ARABSAT selects ACTIA Aerospace

ARABSAT has selected ACTIA Aerospace to design, supply and deploy a new generation of Q/V-Band RF Gateway systems forming a critical part of the ground segment for its upcoming ARABSAT-7A software-defined satellite.

A strategic infrastructure at the heart of ARABSAT’s satellite transformation

The deployment includes two geographically diverse gateways, providing enhanced resilience, higher capacity and flexible routing. These capabilities will  support a wide range of Broadband Managed Services, enterprise, mobility, maritime, aviation, and government applications across ARABSAT’s coverage region.

These strategic gateways infrastructure represents a cornerstone of ARABSAT’s roadmap to transition from traditional GEO architectures toward software-defined, satellite systems, enabling dynamic service allocation, optimized spectrum usage and scalable customer solutions.

ACTIA Aerospace will deliver a fully integrated gateway solution, including system design, deployment, testing, commissioning, operator training and long-term technical support, enabling full autonomous operation by ARABSAT.

The contract was signed on the sidelines of the ARABSAT 17th Telecom Forum in Manama -Bahrain, marking another milestone in the long-standing partnership between ARABSAT and ACTIA Aerospace. 

Dr. Badr N. Alsuwaidan, President & CEO of ARABSAT, commented: “Through state-of-the-art technologies and advanced Broadband Managed Services, ARABSAT-7A represents a major step in our evolution toward software-defined and high-throughput satellite systems. The deployment of Q/V-Band gateways is fundamental to this vision, enabling us to deliver more agile, scalable and resilient services that meet the rapidly growing demands of digital connectivity across our markets.”

François Contou-Carrere, CEO of ACTIA Aerospace, added: “We are proud and honored to deploy next-generation Q/V-Band gateway technologies that are becoming as critical as the satellite itself. This fully integrated, secure and scalable solution supports ARABSAT’s transformation toward flexible software-defined GEO architectures and enables innovative satellite services across the MENA region and beyond.”

Background informations

An RF (Radio Frequency) gateway is a ground station that connects a satellite to terrestrial telecommunications networks.

Q/V bands (Q-band et V-band : very high-frequency satellite bands) use very high frequencies, enabling very high-throughput communications.

ARABSAT-7A refers to a next-generation geostationary satellite, with “7” indicating the generation and “A” identifying a specific satellite within that generation.These technologies are at the core of next-generation geostationary satellites. Deploying two gateways ensures performance, resilience, and service continuity.