Aspiring LEO satellite operator Rivada Space Networks announced that it has signed on new partners in five markets across Asia-Pacific, including the Philippines and Brunei, for its "Outernet" satellite broadband network.
At AsiaTechX in Singapore, Rivada said it has signed a deal with Connecto Network Systems to improve connectivity for enterprise and government customers across the Philippines. Connecto is focused on transforming communities into smart cities to boost operational efficiency, facilitate public access to information and elevate the quality of government services.
Connecto is Rivada’s second customer win in the Philippines, following its deal with upstart telco NOW Telecom in November 2023.
Meanwhile, Rivada also revealed it has signed on NiAT, which provides connectivity services for the Oil & Gas sector in Brunei. NiAT said it intends to use Rivada’s network to meet growing demand for enterprise-grade, secure broadband connecticity combined with high availability and guaranteed SLAs.
Rivada also said it has signed deals with South Korea’s KT Sat, Japan’s AT Communications and Taiwan’s Teleport Access Services (TAS).
With all of the above deals, Rivada has now lined up over US$9 billion of business globally for its “Outernet” network, said CEO Declan Ganley.
“We are seeing a huge uptake in our business in Asia, underlining the growing appetite for our unique space-based network,” Ganley said. “The Outernet’s ability to meet the requirements of Asia’s connectivity providers in terms of security, latency, capacity, and coverage is a game-changer for the region.
The OuterNet is planned as a constellation of 600 LEO satellites that use optical lasers to interconnect with each other and carry onboard processing for routing and switching. Rivada says the equivalent of an optical mesh router architecture in space that’s physically separated from terrestrial networks is what makes its LEO network a more secure option for enterprise and government users.
Rivada’s first satellite launch is set for 2025. The company plans to achieve global coverage by 2026, and complete the entire constellation by mid-2028. It has signed a US$2.4 billion deal with Terran Orbital to build the LEOsats, and contracted SpaceX for launch services.