FoldSat Leo Terminal (Photo by OneWeb)

Low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite operator OneWeb launched a new “person-portable” lightweight user terminal (UT) for military operations and emergency response teams working in areas beyond the reach of terrestrial networks. The new FoldSat Leo Ku OW Mil terminal is ruggedized and designed to fit in most common backpacks, measuring 452L x 374W x 114H mm in folded portable form, and 855L x 374W x 57H mm unfolded when operational.

Manufactured by Inster (Oesia Group), FoldSat Leo weighs 11.8kg and has a low profile and foldable antenna design. It is designed in compliance with MIL-STD 810H and MIL-STD 461G standards. The Wi-Fi access point can provide connectivity up to 100 meters, the operator said. The terminal can operate via a multi-option external power source; mains, battery, solar or vehicle battery, while still delivering high-speed, low latency performance connectivity. It has a throughput of up to 195 Mbps download and 32 Mbps upload speeds, and features external GNSS input for GPS denied environments.

“Maritime, air or land forces operating at the tactical edge require high quality connectivity in all environmental conditions,” Air Vice-Marshal (Ret.) Chris Moore, VP Defense and Security at OneWeb, said in a statement. “In highly dynamic situations, the ability to access information wherever and whenever its needed provides competitive advantage coupled with person-portability – when wheels, tracks and rotor blades are not an option, making this terminal a real game changer. The pizza box sized FoldSat LEo user terminal, is lightweight, quick and efficient to deploy, yet still provides high speed, resilient connectivity, an ideal portable solution for those in the most testing of locations.”