ICEYE and Nokia to build nationally owned LEO broadband systems for governments

ICEYE, the European provider of sovereign intelligence from space, and Nokia, the connectivity infrastructure company, have announced a partnership to develop secure, sovereign, high-performance broadband low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications systems for governments. The systems are intended to support missions ranging from defense and border security to emergency services and disaster response.

Built on European technology, the jointly developed systems will give nations ownership and control of the satellites, ground segment and terminals. The first communications satellites are expected to launch in 2028.

When terrestrial networks are disrupted or compromised, defense forces, first responders and civil authorities risk losing access to the information and command systems they rely on. The companies say governments therefore need resilient communications infrastructure that stays available under the most demanding conditions, and that they can fully own and control.

The systems will deliver targeted, high-throughput, low-latency connectivity over priority mission areas. They are designed to complement military and commercial networks rather than replace them, adding reach, resilience and capacity to help governments and defense organizations maintain critical connections wherever operations take place.

The partnership combines ICEYE's record of delivering sovereign satellite missions with Nokia's experience in secure networking technologies and its growing defense portfolio. The companies will integrate satellites, ground infrastructure and ruggedized end-user terminals to extend ICEYE's sovereign intelligence from space business model to satellite communications.

Rafal Modrzewski, CEO and Co-founder of ICEYE, said: "Together with Nokia, we are building on our proven space intelligence expertise and delivering sovereign, high-performance satellite communications. Nations must be able to fully own and control their communications, without dependency on a foreign commercial operator's terms of service. We delivered Poland its own radar satellite system in under a year. Partnering with Nokia lets us move at a similar speed for satellite communications, on the timelines nations need."

Justin Hotard, President and CEO of Nokia, said: "Sovereign operations depend on the ability to sense, decide and act in real time. Physical AI makes that possible, but only with secure, resilient connectivity across land, sea, air and space. By bringing together Nokia's trusted networks with ICEYE's proven sovereign space capabilities, we will deliver a satellite communications capability - complementing existing terrestrial networks, and giving nations the situational awareness, connectivity, and control they need to operate with confidence in contested environments across all domains."

CONTACT: https://www.nokia.com/