Rehovot, Israel – SatixFy Communications Ltd., a provider in next-generation satellite communication systems based on in-house developed chipsets, has announced a deal to supply its chips to Indian-based telecommunications solutions provider Astrome, marking SatixFy’s entrance into the terrestrial 5G market and a direct foothold into the Indian market.
Astrome, headquartered in Bengaluru, India and with offices in the U.S. and France, provides gigabit speed wireless solutions to telecom service providers, private networks/enterprises, and defense organisations. Astrome is focused on delivering GigaMesh, a multi-gigabit wireless X-haul radio to accelerate the deployment of 5G in suburban areas and broadband in rural areas. SatixFy’s PRIME 1 beamformer chip will power Astrome’s next-gen GigaMesh product, which is the point-to-multi-point E-band high-speed link for terrestrial 5G. The PRIME 1 beamformer chip, initially developed as a key building block for SatixFy’s satellite antenna systems, supports up to 32 antenna elements and can be digitally connected to other PRIME chips to build a range of antennas. The PRIME 1 chip was developed with the support of the UK Space Agency via the European Space Agency’s ARTES Core Competitiveness programme.
Ido Gur, CEO of SatixFy, says “The 5G backhaul market is rapidly growing, expected to reach [$15.5 billion (€14.54 billion)] by 2026, and represents a significant growth opportunity for us. To date, SatixFy has focused predominantly on satellite ground and space segment products, and the entry into the terrestrial 5G wireless backhaul market strongly expands our total addressable markets. This new collaboration demonstrates a real appetite for SatixFy’s digital beamforming chips in this new market for us. Furthermore, we are proud that Astrome will be leveraging our competitive edge with our point-to-multi-point capabilities, which will bring them a significant time-to-market advantage over legacy 5G backhaul competitors.”
Neha Satak, CEO, Astrome, says “We are excited about our partnership with SatixFy. The Prime1 beamformer chip developed by SatixFy will provide a significant time to market advantage to Astrome’s existing GigaMesh product line. Our innovative technology is generations ahead of the existing millimeter wave products available in the market. It deploys our patented multi-beam technology combined with powerful proprietary algorithms to make cost-effective high-speed wireless backhaul solutions a reality.”
Fabrizio Paolis, the European Space Agency’s 5G/6G implementation manager, comments “This technology spin-out from the space industry is an excellent example of how the ESA ARTES program can support industry’s success, not only in the space sector, but also in the highly competitive terrestrial market. We are pleased to see that SatixFy is becoming a respected player also in the large 5G backhaul market.”
Harshbir Sangha, director of growth at the UK Space Agency, adds “This opportunity to contribute to a world-first in 5G-connectivity is a major milestone for SatixFy and the UK space sector. The Prime 1 beamformer chip, developed with UK Space Agency support, is central to Astrome’s innovative solution to providing terrestrial 5G connectivity from remote areas.”
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