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A new multi-year deal will see Eutelsat’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation support Orange’s terrestrial networks
This week, Orange and Eutelsat have deepened their existing partnership, leveraging the satellite operator’s LEO offerings to support enterprise and government customers, as well as bolstering mobile backhaul.
The deal will combine the satellite network with Orange’s terrestrial networks, aiming to provide seamless connectivity to these customers even in highly remote locations.
“It is of strategic importance for Orange to invest in the unique LEO European solution that provides best in class, resilient, tailored and sovereign digital connectivity services to serve our customers wherever they are located,” said Jean Louis Le Roux, EVP Orange International Networks. “The partnership with Eutelsat for OneWeb services is of vital importance to support their digital transformation.”
Financial details of the deal were not revealed.
Eutelsat operates 35 geostationary satellites and over 600 LEO satellites, having merged with British satellite operator OneWeb in 2023.
Orange first partnered with Eutelsat back in 2020, purchasing capacity on its EUTELSAT KONNECT satellite to cover the entire French territory. Earlier this year, the deal was expanded to cover Orange’s operations in the Middle East and Africa.
Alongside Eutelsat, Orange also has deals with Starlink “in certain geographies, particularly in Africa”, according to CEO Christel Heydemann.
The company is also working to develop its own “sovereign solution” with its satellite subsidiary Nordnet.
In related news, reports this week suggest that Eutelsat is in discussions to raise €1.5 billion in order to further expand its LEO capabilities.
The company has already secured the procurement of 100 new satellites, which are aimed at launch by the end of 2026, but says that a further 340 will be needed to meet its obligations to the EU’s IRIS² project.
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