Chunghwa Telecom to launch Taiwan's 1st dedicated satellite with Astranis

Taipei, April 15 (CNA) Taiwan-based telecom service provider Chunghwa Telecom Co. recently signed a strategic agreement with Astranis Space Technologies Corp., an American satellite start-up, to develop the first dedicated compact geostationary orbit (MicroGEO) satellite for Taiwan.

In a statement, Chunghwa Telecom said the MicroGEO satellite, with features such as rapid deployment, high performance, and exceptional reliability, is expected to significantly expand satellite capacity over Taiwan.

Chunghwa Telecom said the satellite is scheduled to be launched at the end of 2025 with full bandwidth services available as early as next year and will serve as the first communications satellite ever exclusively dedicated to Taiwan.

According to Chunghwa Telecom, Astranis specializes in agile, flexible and MicroGEO satellite development, and the strategic partnership will complement the Taiwanese telecom firm's multi-orbit satellite architecture which includes in-orbit ST-2 GEO, OneWeb's low earth orbit (LEO) and Luxembourg satellite telecommunications company SES's medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites.

The cooperation with Astrainis is expected to strengthen Taiwan's resilient "Sky, Land, Sea, and Air" network and advance its Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) strategy.

As a leading and trusted ICT service provider in Taiwan, Chunghwa Telecom has actively expanded its satellite initiatives in recent years, company chairman Alex C.C Chien (簡志誠) said in the statement.

"Astranis's MicroGEO solution introduces vital flexibility and resilience to our satellite strategy," Chien said. "This collaboration enables us to build a dedicated, secure digital infrastructure for Taiwan-one that can serve as a critical real-time backup against natural disasters, submarine cable disruptions, and evolving global uncertainties."

In response, Astranis CEO John Gedmark said the company's founding vision about a decade ago was to provide dedicated satellite capacity where it is most needed to ensure secure and independent communications.

With Chunghwa Telecom committed to building a globally connected, always-on digital resilience network, "We are honored to partner with Chunghwa Telecom to enhance the resilience of Taiwan's critical communications infrastructure."