Eutelsat and Skynopy Partner on Global Software-Defined Ground Station Network
Eutelsat and Skynopy announced a partnership at the International Space Summit in Pairs this week to develop Global AKAR, a software-defined ground station network intended to provide high-capacity data services for LEO satellites without operators having to build dedicated ground infrastructure.
The project will combine selected sites from Eutelsat's global ground network with Skynopy's cloud-based orchestration software and virtualised modem technology. Skynopy's platform allows different satellites to access compatible antennas through a common interface, with the partnership effectively opening parts of Eutelsat's existing ground infrastructure to additional operators and missions.
Global AKAR is targeting more than 100 operational antennas by the end of 2029, supporting S-, X- and Ka-band services. The partners are aiming for data throughput of up to 10 Gbps and latency of less than three minutes between satellite collection and ground access, compared with what they describe as typical current delays of around an hour. Initial technical feasibility has already been demonstrated through a three-antenna Earth observation proof of concept partly supported by the French government.
Earth observation is an initial target market, but the infrastructure is also being designed for in-orbit servicing, orbital data centres and telecommunications missions. The latter applications could become increasingly important as more processing and data storage move into orbit, creating demand for high-capacity links between space infrastructure and terrestrial cloud and data networks.
The partnership reflects the growing importance of Ground Station-as-a-Service and software-defined ground infrastructure as LEO activity expands. Rather than each constellation developing its own geographically distributed antenna network, Global AKAR aims to pool existing physical infrastructure behind a software layer that can dynamically serve multiple operators and missions. For Eutelsat, it also creates a new commercial use for its extensive ground estate, while Skynopy gains the global infrastructure needed to scale its existing 17-site network.