• Global AKAR plans more than 100 operational antennas at selected sites by the end of 2029, following a three-antenna proof of concept
  • Skynopy's software will allow satellite operators to access participating Eutelsat ground stations through a single interface

The fact

Eutelsat and French ground-services company Skynopy have signed a partnership to develop Global AKAR, a software-defined ground network for low Earth orbit satellite services. The companies plan to deploy more than 100 operational antennas at selected sites by the end of 2029, supporting S-, X- and Ka-band services including Earth observation and in-orbit applications.

Skynopy currently operates across 17 ground-station sites and has developed orchestration software and virtualised modem technology that allow satellite operators to access antennas through a single interface. Under Global AKAR, selected Eutelsat ground stations will serve additional operators while continuing to support Eutelsat's own networks and customers. The programme follows a three-antenna Earth-observation proof of concept that the companies said demonstrated the technical feasibility of the approach.

The assessment

Global AKAR changes how selected Eutelsat ground infrastructure can be used. Instead of satellite operators arranging access separately at each ground station, Skynopy is putting a software layer across participating antennas so operators can reach them through one interface.

That makes integration of existing infrastructure part of the expansion. Eutelsat can open selected sites to additional operators while continuing to use them for its own services, while Skynopy can extend its network without building every ground station itself. The model still has to move from a three-antenna demonstration to an operational network of more than 100 antennas.

For BTW readers, satellite operators could use more downlink locations without having to run every ground station themselves. What will matter now is whether Eutelsat can open those sites to outside traffic without disrupting the services it already supports.

What to watch

Watch for the first selected Eutelsat sites to enter operational Global AKAR service and serve third-party satellite operators. Customer use, antenna deployments and progress towards the end-2029 target will show whether the shared-access model can scale beyond the initial three-antenna demonstration.