Eutelsat, a major European satellite operator, and Skynopy, a French start-up, have officially launched Global AKAR, a new network of ground stations designed to support low-orbit satellites. The initiative, announced at the International Space Summit under President Emmanuel Macron’s leadership, aims to significantly reduce the time it takes to receive data from space. Known as "root" in Malay, the project seeks to fill a critical gap in the space economy by improving the efficiency of satellite data transmission. The partnership combines Eutelsat’s extensive network of antennas, built over nearly 50 years of satellite operations, with Skynopy’s advanced software. Skynopy, based in Paris, has developed virtual modems—software that replaces traditional physical equipment used by individual clients. This innovation allows a single antenna to communicate with multiple satellites simultaneously. For satellite operators, this means easier access to the network through a single interface, across various radio frequencies, including S, X, and Ka bands, which are suited to different types of missions. Skynopy, founded in late 2023 by Pierre Bertrand and Antonin Hirsch, already operates 17 sites and over 35 stations across five continents, serving a dozen clients, including Airbus Defence and Space. The company has secured 18 million euros in funding and technical support from Amazon Web Services. Eutelsat, formed from the merger with British company OneWeb, is now the first operator to manage both geostationary and low-orbit satellites. Global AKAR aims to provide its existing antenna infrastructure to more clients without disrupting current users. Currently, it takes about an hour for satellite data—such as images or measurements—to reach the ground. With Global AKAR, this delay could be reduced to under three minutes. Data transmission rates are expected to reach up to 10 Gbit/s, five to ten times faster than today, which could greatly enhance Earth observation and prepare for future space-based data centers. The project was first tested on a small scale using three Earth observation antennas, with partial funding from France’s national strategy, France 2030. The new network is designed to be secure, potentially attracting defense and other sensitive applications. Pierre Bertrand, CEO of Skynopy, noted that satellite operators want faster data retrieval without the need to build their own expensive infrastructure. He aims to position Global AKAR as the industry standard. Jean-François Fallacher, CEO of Eutelsat, sees the initiative as a way to expand the value of its infrastructure by reaching new clients. President Macron praised the project as an embodiment of France 2030’s vision for the French space sector.