Viasat and Infostellar, a Japanese Ground Segment as a Service (GSaaS) start-up, today announced the signing of a Real-Time Earth (RTE) agreement. Through the collaboration, Viasat will act as a market channel lead for Infostellar services in the U.S., while Infostellar will act as a Japanese market channel lead for Viasat’s growing RTE network. Viasat will also become a preferred supplier of antennas for Infostellar’s expanding network of ground stations.
RTE is a hybrid ground and space communications network for small satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), which offers satellite-to-satellite and satellite-to-ground communications for real-time, global data transmission available on a pay-per-use basis. Currently, it is available in the S-, X- and Ka-bands.
John Williams, vice president, RTE services at Viasat, commented, “Viasat is focused on changing how data is delivered from space. For example, our RTE solution increases the value of data by tapping into our global RTE antenna network that is strategically located worldwide to reduce latency. By aligning with Infostellar, we expect to drive the RTE industry forward as we grow our network in terms of locations, like in Japan, and cloud-based GSaaS capabilities.”
Naomi Kurahara, founder and CEO of Infostellar, added, “We are incredibly excited about the opportunity to join with Viasat in this cooperative RTE agreement. Our services and approach to the marketplace are very complementary and compatible, as are our diverse locations in key world markets. Having Viasat RTE as our market channel partner in the U.S., as well as our preferred supplier of ground stations truly positions Infostellar right at the center of the growing global GSaaS market.”
