Yahsat collaborates with Cobham SATCOM to deliver mobile broadband system

UAE satellite operator Yahsat has selected Cobham SATCOM, the provider of satellite communications solutions to the land, aeronautical and maritime industries, to deliver a comprehensive mobile broadband system, including ground infrastructure and products, to operate as part of its next-generation Thuraya 4-NGS system.

Cobham SATCOM’s expertise and capabilities will further enhance Yahsat’s Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) advanced broadband data services, enabling the Thuraya 4-NGS ground network with 4G and 5G capabilities and features. Yahsat seeks to increase its share in the global satellite data services market, which is currently valued at more than $5bn and is projected to reach more than $19bn by 2027.

Cobham SATCOM’s solutions will also increase connection speeds, enabling integrated end-to-end customer solutions, and expand Thuraya’s ecosystem to provide superior and pioneering features in the mobile satellite communications sector. The partnership will enhance Yahsat’s services to several key customer segments in land, maritime and aeronautical, including military, government and enterprise.

This partnership agreement is transformative for the group, its customers and business partners. It will enable the provision of best-in-class solutions, delivery of mobile satellite connectivity at the highest speeds in the market and broaden Yahsat and Thuraya’s product and service offering, creating a platform for further innovation and development of features and applications across a wide range of sectors. Critically, it further strengthens Yahsat’s position as an industry leader and lays a solid foundation to support future growth.

Commenting on the partnership, Ali Al Hashemi, Group Chief Executive Officer at Yahsat, said: “We are excited to announce our partnership with Cobham SATCOM, a well-established and experienced industry player. This partnership is representative of Yahsat’s commitment to build on our strong mobile satellite solutions legacy by expanding our reach and delivering advanced technological solutions to our clients. I am confident that this agreement will further strengthen our position as an innovative market leader and enable us to capture future growth. Today’s announcement reinforces our ability to deliver the industry’s most diverse solutions and products to meet the current and future mobile satellite connectivity needs of our customers. By partnering with Cobham SATCOM we will be able to broaden and enhance our product and service offering, creating a platform for further innovation and development of features and applications to increase our global market share. This agreement is a main building block for Thuraya 4-NGS.

Leif Ottosson, CEO at Cobham SATCOM, added: “Today is monumental for Cobham SATCOM. It marks a new and innovative partnership with Yahsat, reinforces our position as a leading MSS infrastructure and terminal provider and will be critical to evolving satellite communications. We were selected by Yahsat because they believe in our relationship and trust our solutions. We look forward to a fruitful partnership with Yahsat and Thuraya for years to come, initially building the Thuraya 4-NGS ground infrastructure and terminals to deliver the highest connectivity speeds globally.”

The contract with Cobham SATCOM will specifically drive a range of commercial and government focused terminals for land, maritime and aeronautical applications. The award of this contract to Cobham SATCOM reflects its extensive 30-year experience as the global leader in L-band ground infrastructure, and further cements their leadership in L-band.

Yahsat and its subsidiaries continue to make further investments in its Thuraya 4-NGS system to create a diverse and agile platform to drive ongoing innovation across a broad suite of MSS products and applications. Thuraya 4-NGS is planned for launch in the second half of 2023, with operations commencing in 2024.