Page 93 - SAMENA Trends - March-April 2022

SATELLITE UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Hispasat Gets In Higher Orbit With Agreement to Acquire AXESS Networks

Just weeks after Spanish satellite-based in a sector that is experiencing a major that responds to the increasingly essential
communications operator Hispasat technological boom. The acquisition collaboration among industry players with
entered a joint venture to offer a high- implies a capital value of $96m for AXESS the aim of meeting society’s demands for
capacity portable broadband system in Networks and is designed not to affect connectivity,” said Miguel Ángel Panduro,
North America and took the full share the company’s activities. After closing CEO at Hispasat. “In recent years, several
capital of Hispamar Satélites in Brazil, the deal, it will maintain its operations, operations of this type have occurred in
it has accelerated its growth with an management, work teams and relations the sector and our partnership with AXESS
agreement to acquire teleport operator with customers and suppliers, while the Networks will provide us with optimum
and satellite services provider AXESS agreement aims to allow Hispasat to strategic positioning in two areas that
Networks. Founded in 2019 from two well- optimize its offering in areas such as the have huge potential for growth in satellite
established companies in Europe and Latin extension of cellular networks via satellite, communications – Latin America and the
America, AXESS Networks provides turnkey connectivity networks for corporate clients B2B solutions market.” Mauricio Segovia,
solutions, operating teleports in Germany, and the digitization of remote areas in CEO at AXESS Networks, added: “The
Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Saudi Arabia and countries with large technological gaps. merger of AXESS Networks with Hispasat
the United Arab Emirates. It currently has It will also enhance the development of represents a major leap for the company,
a team of more than 200, operating about technology for emerging markets, such since it demonstrates great support from
8,000 sites in more than 50 countries on as the internet of things or satellite 5G one of the industry’s most relevant players
four continents. It has a broad customer networks. The advantages of the merger and it allows us to integrate and strengthen
base in industrial and corporate sectors will be especially notable in Latin America, the joint value proposition towards our
related to telecommunications, oil and a region where both companies maintain markets. With this operation, we begin to
energy, and mining, among others, with a significant portion of their business. form part of a leader that creates trends
critical operations in remote areas where “We are very pleased with the agreement in the market and whose projects have a
service resilience and quality are extremely reached with AXESS Networks, an action clear social background.”
important. For Hispasat, the acquisition
of AXESS Networks is part of the actions
defined in its 2020-25 Strategic Plan,
which aims to transform the company into
a satellite solutions and services provider
in its target markets. This sees greater
involvement of Hispasat in the managed
services value chain in order to increase
its proximity to customers and be able to
adapt and quickly develop its products

Starlink Hits 250,000 Subs Milestone

Starlink – the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite broadband provider SpaceX, said that while Starlink is best known for its consumer
backed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX venture – has revealed that it is broadband service, it is also working to provide connectivity for
now serving around 250,000 subscriptions ‘across consumer, other sectors, including the aviation industry. SpaceNews quotes
enterprise and many businesses. Speaking during a panel the executive as saying: ‘Connectivity on airplanes is something
discussion at the Satellite 2022 conference in Washington, DC we think is ripe for an overhaul. The expectation has changed
this week, Jonathan Hofeller, VP of Starlink commercial sales at faster than the technology has changed … We’re designing a
service where every single passenger on that plane can stream
simultaneously.’ The SpaceX seeks to become the world’s first
high speed, low-latency satellite ISP, coordinating the largest fleet
of operating satellites to deliver a consistent broadband service to
the most disconnected areas. In March 2018 SpaceX was granted
authority by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to
deploy and operate a non-geostationary orbit satellite system
comprising 4,425 satellites operating in the Ku- and Ka-bands for
the provision of a fixed-satellite service constellation.

93 MARCH-APRIL 2022