Germany-based LEO satellite operator Rivada Space Networks has announced a partnership with Thai Aerospace Industries (TAI) to provide connectivity services to commercial, military and general aviation sectors inside and outside Thailand.
Under the deal, TAI’s Government and Defense divisions will use Rivada’s “OuterNET” LEOsat constellation to improve connectivity across its airfields with higher bandwidth and improved security for resilient and more reliable communications services.
Rivada has been touting the OuterNET’s security features enabled by its constellation’s mesh architecture that uses optical lasers to interconnect the satellites, each of which has onboard routing and switching capabilities.
TAI, which is also an independent provider of aviation services in Southeast Asia, will use the OuterNET network for better control and management of its aviation servicing centre.
Rivada said the partnership could also potentially bolster TAI’s ambitions to expand into the enterprise sector via its existing relationships with Thai telecoms companies, as it could also use the LEOsat network to offer enterprise-grade connectivity anywhere on Earth.
TAI CEO Chris Atswalongkorn said the OuterNET “effectively serves as a private network in space, capable of routing traffic at gigabit speeds from one satellite to another with no need for a gateway on earth. We see this as the key infrastructure for the development of the telecom sector in Thailand and beyond.”
Rivada currently has no satellites in orbit. Its first satellite launch is set for 2025, with global service starting in 2026. It has signed a US$2.4 billion deal with Terran Orbital to build the LEOsats, and contracted SpaceX for launch services.
Under a waiver issued by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in July this year, Rivada must have 50% of its constellation in orbit by September 2026 or risk forfeiting its Ka-band sepctrum.