Satellite firm Eutelsat has officially signed a deal to sell its ground segment to EQT.
Eutelsat first announced it was in talks to potentially sell its ground station infrastructure to the investment firm in a sale-leaseback deal in August.
This week Eutelsat announced it has exercised the put option signed with EQT Infrastructure VI fund, leading to the signing of a binding Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) between the two companies.
The deal has created a newly created entity that will hold Eutelsat’s passive ground infrastructure assets – including land, buildings, support infrastructure, antennas, and connectivity circuits for the combined portfolio of teleports and SNPs. EQT will acquire an 80 percent stake in this new entity, while Eutelsat Group will “remain committed as a long-term shareholder, anchor tenant, and partner” with a 20 percent holding.
The transaction values the new entity at an enterprise value of €790 million ($831m). The deal is expected in the first quarter of calendar year 2026.
The ground station business consists of approximately 1,400 antennas across more than 100 locations globally, enabling satellite communications for Eutelsat Group, OneWeb, and other third-party customers.
Reports Eutelsat was mulling the sale of its ground station network surfaced earlier this year. Paris-based Eutelsat has reportedly been reviewing its strategy since its merger with rival provider OneWeb, first announced in 2022, closed last year.
Though Eutelsat has previously admitted OneWeb's Low Earth Orbit (LEO) network was “running behind schedule” due to ground station delays, OneWeb has seen a number of sites go live this year.
Eutsat, along with SES and Hispasat, which form the SpaceRISE consortium, have won a contract from the European Commission the upcoming IRIS² LEO constellation. The 12-year deal is to deliver 290 satellites on various orbits and the associated ground segment for governmental services by 2030.
In other Eutelsat news, Kevin Steen, president and CEO at Eutelsat America, is stepping down, effective December 20th. He is being replaced by Ian Canning, who is currently COO. Aura Network Systems, a provider of infrastructure for the aviation industry, has announced Steen as its new CEO.
Eutelsat recently entered into a new multi-year agreement with Q-Kon to expand LEO satellite services across Sub-Saharan Africa. It is also working with energy firm Clear Blue Technologies to offer “power efficient” services in energy-constrained locations.
In other recent satellite news:
-- Ligado Networks can proceed with its claim for $39 billion in damages and compensation from the US government for the alleged theft of its L-band spectrum. The US government had asked the court to dismiss the claims.
-- Liechtenstein’s telecom regulator has rescinded the license awarded to Rivada Space Networks for a broadband satellite constellation.
Boeing has delivered two upgraded O3b mPower satellites to SES, ahead of a launch in December. These will be the seventh and eighth satellites in the constellation.
-- Starlink is to offer service level agreements (SLA) of 99.9 percent on its enterprise priority data plans in 2025. It has also been given the go-ahead for direct-to-cell phone services, but within certain power limits.
-- Marlink has deployed its Sealink NextGen solution, which combines Starlink and VSAT, to 24 vessels for Thoresen Shipping.
-- Telesat was awarded a $39 million contract to SatixFy to develop the Landing Station Baseband Units for the upcoming Telesat Lightspeed Network. SatixFy has also won a $9 million contract with MDA Space to provide modem and beamforming software for the SatixFy chipsets in upcoming LEO satellites.
-- Telesat has retired the Anik F1 Geo satellite after 24 years of service, moving the aging satellite into a graveyard orbit.
-- ViaSat has conducted a direct-to-cell demonstration in Saudi Arabia in partnership with Skylo. Viasat is also partnering with Mexico’s Altán to provide LTE home and mobile services.
-- The UK Space Agency has announced £3.5 million ($4.43m) in funding for satellite connectivity in remote areas. One project will boost connectivity on Rathlin Island, seven miles off the coast of Northern Ireland, and another will target Papa Stour, one of the Shetland Islands.
-- Deutsche Telekom, Qualcomm, and Skylo Technologies have completed a successful trial of text messaging direct-to-handset over satellite in Greece.
-- Starfish Space has closed a $29 million funding round led by Shield Capital. The company aims to launch three full-size satellite servicing and inspection spacecraft in 2026.
-- AST SpaceMobile has tapped Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin to launch its upcoming Bluebird satellites next year.
-- Sony Space Communications Corporation and Astro Digital have partnered to launch two micro-satellites. Set to launch in 2026, the satellites will demonstrate high data-rate Lasercom links with each other, as well as with terminals on the Earth, based on Sony’s optical technology.
-- SpacePNT has completed an in-orbit demonstration of its LEO-based GNSS receiver product.
