Paris, Washington D.C., Montreal, Yokohama, Sydney, Monday 13th December, 2021. Euroconsult, the preeminent consulting and intelligence firm specialising in the space sector and satellite markets, has revealed the first recipients of its 2021 Annual Awards for Excellence in Satellite Communication. In parallel to its flagship executive-level space summit, the 2021 World Satellite Business Week held at the Westin Hotel in Paris, Euroconsult will reveal category winners up until the event’s conclusion on December 16th. World Satellite Business Week brings together over 180 top-executive speakers from almost 40 countries to share their experience and perspectives of the industry.
The prestigious industry awards are presented to space companies that have distinguished themselves during the year and celebrate outstanding achievements of their business and management.
In a year fraught with pandemic related complications, the winners singled out for success for this year’s Awards for Excellence in Satellite Communication truly distinguished themselves. This year’s Global Satcom Business Award was given to Viasat, the global communications company that, for more than 30 years, has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments, and militaries around the world communicate.
The Strategic Transaction Award recognized a major deal announced in April that saw French satellite operator Eutelsat invest $550 million into OneWeb, later upping its stake in the satellite broadband provider by a further $165 million. Meanwhile, the Regional Space Business of the year was awarded to leading UAE satellite operator YahSat.
The final winner of the first round of awards given out at World Satellite Business Week’s premiere showcase related to Universal Connectivity. The award went to one of Europe’s leading satellite solutions and service providers, Telespazio, along with Peru’s National Telecommunications Programme, Pronatel.
The award winners were pleased to share their thoughts on receiving this recognition:
Global Satcom Business – Viasat
Rick Baldridge, president and CEO, Viasat
“We are honored to be named the 2021 Global Satellite Business of the Year by Euroconsult. This is a testament to the hard work of our team and our ongoing commitment to transform how people and businesses connect around the world using space-based connectivity. This is an exciting time for our industry, and we’re proud to be recognized as a forward-thinking innovator helping to shape the future of the global space sector with an economically powerful and environmentally safe approach – thank you Euroconsult.”
Strategic Transaction – Eutelsat investment in Oneweb
Dylan Browne, Head of Government Business Unit, OneWeb
“On behalf of OneWeb, I’m delighted and humbled to accept this joint award with Eutelsat recognizing our strategic shareholder relationship. We thank the satellite community for this honor, and I’d like to take this opportunity as we’re gathered here to assure you that we’re working with Eutelsat and others to ensure interoperability between and GEO and LEO. We know how important this is to our government, aviation and other end users. We’d also like to thank Eutelsat for its support and partnership, which was key in getting us to fully fund deploying our network. We now have a significant number of user terminals already live on our network above the 50th parallel, and we are thrilled to be sprinting toward full global operations.”
Michel Azibert , Eutelsat Deputy CEO
“We are honored to receive this recognition of Eutelsat’s investment in OneWeb which has given us a foothold in the Low Earth Orbit segment. The award cements the company’s ambition to position itself as an operator capable of harnessing the potential of this valuable ecosystem for addressing high growth services, taking advantage of the opportunities offered by 5G and the Cloud for low-latency applications. It crucial for Eutelsat to move into the LEO orbit quickly, as it has room for only a handful of constellations. With this investment, Eutelsat is playing its part in keeping the European space industry fully in the game.”
Regional Space Business – YahSat
Ali Al Hashemi, Yahsat Group Chief Executive Officer
“We are honored to have been chosen for the “Regional Satellite Business of the Year” Award at World Satellite Business Week. Even amidst the continued challenges across the globe, 2021 proved to be a momentous year, where we continued to make significant advances across all of our business lines while further strengthening our position as a leading FSS and MSS operator for both government and commercial customers across the multiple regions we serve.”
Universal Connectivity – Telespazio and Pronatel
Luigi Pasquali, CEO, Telespazio
“This important award is a recognition of Telespazio’s commitment to fighting the digital divide. Our work in in the Amazonian region of Peru demonstrates that satellite technology is now, more than ever, the best way to bring connectivity to every corner of the globe and bring people closer together.”
Jorge Luis Yupanqui Sagastegui, Director Ejecutivo de PRONATEL
“Historically, Peruvians in the Amazon have been forgotten in telecommunications projects. This year 2021, the Peruvian government, through the National Telecommunications Program (PRONATEL), has been implementing the Conecta Selva initiative, so that more than 263 thousand citizens of the towns far from the regions of Ucayali, Madre de Dios, Loreto and Amazonas can access the satellite Internet service. Thus, we are contributing to the improvement of education and telehealth for our compatriots, in addition to offering them opportunities and digital tools to develop. This recognition encourages us to continue advancing towards a more connected Peru.”
