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Eutelsat has announced a partnership with a regional satellite operator in Thailand to procure a high throughput geostationary telecoms spacecraft for Asia. The French fleet operator’s Asia subsidiary has agreed to lease half of the capacity on the satellite over its lifetime from Space Tech Innovation Limited, which is owned by Thaicom, a leading satellite operator in Thailand.

The satellite is expected to be delivered in 2027 and will be launched to 119.5 degrees East. It will provide Eutelsat with approximately 50 gigabits per second (Gbps) of extra capacity over Asia. The satellite will feature a software-defined payload, allowing the operators to adjust services based on changing customer demands. Further details of the satellite and its capabilities have not been disclosed.

Eutelsat CEO, Eva Berneke, stated that the satellite will be compatible with the company’s multi-orbit growth strategy, which includes its plans to enter the low Earth orbit (LEO) market through the acquisition of OneWeb. Eutelsat received regulatory approval to purchase OneWeb earlier this summer.

Thaicom’s CEO, Patompob Suwansiri, added that the joint satellite venture also positions the operators for future expansion and pursuit of other growth opportunities. Thaicom currently owns two satellites and recently surrendered two others to the Thai government following the end of a 30-year concession period.

The partnership between Eutelsat and Thaicom comes at a time when regional satellite operators in Asia and elsewhere are facing growing competition from the likes of OneWeb and SpaceX’s Starlink, as well as other upcoming low Earth orbit broadband networks.

Eutelsat, in addition to dealing with a decline in its legacy satellite TV business, aims to fuel its pivot into connectivity services. The company is under pressure to find cost-effective solutions, and the acquisition of OneWeb is a significant part of that strategy. The deal values OneWeb at .4 billion.

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