FCDO Services selects NSSLGlobal for critical comms services

Above: (left to right) Cyril Dujardinmage, Mike Astell and Sally-anne Ray.
Courtesy NSSLGlobal

Independent satellite communications provider, NSSLGlobal, has today signed a landmark contract with FCDO Services, who support the UK’s diplomatic, development and consular work around the world, including responding to disasters.  

The agreement will enhance communications capabilities and bring additional resilience for the UK’s embassies, ministries and government infrastructure and support people deployed in high-risk and remote environments who lack reliable terrestrial communication services. 

Building on a long-standing relationship with FCDO Services, NSSLGlobal will provide the communications hardware, airtime, expertise, training and 24/7 technical support including adding Eutelsat OneWeb Low Earth Orbit (LEO) broadband services to the existing provision of other satellite connectivity. These options provide hybrid and tailored packages for fixed infrastructure, deployable teams and individuals.

Delivering OneWeb LEO services enhances the UK government’s ability to deliver resilient high-throughput and very low latency broadband connectivity, for fast connection speeds up to 200 Mbps and rapid deployment with enhanced protection for sensitive communications.

Mike Astell, CEO, FCDO Services, said: "This agreement demonstrates a trusted partnership with NSSLGlobal and an extension of our services to UK and foreign governments and international organisations with close ties to the UK. Combined with the assurance that the OneWeb LEO network will provide, we are confident that this relationship is giving our teams on the ground the critical support and reassurance they need to stay connected, even in the most challenging environments and during times of crisis."

Cyril Dujardin, President of the Connectivity Business Unit at Eutelsat Group, commented: “In partnership with NSSLGlobal, we are proud to support the UK government and its global missions by delivering secure, resilient connectivity worldwide, even in the most remote or challenging environments. This agreement highlights the critical role LEO services play in enhancing operational effectiveness and enabling secure, low-latency communications for government operations.”

Sally-anne Ray, Group CEO NSSLGlobal, said: “As a UK business, NSSLGlobal is proud to use our expertise to provide the critical communications that keep the UK’s global network of embassies and diplomatic staff connected, often in adverse environments.  It is critical that they have robust and reliable communications at all times and that the UK can respond to crisis and humanitarian situations where terrestrial communications infrastructure is often damaged or overloaded.

"The OneWeb LEO technology is another powerful addition into our wide solutions portfolio, offering our customers even more choice and additional resilience. We have a strong reputation for crisis communications provision especially across European government, non-governmental agencies and civil organisations.”

Headquartered in the UK, NSSLGlobal is an independent provider of project engineering, satellite communications, IT management and systems integration. It employs 250+ staff across Germany, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, Poland, Singapore and the USA. 

FCDO Services provides critical security and integrated solutions worldwide, supporting UK government diplomacy, development and defence. As an Executive Agency and Trading Fund of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, it operates across 250 offices in 168 countries and works closely with departments including the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Home Office. They are the dedicated procurement partner in a strategic alliance with NSSLGlobal and Eutelsat OneWeb, enabling resilient LEO satellite broadband and communications across government.