Intelsat, a leading satellite operator, has secured its inaugural customer for a groundbreaking communications service tailored for public safety, first responders, and border security. The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona will utilize Intelsat’s innovative Multi-Layer Communication System (MLCS) along the U.S.-Mexico border to bolster operations in previously unconnected areas, the company announced on March 12.
Intelsat CEO David Wajsgras highlighted the company’s strategic foray into the expanding market for mobile connectivity in remote areas. At the Satellite 2025 Conference, Wajsgras emphasized the significance of the Cochise County agreement as a pivotal milestone in the company’s expansion into border security. “We’ve been working on the agreement with Cochise County Sheriff’s Office for quite a while, and we see that as a very good first step into border security more broadly, both in the United States on the southern border and the northern border, and then also around the world,” Wajsgras stated.
The MLCS ingeniously integrates bandwidth from diverse satellite orbits — geostationary (GEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO), and low Earth orbit (LEO) — alongside terrestrial and mobile networks. This creates a unified communications platform for first responders in remote locations. For Cochise County, the system will integrate SpaceX’s Starlink LEO satellite service with 5G cellular networks and a police radio gateway, ensuring voice and broadband connectivity in previously inaccessible border regions. “This integration ensures seamless communication with the Sheriff’s 911 dispatch center, even when officers are up to two miles from their vehicles,” Intelsat’s announcement noted.
Intelsat delivers MLCS as a fully managed service with comprehensive end-to-end support. Ten systems have been installed in Cochise County police vehicles, with an additional four units slated for deployment at the 911 dispatch center in Sierra Vista, Arizona. Beyond core communications, the platform offers advanced safety features, including GPS-based “officer down” alerts and broadband connectivity in areas lacking traditional infrastructure. “In my prior life, I had some experience in border security in different parts of the world, so I know the size of the market, what the opportunity space looks like,” added Wajsgras. “So I think that’s going to be a very big deal for the company.”
While Intelsat has actively marketed the technology to military agencies, a Department of Defense contract remains elusive. A company spokesperson suggested the DoD might potentially utilize MLCS as a supplementary or alternative solution for existing two-way radio systems at military installations. This announcement coincides with significant corporate transformations at Intelsat. In April 2024, SES, a global satellite operator, announced plans to acquire Intelsat for $3.1 billion, with the transaction anticipated to conclude in the latter half of 2025.
SpaceNews staff writer Jason Rainbow contributed to this report.