SD Government has entered into an agreement for the sale of the COMSAT Southbury, CT. and Santa Paula, CA. teleports to UK-based Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd.
Upon closing of the asset sale, the East and West coast US ground stations will be operated and managed by Goonhilly, which is making the acquisition to support its growth in the sector. The two-phase transition of management, employees and ground assets will allow the seamless transfer of existing operations and all client business. The first phase will ensure streamlined integration of the teleport team, land and facilities into the Goonhilly structure, while the second will focus on optimizing the Goonhilly global POPs to supplement the existing SD global points of presence and terrestrial network. Goonhilly will work with SD as a strategic partner to support its satcom services.
“Goonhilly UK is the ideal group to take the teleports to the next level of capabilities as it continues to invest in the infrastructure upgrades that SD has made. The deal allows us to continue innovating our SD hardware, software and connectivity services and Goonhilly to focus on the core business of optimizing teleport operations. Once the transition is concluded, the augmented infrastructure will strengthen our global mobility network for our business, government and military customers, which rely on us for consistent connectivity around the world,” says Chris Moore, President, Satcom Direct.
The agreed sale will increase Goonhilly’s satellite communication coverage and provide customers on both sides of the Atlantic access to the expertise for which Goonhilly and COMSAT are renowned. The purchase will also allow the company to increase the reach of its private deep space communications network – increasing the amount of time that its customers’ spacecraft are visible as the Earth rotates.
Ian Jones, Goonhilly CEO adds, “We are delighted to have agreed to the sale. Goonhilly and COMSAT are two of the most established and respected names in the satellite teleport business, and this brings the opportunity on both sides of the Atlantic to enhance our service offer to all our ground station clients. At the same time, we will be extending our ground-breaking deep space and lunar communications capability. The addition of the award-winning teleports, a group of highly experienced engineers and the heritage they have for handling complex, highly customized network requirements boosts our offering and gives real added value to our existing and future customers.”