Nokia and Finnish satellite operator ICEYE have announced a collaboration to create secure communications infrastructure tailored for government and defence use. The initiative centres on constructing low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems designed to give nations independent control over their communications assets, with initial launches scheduled for 2028.
A key feature of the arrangement is that governments adopting the technology will own and operate the satellites, ground infrastructure and user terminals directly, rather than depending on third-party commercial satellite operators. The two firms emphasised that their network will function as a complement to existing military and civilian infrastructure rather than serving as a replacement.
Nokia will contribute its expertise in encrypted communications and network architecture, while ICEYE brings its established track record in satellite systems and space intelligence capabilities.
Together with Nokia, we are building on our proven space intelligence expertise and delivering sovereign, high-performance satellite communications. Nations must be able to fully own and control their communications, without dependency on a foreign commercial operator's terms of service. We delivered Poland its own radar satellite system in under a year. Partnering with Nokia lets us move at a similar speed for satellite communications, on the timelines nations need.
ICEYE CEO and Co-Founder Rafal Modrzewski
Sovereign operations depend on the ability to sense, decide and act in real time. Physical AI makes that possible, but only with secure, resilient connectivity across land, sea, air and space. By bringing together Nokia's trusted networks with ICEYE's proven sovereign space capabilities, we will deliver a satellite communications capability – complementing existing terrestrial networks, and giving nations the situational awareness, connectivity, and control they need to operate with confidence in contested environments across all domains.
Nokia President and CEO Justin Hotard
