- Eutelsat operates the world’s only active LEO constellation besides Starlink, with 31 GEO and more than 600 LEO satellites
- The company focuses exclusively on government and enterprise customers
- Eutelsat positions itself as complementary rather than competing with terrestrial infrastructure
Satellite news nowadays is mostly centered around Starlink and how competing operators are scrambling to catch up. But there’s only one other company with a fully operational low-earth orbit (LEO) constellation.
Eutelsat entered the LEO market in 2023 when it merged with satellite operator OneWeb, but the company has been around for nearly 50 years providing geostationary (GEO) satellite and broadcast TV services.
The biggest misconception newer entrants have about the satellite space, according to Eutelsat Connectivity President Eva Bisgaard, is that it’s easy or cheap to put up a LEO satellite. “Because it’s not,” she told Fierce at SatShow this week.
Designing a LEO constellation with all the moving parts is “super difficult,” with Bisgaard noting Eutelsat spent considerable time and money to ensure its network is fully global. “You need the market access. You need to be able to build your terrestrial [infrastructure] that goes along with your space segment.”
Targeting government and enterprise connectivity needs
Eutelsat’s satellite fleet consists of 31 GEOs and roughly 650 LEOs in orbit. Its core businesses are fixed broadband, mobile connectivity for the aviation and maritime industries and government services.
Unlike Starlink, which is primarily geared towards consumers, Eutelsat strictly focuses on B2B and business-to-government customers. “There is very often also the combination of the two, which we definitely see coming way more at play,” Bisgaard said.
But there are situations where customers, particularly those on the government side, would prefer Eutelsat as an alternative to Starlink. Bisgaard said the company’s network has “heightened security that is built in,” which is becoming increasingly relevant amid geopolitical tension and the push for sovereign space systems.
Regarding the interest in sovereignty, “it’s a question of making sure that the satellite capacity available over [a country’s] geography is basically available for them in case of a situation where they might need it,” she said, as well as ensuring a country’s military forces have secure access to that satellite network while they’re in other parts of the world.
Many governments seek to bolster resiliency through “dual partnerships,” Bisgaard added. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) for example uses both Starlink and Eutelsat services to avoid over-reliance on a single provider.
Sovereign satellite service doesn’t just have military applications, she said. Countries might want a backup for their energy grid, hospitals or other scenarios where first responders are needed for emergency services.
Eutelsat’s telco partnerships
All told, Eutelsat doesn’t see itself as a competitor or replacement for terrestrial infrastructure but as an extension of the network.
“We get integrated into solutions so we’re very much open to working with the telcos,” said Bisgaard.
For instance, Eutelsat has a long-standing partnership with Orange, as the operator uses OneWeb to expand LEO coverage in Africa and the Middle East as well as for Orange’s SafetyCase emergency comms devices.
Bisgaard also mentioned Eutelsat is working with Tusass, the incumbent telco in Greenland – another hotbed of geopolitical activity. Tusass is leveraging OneWeb to address a variety of connectivity needs, from community broadband to mission-critical and maritime services, with Bisgaard noting LEO service is especially relevant in an ice-covered territory like Greenland.
“It’s very political at the moment, so there is a wide range of need there,” she said. “Also to cover the fisheries, because that is the main industry we’re seeing right now.”