European giant Eutelsat Group has signed an agreement which will support a range of critical UK government activities worldwide.
The deal with NSSLGlobal and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Services will see the company deliver OneWeb low Earth orbit (LEO) connectivity services.
It will support activities including diplomatic missions, policing, resilience, defence and other essential operations.
The news comes just over a week after the UK government joined a €1.5bn capital raise for the French satellite internet network.
Under the agreement, Eutelsat OneWeb’s LEO’s constellation will provide high-speed, low latency connectivity for British Embassies, high commissions and consulates, as well as broader UK government activities globally.
NSSLGlobal, a provider of satellite communications systems to the maritime, enterprise, defence and government sectors, is expected to deliver fully managed end-to-end services ensuring support for FCDO missions across all sectors.
Eutelsat is listed in Paris and London, and is seen as Europe’s rival to Elon Musk’s satellite internet network Starlink.
It merged with UK firm OneWeb in a £2.8bn deal in 2023, three years after the UK government saved OneWeb from bankruptcy. OneWeb’s British CEO Stephen Beynon left the merged company in 2024.
Now, the UK government has committed around €163m in return for shares in Eutelsat. The French government has subscribed for €750m, with Bharti Space, CMA CGM and FSP also joining.
“We are proud to support the UK government and its global missions by delivering secure, resilient connectivity worldwide, even in the most remote or challenging environments,” said Cyril Dujardin, president of the connectivity business unit at Eutelsat Group.
“This agreement reflects the critical role LEO services play in enhancing operational effectiveness and enabling secure, low-latency communications for government operations.”
Mike Astell, CEO of FCDO Services, added: “This partnership marks an exciting new chapter in FCDO Services’ long history of providing secure satellite communications.
“By joining forces with NSSLGlobal and Eutelsat OneWeb, we’re enhancing our ability to deliver rapid, secure connectivity anywhere in the world. This reinforces our commitment to meeting the unique needs of our government customers.”
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