Vivacom commences
construction of a new satellite gateway for OneWeb
in Bulgaria
29 November 2022
Vivacom, part of the United
Group network, and OneWeb announced the development
of a dedicated Satellite Network Portal (SNP), or
ground station, for OneWeb in Bulgaria. The facility
will expand communications services and increase
access for EU territories to OneWeb’s constellation
of low-Earth orbit satellites. This will increase
system resilience and improve broadband coverage for
regions stretching from Central Europe to Central
Asia, including the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea.
In recognition of the economic
benefits of the project, which is being implemented
on Vivacom’s premises in Stara Zagora, Vivacom has
been awarded a Class B certificate by the local
municipality. The partnership will create
high-skilled jobs and increase economic output in
the region for a minimum of 10 years and make Stara
Zagora an important part of the infrastructure
behind space technology and communications.
The SNP will contribute to
closing the digital divide across many geographies,
provide coverage for some of the world’s busiest air
routes and shipping lanes and enable new
applications based on OneWeb’s LEO satellite
broadband.
“Our collaboration with OneWeb
once again demonstrates that Vivacom is the
preferred local partner for pioneering global
technology companies looking to invest in Bulgaria.
We are trusted not only for our technical expertise,
capacity, and reliability but also for our
innovative mindset and our cutting-edge work in the
sector, which reflects the United Group’s vision for
the region. We are thrilled that OneWeb has chosen
Vivacom to implement this project, which will bring
long-term socio-economic benefits to Bulgaria,” said
Nikolai Andreev, CEO of Vivacom.
Vivacom will invest over BGN 1
million in the facility, while OneWeb has allocated
several million US dollars for specialized
equipment. The gateway will consist of 18 antennas
and a mini data centre, linking OneWeb’s LEO
satellites to Bulgaria’s fibre network and data
centres. Construction has already begun and is
expected to be completed in the first quarter of
2023.
“For the Stara Zagora
municipality, attracting high value investment that
creates new jobs is always welcome. I am happy that
we are able to award a Class B certificate to
Vivacom to help support this project. For the
business, this means shorter terms and bespoke
administrative services will be offered by the
municipal administration. This is a great start to
this successful partnership, and is a clear sign to
investors that our city is open for business,” said
Stara Zagora Mayor, Zhivko Todorov.
Michele Franci, Chief
Operations Officer at OneWeb says: “OneWeb is
improving the performance and resilience of
satellite connectivity with our large fleet of
distributed small satellites in low-Earth orbit. 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.”
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