Nokia, ICEYE pair with Ukraine's Ministry of Defence on satellite cooperation
Nokia and ICEYE have signed a Letter of Intent with Ukraine's Ministry of Defence to explore satellite cooperation, amid tensions with Starlink.
Network vendor Nokia and Finnish microsatellite operator ICEYE have partnered with Ukraine's Ministry of Defence to explore cooperation in space, particularly around building sovereign satellite communications capabilities. The companies signed the Letter of Intent yesterday (October 22) during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit.
European Technology Partnership
Earlier this month, ICEYE and Nokia announced a partnership to develop secure, sovereign broadband low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications systems for governments. According to Nokia, this partnership is built on "trusted European technology" and will give nations ownership and control of satellites, ground segments, and terminals.
Modern warfare has proven that reliable communications are a matter of national security. We must all rely on capabilities that we can control.
Starlink Tensions
The announcement comes amid strained tensions between Ukraine and Starlink, after the latter was accused of restricting the military version of the service. Starlink has been crucial to Ukraine's communications infrastructure since Russia's invasion in 2022, when thousands of terminals were provided to Ukraine.
It was reported earlier this week by The Wall Street Journal that SpaceX founder Elon Musk had ordered the Starlink shutdown in Ukraine, impacting offensive and interceptor drones. Ukraine's decision to explore satellite cooperation beyond Starlink suggests the country doesn't want to become overly reliant on a single provider.
Future Satellite Infrastructure
Beyond this partnership, Ukrainian satellite communications company Stetman is preparing to launch its own 360-satellite LEO constellation at an altitude of 550 kilometers next year. "Through this Letter of Intent, together with Ukraine and ICEYE, we will explore how trusted, sovereign satellite communications can strengthen Ukraine's resilience and give it control over the connectivity it depends on," said Mikko Hautala of Nokia Defense.
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