Photo: GapSat

GapSat is acquiring QBX Limited, an Isle of Man based satellite solutions and consulting services company, GapSat announced Jan. 16. QBX has a portfolio of satellite radio frequency spectrum and intellectual property. The acquisition includes a patent for new techniques to improve in-flight safety and communications for Geostationary aero-mobility services and a suite of three International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Geostationary (GEO) satellite slot filings.

The ITU filings have orbital locations to provide for full global coverage/service from the resulting Geostationary constellation, using the Ka-, Q/V and E/W bands. GapSat said it is currently seeking potential partners that could be existing satellite fleet operators, aero systems integrators, aero instrumentation manufacturers or financial investors, to develop the assets for data services in the marine and aero mobility sectors.

“Given the rapid expansion of satellite communications in recent years, especially for HTS and UHTS, scarcity of spectrum has become a critical issue and satellite operators have been steadily moving up the spectrum ladder to higher frequencies. We have seen the move from C-band to Ku-band and to Ka-band and more recently, an interest in developing Q and V-bands.  With the acquisition of QBX providing us with high priority orbital slot filings and patents to develop a global Geostationary satellite constellation, GapSat is now ideally placed to meet the growing demands of the communications infrastructure sector,” Gregg Daffner, CEO of GapSat said in a statement.

GapSat is based in the British Virgin Islands and  offers interim satellite solutions for operators short to medium-term needs by provisioning underutilized in orbit assets.