Thuraya, the mobile satellite services subsidiary of the UAE’s Al Yah Satellite Communications Company, (Yahsat), has signed a partnership agreement with Telespazio, a joint venture between Leonardo (67%) and Thales (33%), to distribute its products and services worldwide.

Telespazio customers in critical sectors such as government, maritime, energy and relief can now effectively integrate Thuraya’s mobile solutions with their own platforms to enable a wide range of comms-on-the-move and comms-on-the-pause applications.

Shawkat Ahmed, Thuraya’s Chief commercial Officer said: “The combination of our gamechanging technology and Telespazio’s global distribution with support systems, makes this partnership very efficient in addressing market opportunities and delivering a compelling proposition for end users. The partnership with Telespazio, a company that has a long history and expertise in the MSS industry, is part of our continued efforts to consolidate Thuraya’s global presence in key markets and sectors so that customers have constant access to our versatile solutions.”

Thuraya’s mobile satellite network enables seamless voice, data and broadband services on land, at sea and in the air, covering over 160 countries across Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.

“Thuraya gives added breadth to what Telespazio has to offer in terms of solutions and services for the government, utilities, oil and gas, and mobility markets, further reinforcing our role as a global satellite service distributor. Our partnership with Thuraya allows us to offer clients worldwide a comprehensive range of mobile satellite services, backed by flexible plans and reliable equipment,” said Alessandro Caranci, head of Telespazio’s Satellite Communications Line of Business.

In the UAE, Telespazio’s main shareholder Leonardo has a long history of collaboration based on the supply of naval technologies, trainer aircraft and new generation helicopters. In the country, Leonardo and Telespazio are also engaged in Earth Observation, satellite navigation, telecommunications and geo-information activities.

Since its inception in 1997, Thuraya has grown to be a leading mobile satellite services operator, connecting two-thirds of the planet. For government customers, the company offers fully integrated secure solutions for ISR, Telemedicine, SAR and Aero applications.

Its dual-mode, SAT-GSM connectivity options for voice and IoT/M2M services are unique in the industry. Thuraya also has a rich service portfolio for maritime communications including global VSAT, broadband, tracking and monitoring.