Eutelsat and Skynopy have formed a strategic partnership to launch Global AKAR, a software-defined ground infrastructure network for Low Earth Orbit satellite services. The initiative aims to deploy over 100 antennas by 2029 to significantly reduce data latency and increase throughput to 10 Gbps for satellite operators.
This partnership addresses the critical ground-segment bottleneck that currently limits the utility of Low Earth Orbit constellations for real-time data applications. By virtualizing modem technology and orchestrating existing hardware, the venture allows satellite operators to scale without the capital expenditure of building proprietary ground stations. Within the broader streaming and data ecosystem, this infrastructure supports the growing demand for high-capacity orbital data centers and Earth observation services that require immediate backhaul. As satellite-to-ground communication shifts toward software-defined models, the industry should monitor if this 10 Gbps benchmark becomes the new standard for commercial LEO service level agreements.
Eutelsat has been aggressively expanding its ground-segment capabilities as part of its broader LEO strategy following the OneWeb merger. In early 2025, Eutelsat confirmed plans to invest €2.2 billion in its LEO constellation through 2027, including ground infrastructure upgrades to support next-generation services across broadband and government markets. The company's existing network of more than 50 teleport and gateway sites worldwide provides the physical footprint that Global AKAR's software-defined approach aims to virtualize and optimize. Skynopy, which was spun out of Airbus Defence and Space, brings software-defined modem and antenna orchestration technology that complements Eutelsat's hardware assets.
The partnership arrives as European space policy increasingly favors sovereign ground infrastructure. In March 2025, the European Commission proposed a €10.6 billion space budget for 2028-2034 that prioritizes resilient connectivity and ground-segment modernization as part of its broader defense and digital sovereignty agenda. France has been particularly active, with President Emmanuel Macron calling for accelerated European space autonomy following the 2024 EU Space Strategy review. Eutelsat CEO Jean-François Fallacher has positioned the company as a key beneficiary of this policy direction, emphasizing that European-controlled ground infrastructure reduces dependency on non-EU gateway providers for sensitive data flows.
On the technical side, software-defined ground segments are becoming a competitive differentiator across the satellite industry. In June 2025, Amazon's Project Kuiper began testing its ground-station-as-a-service model with AWS integration, offering satellite operators on-demand downlink capacity without dedicated hardware commitments. Meanwhile, Kratos Defense reported a 34% year-over-year increase in its satellite ground systems revenue for fiscal 2025, driven by demand for virtualized modem and antenna management platforms. These developments suggest that the 10 Gbps throughput target Global AKAR aims for by 2029 sits within a rapidly evolving competitive landscape where software-defined approaches are displacing traditional dedicated ground station architectures. As EU CADA cloud sovereignty rules continue to shape the regional tech landscape, the push for localized, sovereign infrastructure remains a primary driver for these strategic partnerships.
Eutelsat and Skynopy have partnered to launch Global AKAR, a software-defined ground station network for Low Earth Orbit satellites. By virtualizing modem technology across Eutelsat’s global footprint, the initiative aims to increase data throughput to 10 Gbps and reduce latency, addressing critical ground-segment bottlenecks for real-time satellite data applications.
The partnership aims to deploy a software-defined ground infrastructure network to support Low Earth Orbit satellite services, targeting a throughput increase to 10 Gbps and significantly reduced latency.
The Global AKAR network plans to deploy over 100 operational antennas across select sites by the end of 2029.
It allows satellite operators to scale without the high capital expenditure of building proprietary ground stations, while virtualizing modem technology to provide a single interface for multi-mission constellations.
The French government supported the initial technical feasibility of the project through a three-antenna proof of concept.
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