According to the European Council’s decision, 14 new projects will be added to the list of the 46 existing ones that have been developed under the EU permanent structured cooperation (PESCO) since December 2017. The new projects will particularly focus on air and space domains. From tactical drones to the development of space technology for defence, new projects under PESCO will propel more innovative opportunities for the future of air and space domains. Primarily in the space domain, The Defence of Space Assets (DoSA) will increase the EU’s operational efficiency in the space domain by making the best use of current and future space assets through cross-cutting space functions of access, passive defence and operational efficiency through training.

“The list of new projects also includes Essential Elements of European Escort (4E) for the maritime area, Future Medium-size Tactical Cargo (FMTC), Rotorcraft Docking Station for Drones, Small Scalable Weapons (SSW), and Air Power for the air systems. The Main Battle Tank Simulation and Testing Centre (MBT-SIMTEC) and the EU Military Partnership (EU MilPart) are included in the land systems area, while the Common Hub for Governmental Imagery (CoHGI) is part of the space area. Lastly, Automated Modelling, Identification and Damage Assessment of Urban Terrain (AMIDA-UT) and Cyber Ranges Federations (CRF) are included in cyber defence and C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers) systems.”

“The Council has also adopted two Recommendations setting out more precise objectives for the second initial phase of PESCO 2021-2025 and on the progress made by the project members towards fulfilling their commitments.”

Strasbourg, 25 November 2020 – OneWeb, the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) broadband satellite communications company, announces its emergence from U.S. Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and achievement of all relevant regulatory approvals. A consortium of UK Government (through the UK Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) and Bharti Global, has invested $1bn of new equity to offer broadband connectivity services, via a constellation of 650 LEO satellites.

OneWeb will continue to be headquartered in the UK, bringing new R&D programmes, manufacturing opportunities and a global platform with priority spectrum usage rights. The company will ensure that the UK is at the forefront of a new commercial space industrial age, evolving technology and innovation, and will work with the UK commercial and academic space communities, along with other international specialists, in its research and development activities.

In connection with the completion of the restructuring process, OneWeb is pleased to announce that Neil Masterson has been appointed CEO. Neil is formerly Co-Chief Operating Officer at Thomson Reuters having enjoyed a 20-year career with the global provider of news, information, and software.

He succeeds Adrian Steckel, who continues as an Adviser to the Board. Adrian joined OneWeb as CEO in September 2018 and has guided OneWeb through three successful launches, delivering 74 satellites into orbit, and securing priority spectrum use rights for OneWeb.

Neil Masterson comments: “I am looking forward to helping the OneWeb team deliver and commercialise their vision to provide internet access across the globe. OneWeb has a strong social purpose to improve the world’s access to information, which I share. It has great talent, a compelling commercial opportunity, and is supported by committed and knowledgeable owners and investors.

“Our December launch puts the UK firmly in the global space business, alongside acknowledged Indian telecoms experts, Bharti Global. OneWeb will be a model for responsible co-operation in Space.”

Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, comments: “This new phase and focus for the Company brings new leadership from Neil Masterson, who has extensive experience successfully operating global technology platforms in a complex industry undergoing rapid change.

“Together with our UK Government partner, we recognised that OneWeb has valuable global spectrum with priority rights, and we benefit from $3.3bn invested to-date and from the satellites already in orbit, securing our usage rights. I would like to thank Adrian Steckel for his valued contribution.

Sunil Bharti Mittal continues: “These are exciting times and the world now has a LEO alternative to work with. We look forward to partnering with those equally determined to enter this new Space Age. There is unmet demand around the globe for broadband connectivity and we intend to continue OneWeb’s social mission. We will use our joint venture facility to drive down cost of service, opening new use cases for low latency broadband provision.”

UK Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Alok Sharma said: “This strategic investment demonstrates Government’s commitment to the UK’s space sector in the long-term and our ambition to put Britain at the cutting edge of the latest advances in space technology.

“Access to our own global fleet of satellites has the potential to connect people worldwide, providing fast UK-backed broadband from the Shetlands to the Sahara and from Pole to Pole.

“This deal gives us the chance to build on our strong advanced manufacturing and services base in the UK, creating jobs and technical expertise.”

OneWeb also announces the target date of 17th December 2020 for its Return to Flight, with a 36-satellite payload scheduled for launch by Arianespace from the Vostochny Cosmodrome. All the satellites have been shipped from Florida to Vostochny and are now undergoing preparation for launch.

Due to investment decisions made by the new shareholders, the joint venture facility with Airbus in Florida, USA was re-activated and the dual production lines brought back into service.

Launches will continue throughout 2021 and 2022 and OneWeb is now on track to begin commercial connectivity services to the UK and the Arctic region in late 2021 and will expand to delivering global services in 2022.

Strasbourg, France – November 25, 2020 – Databricks, the Data and AI Company, announced that Microsoft Azure Databricks has received a Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) High Authority to Operate (ATO). This authorization validates Azure Databricks security and compliance for high-impact data analytics and AI across a wide range of public sector, industry, and enterprise use cases.

FedRAMP is a standardized approach to security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud services as defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The ATO was granted by the FedRAMP Joint Authorization Board (JAB) which consists of representatives from the Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the General Services Administration (GSA).

“At Veterans Affairs, we included Azure Databricks as part of our Microsoft Azure Authority to Operate (ATO),” said Joseph Fourcade, Lead Cyber Security Analyst, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Enterprise Cloud Solutions Office (ECSO). “When Databricks received FedRAMP High approval, we were able to move quickly to inherit that same Azure ATO and approve Azure Databricks for production workloads. Timing couldn’t have been better, as we have been working with a number of VA customers implementing Databricks for critical programs.”

“Numerous federal agencies are looking to build cloud data lakes and leverage Delta Lake for a complete and consistent view of all their data,” said Kevin Davis, VP, Public Sector at Databricks. “The power of data and AI are being used to dramatically enhance public services, lower costs and improve quality of life for citizens. Using Azure Databricks, government agencies have aggregated hundreds of data sources to improve citizen outreach, automated processing of hourly utility infrastructure IoT data for enabled predictive maintenance, deployed machine learning models to predict patient needs, and built dashboards to predict transportation needs and optimize logistics. FedRAMP High authorization for Azure Databricks further enables federal agencies to analyze all of their data for improved decision making and more accurate predictions.”

“We are pleased to add Azure Databricks to our portfolio of services approved for FedRAMP at the high impact level in Microsoft Azure Government,” said Lily Kim, General Manager of Azure Government at Microsoft. “Azure Government provides the most trusted cloud for mission-critical government workloads. FedRAMP High approval for Azure Databricks enables government customers to build fast and reliable data lakes for innovative new use cases, such as risk management and predictive analytics.”

With this certification, customers can now use Azure Databricks to process the U.S. government’s most sensitive, unclassified data in cloud computing environments, including data that involves the protection of life and financial assets. From personalized healthcare and education to space exploration and energy research, Azure Databricks enables organizations to accelerate new innovation while minimizing risk when working with highly sensitive, private and public sector data.

With FedRAMP, organizations have a consistent way to evaluate the security of cloud solutions using NIST and FISMA defined standards. FedRAMP offers several levels of assurance and Azure Databricks has met all of the requirements for authorization for the highest degree of assurance. Azure Databricks joins many other Azure services with the FedRAMP High authorization, enabling public sector, enterprise and industry vertical customers to create and deploy cloud-based applications with confidence.

Luxembourg, 4 November 2020 – On the heels of a widely-successful deployment of 1,000 free community Wi-Fi zones connecting more than 700,000 underserved Colombians nationwide in 2019, local services provider INRED and SES Networks have completed the delivery of 300 additional broadband hotspots across rural areas to help close the country’s digital divide. The additional sites were deployed in record time and were part of Colombia’s Sustainable Universal Access project administered by the Colombian Ministry of Telecommunications. All 1,300 Wi-Fi zones in 424 municipalities across 20 departments are providing high-speed broadband services to nearly one million people and are enabled by SES Networks’ Signature Enterprise Solutions over the SES-14 satellite, which provides full coverage over Latin America, the Caribbean and the North Atlantic, SES announced today.

INRED and SES Networks were also selected by the Colombian Government to carry out a social connectivity initiative to benefit the people of the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, two Caribbean island groups northwest of mainland Colombia, where satellite-enabled connectivity is now being delivered to 12 training schools and Colombian National Navy posts.

For example, the new Wi-Fi zone installed in the village of El Consuelo has been life-changing for coffee farmer Juan Arias, whose coffee operation is located in the state of Valle del Cauca. Arias claimed the newfound connectivity has provided a new level of insight and knowledge in his field. “From my cell phone I can learn about new solutions and new ideas that will improve the quality of my product. Connectivity has had an unexpected positive impact on my earnings, since I’ve learned how to harvest a greater quantity of coffee beans in less time. It has changed the way I do business for the better.”

“SES is proud to be part of this rewarding project that is already having such a positive impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of Colombians,” said Omar Trujillo, Americas Vice President of Fixed Data Sales of SES Networks. “Through our cooperation with INRED, even the most remote rural areas of the country will enjoy and benefit from high-speed connectivity services. Our network enables this important programme to break through geographic barriers and bring the digital future to everyone throughout Colombia.”

“INRED and SES have carried out the first phases of this universal access program in record time, which opens the door to exciting new opportunities for economic growth, work, and education in what have been historically disconnected communities across Colombia,” said Jhon Jairo Ureña, CEO of INRED. “By adding 300 more community Wi-Fi hotspots, more families and businesses are able to communicate, and sell their services and products. At the same time, it is gratifying to know that more children now have access to connectivity that makes remote learning during the pandemic possible.”

Strasbourg, France, November 18, 2020 – Viasat Inc., a global communications company, today announced it will strengthen its European presence by purchasing the remaining 51% share of Euro Broadband Infrastructure (EBI), the wholesale broadband services business created as part of Viasat’s former partnering arrangement with Eutelsat Communications.

EBI provides fixed and mobile broadband services on a wholesale basis in the European and Mediterranean markets. In the initial partnering arrangement, Eutelsat contributed its existing European broadband operations to the wholesale business, including ownership of the KA-SAT satellite and related ground infrastructure. Eutelsat initially owned 51% of EBI, and Viasat the remaining 49% interest. The 51% controlling interest in EBI was acquired for €140M subject to customary net working capital and net debt adjustments. The purchase price will be funded with available cash, resulting in a cash outlay of €50M, net of approximately €90M of EBI’s cash on hand.

The wholesale business adds to Viasat’s established retail broadband services business in Europe where Viasat is offering enhanced home internet service in select European countries, including Spain, Norway and Poland. The Company also maintains a strong mobility presence, providing high-speed, high-quality in-flight connectivity (IFC) to seven European airlines as well as international airlines that fly into Europe. These initiatives provide a foundation for growth in the retail and mobility services sectors ahead of the launch of the ViaSat-3 global constellation. The second ViaSat-3 class satellite in that constellation will cover Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and is targeted for launch in 2022.

“Today’s transaction accelerates Viasat’s European broadband objectives by strengthening our services footprint and facilitating further market penetration,” said Keven Lippert, chief commercial officer, Viasat. “By gaining full control of KA-SAT, Viasat can further expand its growing mobility business as well as establish operations and market presence ahead of our ViaSat-3 service launch, including the introduction of new capabilities enabling high-speed, high-bandwidth ‘ViaSat-3-like’ home internet service plans in select European markets. This earlier market roll-out will enable Viasat to build awareness and market knowledge ahead of the European service launch of the ViaSat-3 satellite platform. Additionally, through 100% ownership of EBI, Viasat will be better equipped to execute its distribution strategy ahead of the ViaSat-3 services launch by onboarding new local partners.”

Under the agreement, Eutelsat and its subsidiaries will continue to provide transitional services for a limited period of time to Viasat’s EBI business, including the operation of the ground network for KA-SAT, while Viasat/EBI will provide service continuity to the KA-SAT subscriber base of Eutelsat’s Bigblu Broadband Europe division.

Two years following closing, the €140M in consideration may be adjusted up or down by up to €20M depending on the performance of certain EBI financial metrics achieved over this period. The transaction is expected to be accretive to the Company’s earnings and EBITDA performance, and deleveraging with respect to the Company’s debt to trailing twelve months EBITDA ratios. Closing of this transaction is expected to occur in the first quarter of 2021, subject to customary conditions precedent.