Guru Gowrappan, president of satellite giant Viasat, heralded the unique opportunity offered by space connectivity, as the company officially opened a new HQ in the UK following its $7 billion acquisition of Inmarsat.

In a statement, Viasat explained the new site will aid the company’s ambitions to better serve its mobility and government customer bases.

The formerly US-based company sealed a deal to acquire UK rival Inmarsat in May last year.

Speaking at an event to mark the opening of the new HQ, Gowrappan talked up the space segment as a whole, stating it had an unrivalled ecosystem of partners that was changing the way the world connects, “opening up exciting commercial opportunities and a prosperous future for innovation”.

During the event, several executives from Viasat also put the focus on a number of commercial opportunities it was pursuing following its multi billion dollar tie-up with Inmarsat, including direct-to-device, space-to-space orbit communications and support for customers across the maritime, aviation and government sectors.

The new UK facility, located in central London, is now home to Viasat’s network operations centre and satellite control centre, providing satellite, network and cybersecurity capabilities across the company’s global footprint. It will also use the site to collaborate with partners to drive deployment of IoT solutions and direct-to-device services.

UK space hub
Gowrappan explained it had chosen the UK for its HQ because it believed the country would play a vital role for its growth trajectory, helping to unlock opportunities in commercial mobility and government communications in a market that is valued at “$108 billion globally”.

He also added the company was also actively involved in “shaping policies for a sustainable orbit environment and ensuring equitable access to space’s precious resources”.

Also speaking at the event, the UK government’s minister for Space, Andrew Griffith, said Viasat’s decision to locate to the UK was a testament to “our country’s growing reputation as a global space hub where innovation can thrive and businesses flourish”.