Today, EchoStar Corporation (Nasdaq: SATS) announced an agreement with Astro Digital, a designer, manufacturer and operator of small satellite systems, for the construction of a global S-band mobile satellite service (MSS) network.
Under the agreement, Astro Digital will manufacture the satellites for the constellation, which will deliver global Internet of Things (IoT), machine-to-machine (M2M) and other data services beginning in 2024. EchoStar will operate the constellation from its Australian subsidiary, EchoStar Global.
“This agreement represents another step forward towards our goal of a global non-terrestrial 5G network,” said Hamid Akhavan, CEO, EchoStar. “With our engineering ingenuity, our service delivery expertise and our spectrum rights, EchoStar is uniquely positioned to offer worldwide S-band satellite services to help meet the insatiable demand for complete and constant connectivity.”
The 28 satellites in this constellation design will feature an advanced software-defined radio with onboard storage and processing to power smart two-way device connectivity. The satellites will be enabled with the LoRa® (meaning “Long Range”) protocol for connecting very low-cost, long-lived devices. With support for 5G non-terrestrial network (NTN) services, the constellation will serve as a foundation for EchoStar to engineer 5G New Radio (NR) based NTN capabilities according to 3GPP release 17 specifications.
“These new capabilities will fill a gap in the connected ecosystem, greatly expanding worldwide IoT interoperability,” said Josh Williams, managing director, EchoStar Global Australia. “Our team, together with Astro Digital, has already begun integration of our Australian-based operations to bring to market a truly global solution with consistent and reliable network performance.”
Through its subsidiary EchoStar Mobile Limited, EchoStar also operates an MSS network in Europe using the geostationary EchoStar XXI satellite, which will interoperate seamlessly with the new LEO constellation.
About Astro Digital
From concept to constellation, Astro Digital provides customers with complete space-based systems and mission support services for applications such as earth observation, satellite communications, science, and technology demonstrations. Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, the company manufactures satellites in its California factory and will provide a follow-the-sun satellite operations model from both the U.S. and Australia. For the latest updates and information, visit www.astrodigital.com and follow Astro Digital on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
About EchoStar
EchoStar Corporation (Nasdaq: SATS) is a premier technology and networking services provider offering consumer, enterprise, operator and government solutions worldwide under its Hughes®, HughesNet® and EchoStar® brands. In Europe, EchoStar operates under its EchoStar Mobile Limited subsidiary and in Australia, the company operates as EchoStar Global Australia. For more information, visit www.echostar.com and follow EchoStar on Twitter and LinkedIn.
