Satellite firm Viasat has launched a new global headquarters in London, UK.

The company last week officially launched its new office, at 50 Finsbury Square in London, as the combined offices of both Viasat and Inmarsat, the rival vendor it acquired last year.

Work began on the new 121,000 sq ft (11,240 sqm) eight-floor facility in February last year. The site includes new satellite, network, and cyber operations centers for the combined company.

When asked by DCD, Viasat said it operates a “small number" of on-site servers.

"For increased resilience and flexibility, the bulk of its data processing is managed offsite," the company said. "For increased redundancy, we also operate a full backup center in the Netherlands."

Jason Smith, president of global operations at Viasat and leader of the London office, said the office launch was "an important moment" for the company, and "underlines our commitment to the UK.”

UK minister for space, Andrew Griffith, added: “Viasat locating here in the UK is a testament to our country’s growing reputation as a global space hub where innovation can thrive and businesses flourish.”

“As satellite communications become increasingly central to our modern world, Viasat's new center will play a pivotal role in expanding connectivity, whilst also providing high-quality careers and economic growth.”

While Viasat is historically a US-based company, Inmarsat has long been based in the UK and previously was located at 99 City Road near London's Old Street, which also hosted the company’s satellite and network operations centers.

Inmarsat had been developing plans for the new space since 2019, with the lease at its former headquarters on Old Street Roundabout finishing this year.

While the new Finsbury satellite and network operations centers are now live, the old Inmarsat control center at Old Street is still running concurrently as a backup site for now. The company said the old control center will be fully shut down in a phased transition later this year.

Endurance Land is now planning on converting Inmarsat’s old office at 99 City into a 36-story office tower.

First announced in late 2021, Viasat’s $7.3 billion acquisition of Inmarsat closed in mid-2023.

The combined company has a fleet of 19 satellites in service, with an additional 10 spacecraft under construction and planned for launch within the next three years, operating across the Ka-, L-, and S-bands.