Intelsat’s U.S. administrative headquarters: Photo: Intelsat

Intelsat is investing in a multi-orbit terminal strategy with an investment and strategic agreement with antenna tech company Greenerwave. 

Intelsat announced Sept. 16 that working with Greenerwave, it plans to offer multi-orbit satcom solutions for all relevant business units including commercial aviation, government, and mobility applications by the first half of 2025. Greenerwave is a deep tech startup based in Paris. 

Intelsat and Greenerwave have signed a technology agreement to develop an electronically-steerable antenna (ESA) that will be integrated into high throughput, multi-orbit terminals for network and data applications. The new scalable terminal will be available as part of Intelsat’s managed service offerings. Intelsat said that Greenerwave’s tech innovation enables smaller dimensions for terminals, with interleaved receivers and transmitters on a single antenna panel.

Intelsat is placing strategic bets on innovative ground tech companies including Greenerwave and hiSky to help develop multi-orbit terminals to make its offerings more competitive against Starlink and Kuiper, Intelsat CEO David Wajsgras said in a recent interview with Via Satellite. 

“These terminals put us in a more competitive position than what we have had in the past,” Wajsgras said. “The terminals are multi-orbit capable. SpaceX with Starlink/Starshield are single orbit and that is where they want to stay. We are multi-orbit and I believe this gives us an advantage in terms of the quality of delivery.” 

Intelsat has an agreement with OneWeb for Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) capacity that underpins its multi-orbit strategy with LEO connectivity.

The operator is already moving forward with a number of multi-orbit terminals for specific verticals — a multi-orbit antenna made by Stellar Blu for aviation, and another terminal made by hiSky that agriculture manufacturer CNH plans to install on tractors and combines.