SpaceQ Space news and analysis.
Following on the recent announcement of a successful demonstration of a high-bandwidth satellite connection in the high arctic, Kepler Communications is now partnering with Cobham SATCOM for what they’re calling “User Terminal-as-a-Service (UTaaS).”
According to press release issued by Kepler, the partnership has three core principles:
- Shifting equipment costs to a monthly operational fee from a more traditional one-time capital expense;
- Embedding installation, technical support, terminal maintenance, warehousing, and transport services into the monthly fees with future capabilities for add-on services;
- And exchanging technical know-how to improve the delivery of LEO wideband services going forward.
The model of offering a “something-as-a-service” is hardly new, but it may entice users, particularly new users in this market segment, into trying the UTaaS service.
Jeffrey Osborne, Co-founder and VP of Business Development at Kepler said of the new partnership, “proven, reliable ground segment is a critical piece for delivering wideband services from LEO. The cost of today’s tracking antennas as well as the complexity of coordinating setup, installation, and support are understandable roadblocks for those wishing to test drive our Global Data Service. At Kepler, our goal is to deliver the most frictionless customer experience possible so that anyone with a potential use case for this groundbreaking capability can simply say ‘yes’ and keep their focus on the really important elements of their application. “
Matt Galston, Sr. Director Global Market Strategy & Development, Cobham SATCOM said of the partnership “Kepler’s approach is unique for our industry. By starting with a small number of satellites in operation, they focus more directly on solving problems for the end-user. Our collaboration demonstrates how some solutions come through partnerships, new commercial models, and a shared goal of delighting end users while being able to scale that delight to many more in time. “
