ICEYE and Nokia partner for sovereign satellite communications

ICEYE, Europe’s leading sovereign space intelligence company, and Nokia, a global leader in connectivity infrastructure, today announced a partnership to develop secure, sovereign, high-performance broadband satellite communications systems in low Earth orbit (LEO) for governments. The systems will support missions ranging from defense and border security to emergency services and natural disaster response.
Built on trusted European technology, the jointly developed systems will give nations full ownership and control of the satellites, ground infrastructure, and terminals. The first communications satellites are expected to launch in 2028.
When terrestrial networks are disrupted or compromised, armed forces, emergency services, and government authorities lose access to the command and information systems they depend on. For this reason, it is critical that governments have resilient communications infrastructure that remains available even under the most demanding conditions — infrastructure they can fully own and control.
The jointly developed sovereign systems will deliver targeted, high-capacity, low-latency connectivity over priority mission areas. Designed to complement — not replace — military and commercial networks, they will add coverage, resilience, and capacity, helping governments and defense organizations maintain critical communications wherever operations are conducted.
The partnership combines ICEYE’s proven track record in delivering sovereign satellite missions with Nokia’s extensive expertise in secure networking technologies and its growing presence in the defense sector. The two companies will integrate satellites, ground infrastructure, and resilient end-user terminals, extending ICEYE’s sovereign space intelligence business model into satellite communications.
Rafal Modrzewski, CEO and co-founder of ICEYE, said: “Together with Nokia, we are leveraging our proven space intelligence expertise to deliver high-performance sovereign satellite communications. Nations must be able to fully own and control their communications, without depending on the service terms of a foreign commercial provider. We delivered Poland its own radar satellite system in less than a year. Our partnership with Nokia allows us to move at the same speed in satellite communications, driven by the timelines that nations’ needs define.”
Justin Hotard, President and CEO of Nokia, said: “Sovereign operational effectiveness depends on the ability to sense, decide, and act in real time. Physical AI makes this possible — but only with secure, resilient connectivity across land, sea, air, and space. By combining Nokia’s trusted networks with ICEYE’s proven sovereign space capabilities, we will create a new satellite communications capability that complements existing terrestrial networks and gives nations the situational awareness, connectivity, and control they need to operate with confidence in contested environments, across all operational domains.”
Rafal Modrzewski and Justin Hotard will speak on October 2 at the Helsinki Security Forum, in a panel titled “How to Salvage Europe’s Technological Sovereignty.”
About ICEYE
ICEYE is the global leader in sovereign space intelligence. We provide persistent monitoring capabilities at any point on Earth, enabling the detection of and response to change. ICEYE operates the world’s largest and most advanced synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellation, delivering unparalleled quality intelligence to customers with minimal response time and high revisit frequency, in any weather conditions, day or night. For governments that choose to operate their own constellation, ICEYE provides the same proven capability as a sovereign system under national control. ICEYE-built constellations serve customers in defense and intelligence, environmental monitoring, risk insurance, and emergency management, enabling rapid decision-making that contributes to a safer future.
Founded in Finland, ICEYE operates internationally with more than 1,000 employees. Visit www.iceye.com and follow ICEYE on LinkedIn and X for more updates and information.
About Nokia
Nokia is a global leader in connectivity infrastructure and is helping shape the new era of artificial intelligence. The company builds networks that connect digital intelligence and provides end-to-end connectivity solutions across fixed and mobile networks, IP, optical networks, core networks, and data center infrastructure. With security by design, AI-driven innovation, and AI-optimized architectures, Nokia delivers trusted infrastructure that enables AI deployment at scale and advances connectivity — with the goal of securing a better world for all.