Helsinki – October 01, 2026 -- ICEYE and Nokia have agreed to jointly develop secure, sovereign low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications systems for governments and defense customers, with the first satellites expected to launch in 2028.
Nations will own and control the full satellite communications stack
The partnership targets a system in which governments hold full ownership of the satellites, ground segment and terminals, removing reliance on foreign commercial operators' terms of service. The broadband LEO network is designed to serve defense, border security, emergency services and disaster response missions with high-throughput, low-latency connectivity over priority mission areas.
System will complement, not replace, military and commercial networks
ICEYE and Nokia said the infrastructure is intended to add reach, resilience and capacity to existing terrestrial and military networks rather than substitute for them, helping maintain command and control links when primary networks are disrupted or compromised.
Partnership extends ICEYE's sovereign space business model into communications
ICEYE, which operates the world's largest synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellation and already supplies sovereign satellite systems to governments, will combine its space delivery track record with Nokia's secure networking and defense technology portfolio. The companies will jointly integrate satellites, ground infrastructure and ruggedized end-user terminals.
Rafal Modrzewski, CEO and co-founder of ICEYE, said the company delivered Poland its own radar satellite system in under a year and expects to move at similar speed on satellite communications. Justin Hotard, President and CEO of Nokia, said the capability will give nations situational awareness and connectivity to operate in contested environments across land, sea, air and space.
Executives to discuss European tech sovereignty at Helsinki forum
Modrzewski and Hotard are scheduled to speak at the Helsinki Security Forum on October 2 in a session titled "How to Salvage Europe's Technological Sovereignty."