Open Cosmos has secured the award to Liechtenstein’s priority Ka-band spectrum filings and plans to deploy a sovereign low-Earth-orbit satellite broadband constellation for Europe, the company said on Wednesday.
The Ka-band filings, considered among the most valuable spectrum assets for satellite communications, were previously held by Rivada Space Networks but were rescinded in 2024 after the company failed to meet regulatory milestones. The award clears the way for Open Cosmos to develop a government- and enterprise-focused communications network offering high-security, high-availability services.
The constellation will target public-sector and commercial customers requiring secure connectivity, including governments, telecom operators and large corporations, Open Cosmos Chief Executive Rafel Jorda Siquier told Via Satellite. The company has not disclosed the constellation’s name or the total number of satellites planned.
“This decision underscores Liechtenstein’s commitment to making use of the frequencies allocated to us,” said Hubert Büchel, Liechtenstein’s Minister of Home Affairs, Economy and Sport. “We are pleased that, through this filing, with Open Cosmos, we are putting them to good and effective use.”
Open Cosmos plans to deploy the first two demonstration satellites by the end of the first quarter, with launches contracted to Rocket Lab from New Zealand. The satellites, each weighing between 100 and 150 kilograms, were manufactured at the company’s headquarters in Harwell, Oxfordshire, with engineering teams in Spain, Portugal and Greece contributing.
“We beat our own record to get these satellites ready,” Siquier said, adding that Open Cosmos has delivered all missions to date with 100% reliability. The company has launched 13 satellites so far and has around 48 additional spacecraft under contract, excluding the new Ka-band constellation.
Open Cosmos said it has been profitable for five years and will fund the initial constellation investment from its own balance sheet. The company plans to work with terrestrial telecom operators so satellite connectivity complements existing networks rather than competing with them directly.
Siquier positioned the project as a European alternative to major global constellations such as Starlink and Amazon’s Project Kuiper. “No one wants to rely only on what one or two individuals own,” he said. “For something as critical as communications, competition and diversity are essential.”
The award comes as European governments push to strengthen sovereign space and communications capabilities amid rising geopolitical uncertainty. Secure non-terrestrial connectivity is increasingly viewed as critical for disaster response, border security and resilient infrastructure.
U.K. officials welcomed the development, with Space Minister Baroness Liz Lloyd calling the award “a testament to British ingenuity and ambition” and saying it highlighted the role of U.K. companies in building future satellite communications systems.
