02 - 10 - 2026

ICEYE, Nokia Partner on Sovereign LEO Satellite Communications for Governments and Defence

European space intelligence company ICEYE and telecommunications and networking company Nokia have announced a partnership to develop secure, sovereign and high-performance low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications systems for governments, with applications spanning defence, border security, emergency services and disaster response.

Under the partnership, the companies plan to develop satellite communications systems that give individual nations ownership and control of the satellites, ground infrastructure and user terminals. The first communications satellites are expected to be launched in 2028, according to the companies.

The initiative reflects a growing focus among governments on communications infrastructure that can remain operational when terrestrial networks are disrupted, unavailable or compromised.

Building sovereign communications infra

ICEYE and Nokia said the proposed systems are intended to provide targeted, high-throughput and low-latency connectivity over priority mission areas. Rather than replacing existing military, commercial or terrestrial networks, the satellite systems are being designed to complement them, providing additional reach, resilience and capacity for government and defence users.

The companies said the systems could support communications for defence forces, first responders and civil authorities operating in environments where conventional communications infrastructure may not be available or sufficiently resilient.

The central proposition is sovereignty.

Instead of relying entirely on a foreign commercial satellite operator and its service terms, governments using the proposed architecture would own and control the space and ground infrastructure supporting their communications capability. The partnership combines ICEYE’s experience in developing and delivering sovereign satellite missions with Nokia’s expertise in networking and secure communications technologies.

The companies plan to integrate satellites, ground infrastructure and ruggedised end-user terminals as part of the proposed system. For ICEYE, the move extends its existing sovereign space business beyond Earth observation and intelligence into communications infrastructure.

Rafal Modrzewski, CEO and co-founder of ICEYE, said the partnership would build on the company’s space-intelligence capabilities while allowing nations to develop their own controlled satellite communications infrastructure.

“Nations must be able to fully own and control their communications, without dependency on a foreign commercial operator’s terms of service,” Modrzewski said.

He pointed to ICEYE’s work delivering a radar satellite system to Poland and said the company aims to apply a similar approach to satellite communications, with development timelines aligned with government requirements.

For Nokia, the partnership extends its networking capabilities into an architecture that spans terrestrial and space-based connectivity. Justin Hotard, President and CEO of Nokia, said secure connectivity is becoming increasingly important as governments seek the ability to operate across land, sea, air and space.

“Sovereign operations depend on the ability to sense, decide and act in real time,” Hotard said, adding that secure and resilient connectivity would be necessary to support those operations.

Nokia said the partnership would combine its networking technologies with ICEYE’s sovereign space capabilities to provide governments with connectivity alongside situational awareness and operational control.

Designed for dual-use missions

The proposed system is explicitly positioned as dual-use infrastructure, with potential applications across defence and civilian missions.

For defence users, resilient satellite connectivity could support operations in areas where terrestrial networks are unavailable or disrupted. Border-security agencies could use it for communications across remote areas, while emergency services could rely on satellite links when disasters damage conventional communications infrastructure.

The companies said the system would be particularly relevant to missions requiring communications resilience rather than dependence on a single network. The architecture is also intended to operate alongside existing military and commercial satellite networks, rather than creating a standalone replacement for them.

Sovereignty becomes strategic technology issue

The partnership comes against a backdrop in which governments are placing greater emphasis on control over critical digital and space infrastructure.

Satellite communications increasingly form part of the communications architecture supporting defence, emergency response and critical infrastructure. Dependence on externally operated commercial networks can create questions around availability, access, service conditions and strategic autonomy during a crisis.

ICEYE and Nokia are positioning their proposed system around that concern by putting ownership and control of the infrastructure with the nation using it. The approach also represents a shift from purchasing satellite connectivity purely as a commercial service towards governments potentially owning an integrated space-to-ground communications capability.

First satellites targeted for 2028

The partnership is currently at the development stage, with the companies targeting 2028 for the launch of the first communications satellites. The announcement does not disclose the planned constellation size, satellite specifications, launch provider, frequency bands, capacity, investment value or the countries that have formally committed to purchase the system.

Those details will be important in assessing the eventual scale and competitiveness of the proposed architecture. For now, the partnership establishes the industrial framework: ICEYE contributes its sovereign space-mission capabilities, while Nokia brings its communications and networking expertise, with both companies seeking to integrate the space, ground and terminal segments into a government-controlled system.

The CEOs of both companies are scheduled to discuss the partnership publicly at the Helsinki Security Forum on October 2, during a session titled “How to Salvage Europe’s Technological Sovereignty.” If the development programme proceeds as planned, the first satellites in 2028 would mark the transition from the partnership’s current concept and development phase to an operational sovereign satellite communications capability.

By Subramanya Joshi

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