Kymeta and OneWeb have entered a joint development agreement (JDA) to develop an innovative, flat panel, electronically steered, user terminal that is compatible with the OneWeb network to support land fixed applications and leading the way to various mobility applications such as land mobile, maritime, and other mobility needs of the future.
The Kymeta™ u8 flat panel antenna technology provides an innovative solution to interoperate with the OneWeb LEO satellite constellation that supports Communication on the Pause (COTP) and future Communications on the Move (COTM) for military, government, first responder, maritime, enterprise and other commercial customers. The Kymeta u8 based terminal will provide the benefits of interoperability between GEO and OneWeb LEO services to strengthen the reach of the terminal solutions.
Under the new JDA, engineering teams from both OneWeb and Kymeta will collaborate to ensure the terminal meets the technical specifications required for compatibility with the OneWeb network.
The announcement comes just months after Kymeta and OneWeb previously collaborated on a pilot program to successfully test and demonstrate a LEO-GEO capable land flat panel user terminal in Toulouse, France, which generated a great deal of interest from customers. The two companies aim to launch their new solution into the market for purchase by the third quarter of 2022.
“This JDA formalized our collaborative efforts and commitment to bring to market an innovative electronically-steered antenna that is turnkey and compatible with OneWeb’s rapidly expanding LEO network,” said Neville Meijers, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer, Kymeta. “We look forward to this joint endeavor for the benefit of our mutual customers.”
“Kymeta’s pioneering u8 does not require mechanical components to steer toward a satellite and when paired with our LEO network will provide governments, businesses, and communities with high-throughput and low-latency communication services at competitive prices,” said OneWeb Chief of Delivery and Operations, Michele Franci. “This partnership is a welcome addition to our overall product strategy, offering another great choice for OneWeb’s customers and contributes to strengthening our vision to provide seamless, resilient mobile connectivity where and when its needed most.”