Intelsat concluded a contract with US space forces (USSF) to provide commercial satellite services, Equipment and bandwidth for the needs of the US Department of Defense (DoD), in particular to provide global maritime communications.
This contract is part of a long-term 10-year procurement program (IDIQ) within the proliferated Low Earth Orbit initiative (pleo), which was started in 2023 year. This program allows the US Department of Defense to quickly and efficiently use the growing capabilities of low-orbit satellite communications (LEO).
Under this contract, Intelsat will provide satellite communications services in global maritime operations, serving several government customers. The pLEO program itself is rapidly expanding within the US Department of Defense, opening convenient access to innovative LEO communication services and contributing to a technological breakthrough in the defense field.
In just one year, the volume of expenses within the program exceeded 660 million dollars is more than two-thirds of the initial limit of 900 millions. In view of the growing demand, Defense Information Systems Agency (SOME) raised the ceiling of the contract to 13 billions of dollars in less than a year and a half after its launch.
Intelsat, having over 60 years of experience in providing reliable satellite communications to the US government, has a unique position for the implementation of tasks within pLEO. Thanks to the partnership with LEO satellite operators, own fleet with over 55 geostationary satellites (GEO), global infrastructure of teleports, cyber security center and one of the largest terrestrial telecommunication networks in the world, the company is able to provide stable and flexible communication even during the most complex operations.