Eutelsat and the French satellite connectivity startup Skynopy have joined forces to explore providing Earth observation operators with access to spare capacity on OneWeb's ground stations. This initiative will involve repurposing some of the 600 Ka-band antennas located across OneWeb's 42 sites globally, as announced on September 11th. This represents a considerable expansion from Skynopy's current network of 30 S- and X-band antennas across 15 sites.
“It is spare capacity of this network, but this spare capacity is enormous,” Skynopy co-founder and CEO Pierre Bertrand explained via email, “because sometimes per site you have spare antenna that are never really used, or you have active antenna used 40% of the time.” Currently, Earth observation networks utilize fewer than 30 active X-band ground sites worldwide, resulting in latencies of at least 30 minutes. In contrast, LEO Earth observation satellites will consistently be within range of at least one Skynopy ground station, enabling near real-time connectivity. Ka-band downlinks offer speeds up to five times faster than existing X-band networks, reaching 10 gigabits per second per pass.
“Skynopy, by using the spare capacity of Oneweb sites — antenna time, site space and high-speed backhaul, is commercialising a unique service, maximizing both metrics that Earth Observation satellite operators care for: data freshness and data rate,” Bertrand stated. Skynopy intends to use its software to adapt some OneWeb antennas for Earth observation applications, while also deploying additional antennas in the S, X, and Ka-bands at OneWeb sites. This hybrid approach, mirroring Skynopy's collaborations with Kinéis and other partners, will support operators currently using X-band while facilitating a transition to higher-bandwidth Ka-band services.
The startup highlighted that this transition is driven by advancements in onboard payload technologies generating massive data volumes from hyperspectral and radar imagery to video. Simultaneously, critical applications such as defense and disaster response demand immediate data access. An initial phase of testing is scheduled for the coming months, with a one-year beta program for satellite operators interested in Ka-band capabilities. A full rollout is anticipated within five years.
The project, known as Akar, benefits from French government funding and is touted as the first Ka-band ground station network designed for real-time, high-speed Earth observation connectivity. “The partnership with Skynopy allows us to unlock the commercial potential of our OneWeb ground station network and address a new market segment, complementary to [geostationary] satellites and broadband LEO constellations,” Eutelsat CEO Jean-François Falalcher noted in a statement. “By reusing this unique existing asset, Akar has the potential to revolutionize the ground segment — and to do so within just five years.” This collaboration follows Eutelsat's announcement of plans to establish a ground-station-as-a-service business by selling a majority of its ground infrastructure to EQT Partners.