December 5 (SeeNews) - Bulgarian Telecommunications Company (BTC), operating under the brand name Vivacom, will invest over 1 million levs ($539,180/511,300 euro) to build a local satellite network portal that will expand connectivity and coverage for the low-earth orbit (LEO) constellation of 648 satellites by UK-based company OneWeb, the two companies said.
The satellite gateway will comprise 18 antennas and a mini data centre, which will link OneWeb’s LEO satellites to Bulgaria’s fibre network and data centres, the companies said in a recent statement.
The construction of the facility is already underway, with completion expected in the first quarter of 2023.
Once operational, the facility is seen to increase system resilience and improve broadband coverage for OneWeb for regions spanning Central Europe to Central Asia, including the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, which include busy air routes and shipping lanes. The gateway will enable the development of new applications based on the UK-based company’s LEO satellite broadband.
OneWeb, which is in the process of merging with French satellite operator Eutelsat Communications, has allocated several million US dollars for specialised equipment, according to the statement.
The project is being implemented at Vivacom’s premises in the south-central Bulgarian city of Stara Zagora. The Bulgarian company expects to create high-skilled jobs and increase economic output in the region for at least 10 years, involving Stara Zagora with the infrastructure behind global space technology and communications.
"We are building a distributed architecture of SNPs, and moving our ground infrastructure to ensure we reach the remotest places on Earth. We have selected Bulgaria for this ground station because of its geography, its membership to the European Union and its role as a Eurasian telecommunications hub -- but also because of Vivacom who is a trusted local partner who can help implement OneWeb’s mission," the satellite company's chief operations office, Michele Franci, said.
BTC was acquired in 2020 by United Group, a Netherlands-based telecoms and media provider for Southeast Europe which is controlled by UK private equity firm BC Partners. In Bulgaria, United Group also owns TV, online and radio company Nova Broadcasting Group.
(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)