Seattle’s RBC Signals has been enlisted to provide their space communication services expertise to California’s Swarm Technologies, a global satellite connectivity provider. RBC is the provider of flexible and cost-effective space communication services, and will host antennas for the company.
The antennas will support Swarm’s next wave of satellites, which are part of the 150-unit constellation being deployed in groups and expected to be fully operational and providing continuous global coverage by the end of 2021.
“RBC Signals is excited to support Swarm as they work to fill a void in the market for an affordable and truly global connectivity solution,” said Christopher Richins, founder and CEO of RBC Signals. “The flexibility of our platform allows us to easily provide Swarm with the expertise, licensing support and locations they need to get additional antennas live and running efficiently.”
Swarm’s satellite constellation is aimed at supplying affordable satellite communications services to people and devices in remote regions, making data accessible to everyone, everywhere on the planet.
“As a leader in space communications, RBC Signals is an ideal partner that is able to meet a variety of our needs including sites around the globe for our ground stations, as well as licensing expertise and technical support,” said Ben Longmier, co-founder and CTO of Swarm. “These capabilities allow us to focus on the deployment of our satellites and business plan, as well as on meeting our customers’ needs.”
The first antenna included in the agreement has been placed on the north slope of Alaska and is fully operational supporting the latest group of Swarm satellites deployed: their first 12 commercial satellites, successfully launched September 2nd from French Guiana onboard a Vega rocket. Plans also call for additional Swarm antennas to be activated and hosted by RBC Signals in strategic global locations in the future.
“This engagement reflects what we do best,” added Richins. “We provide affordable, flexible solutions to satellite operators, whether commercial or government, so they can focus on their business and customers with peace-of-mind their space communications needs are being handled efficiently by professionals.”