Meo and Thales seek role in EU IRIS2 satellite network

Portugal’s Meo and Thales will submit a joint bid this month, through the Portuguese Space Agency, to become a satellite gateway supplier for the consortium developing IRIS2, the European satellite constellation designed to provide a secure regional alternative to non-European networks.

The two companies want to provide gateway services from the teleport facilities they manage in Alfouvar, near Sintra, and in Santa Maria, in the Azores. Ana Carla Sousa, senior director at Meo Wholesale Solutions, told ECO/eRadar that Alfouvar would be the main teleport and Santa Maria the secondary one, adding that the application would be delivered to the Portuguese Space Agency by the end of this week for the national submission.

Alfouvar already hosts antennas from two satellite operators linked to the SpaceRise consortium, which is led by SES, Eutelsat and Hispasat and also includes companies such as Thales Alenia Space, Airbus Defence and Space, OHB, Telespazio, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Hisdesat and Thales Six. Meo said the existing infrastructure could support the start of services, while the project itself foresees the construction of new gateways, with plans for 12 to 25 new antennas.

IRIS2 combines low-earth orbit, medium-earth orbit and geostationary satellites and is intended to serve both public and commercial uses. The project aims to provide secure satellite communications for EU and member state authorities in areas including defence, border control and crisis management, while also supporting commercial applications such as aviation, maritime connectivity and Internet of Things networks. The first services are expected to start in 2029, with full operations planned for 2030.

Originally published at Eco.pt