have been demanding greater diversity and resiliency in support of their operations. The combination of our highly resilient and reliable Iridium Certus and STL services, coupled with EACOWT’s robust, high-speed, low-latency solution, is a significant step forward in addressing the needs of the U.S. government market,” said Scott Scheimreif, executive vice president, government programs, Iridium. “This partnership provides each of our companies the platform for continued innovation to deliver integrated service offerings into the future.”
This groundbreaking service offering will be accessible to U.S. government customers through OneWeb Technologies’ and Iridium’s U.S. Space Force Proliferated Low Earth Orbit (P-LEO) contracts.
EACOWT is dedicated to providing reliable and robust satellite communication solutions to the U.S. government and its allies. This partnership with Iridium marks a significant step towards delivering unparalleled connectivity and resilience, ensuring mission success even in the most challenging environments.
