LEO satellite player Rivada Space Networks revealed on Tuesday it has signed an MoU with satellite solutions and services provider Q-KON to add Rivada to its Twoobii LEO Smart Satellite Services portfolio.
Under the MoU terms, Q-KON will leverage Rivada’s ‘Outernet’ LEO satellite network to provide resiliency for specialized data networks across Africa. Q-KON said the Outernet network will help it ramp up network performance and enable new business opportunities via multi-gigabit bi-directional performance and worldwide reach.
Q-KON also said Rivada’s network will add a new level of cybersecurity to enterprises that require secure infrastructure, such as banking and financial services.
One of Rivada’s selling points has been the fact that its planned network of 600 satellites carry their own onboard processing for routing and switching capabilities, and will be interconnected with optical lasers in a mesh architecture.
Rivada has said this makes satellite data transmissions more secure, partly because the data stays in space until it arrives at the destination, and partly because routing traffic on a physically separated network provides another layer of security for organizations that want to securely share data between widely distributed sites.
The deal comes six months after Q-KON signed a new multi-year agreement with Eutelsat OneWeb to expand LEO satellite services across Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in the southern region. Q-KON first incorporated Eutelsat OneWeb’s LEO satellite connectivity into its Twoobii Smart Satellite Services in 2023.
“We view the Outernet as an evolution on the LEO architecture roadmap that will follow-on and advance the industry from the classic broadband LEO services currently being deployed in Africa, to unlock bespoke applications and high security service-specific user applications,” said Q-KON group CEO Dr Dawie de Wet.
Rivada said last month it has signed more than US$16 billion worth of agreements with nations, governments, and corporations, despite not having launched any satellites.
Rivada plans to launch its first test satellites next year. After tests are completed, the company aims to start launching the actual satellites in 2027, with commercial services starting in late 2027, according to Space News.
