Nokia and Iceye team up on secure satellite communications for governments and defence — first launches in 2028

ICEYE and Nokia have announced a partnership to develop secure, sovereign and high-performance satellite communications systems in low Earth orbit (LEO), dedicated to governments, as Reuters reported on Thursday.

The partnership, announced in Helsinki, targets missions ranging from defence and border security to emergency services and disaster response, according to the two companies’ joint statement.

The jointly developed communications systems will give states full ownership and control over the satellites, the ground segment and the terminals, the companies said. The first communications satellites are expected to be launched in 2028.

When terrestrial networks are disrupted or compromised, defence forces, rapid-response teams and civil authorities risk losing access to the information and command systems they depend on, the companies explain — which is why governments need resilient communications infrastructure that they own and control themselves.

The joint sovereign systems will provide high-throughput, low-latency connectivity over priority mission areas. They are designed to complement, not replace, existing military and commercial networks — adding reach, resilience and capacity, the press release said.

The partnership combines ICEYE’s track record in delivering sovereign satellite missions with Nokia’s extensive experience in secure networking technologies and its growing defence portfolio. Together, the companies will integrate satellites, ground infrastructure and hardened end-user terminals, expanding ICEYE’s sovereign space-intelligence business model into satellite communications.

As Reuters notes, rivals in low-Earth-orbit systems include Starlink, of the U.S. group SpaceX.