Arqiva announces three‑year managed satellite services agreement with Kuwait’s Gulfsat

According to satnews.com, Arqiva announced on Oct. 16, 2026 a three‑year managed satellite services agreement with Kuwait‑based Gulfsat to provide a UK‑based uplink of four Ku‑band transponders (a portion of the microwave spectrum used for satellite communications) to Eutelsat 8 West B at 8° W, adding geographic diversity and ensuring business continuity and long‑term service assurance for Gulfsat’s broadcast clients across MENA.

According to satnews.com, SatellitePro ME and Via Satellite: The service provides a dedicated uplink of four Ku‑band transponders carrying video and data. These uplinks end at the Eutelsat 8 West B geostationary satellite located at the 8 degrees West orbital position, which serves the MENA broadcast market.

According to satnews.com, SatellitePro ME and Via Satellite: Arqiva will provide a managed service that combines fibre connectivity with the four Ku‑band transponders uplinked from its Chalfont and Crawley UK teleports (ground station facilities for satellite uplink/downlink) to Eutelsat 8WB. According to satnews.com and SatellitePro ME: The dual‑site uplink transmission uses Arqiva’s Chalfont Grove facility and its Tier 4‑certified Crawley Court teleport.

According to SatellitePro ME and Via Satellite: Gulfsat receives an end‑to‑end uplink solution from the arrangement, backed by global fibre links, integrated infrastructure and round‑the‑clock operations. It aims to provide geographic diversity, bolster business continuity and enhance operational resilience for regional broadcasters and operators.

According to satnews.com, SatellitePro ME and Via Satellite: Eutelsat 8 West B provides a fixed geostationary footprint over the MENA region, enabling continuous coverage for broadcasters and operators across the area.

According to satnews.com: Placing transmission facilities outside the Middle East gives the architecture geographic diversity that secures business continuity and long‑term service assurance for Gulfsat’s broadcast clients across MENA. The architecture also aims to shield broadcast transmissions from regional geopolitical disruptions, spectrum interference and severe weather anomalies.

According to satnews.com: Technical deployment achieved operational readiness within months after integrating redundant fiber trunk lines directly into Arqiva’s UK teleport facilities. Operational support links resilient global terrestrial fiber connectivity with 24/7 monitoring of the network operations center and carrier management.

According to satnews.com and SatellitePro ME: Gaurav Jandwani of Arqiva said the UK‑based uplink gives Gulfsat a resilient, geographically independent platform backed by teleport and network redundancy. Mustafa Murad said Arqiva’s secure, reliable, end‑to‑end connectivity and collaborative approach give confidence to serve customers with the highest standards.

According to SatellitePro ME: Gulfsat chose Arqiva for its global connectivity, its diverse European uplink infrastructure that serves MENA beams and the UK Tier‑4 facilities. Arqiva’s operational track record also played a key role in Gulfsat’s decision to choose the provider.

According to SatellitePro ME and Via Satellite: The partnership meets Gulfsat’s immediate service requirements. It also creates opportunities for further collaboration across Arqiva’s expanding Media Services portfolio, including cloud playout, headend services, monetisation, streaming and CDN solutions.

According to Via Satellite: While the agreement satisfies Gulfsat’s immediate needs, Arqiva noted it also creates potential for future collaboration across its Media Services portfolio. Potential areas include cloud playout, headend services, monetisation, streaming and CDN.

According to Via Satellite: Arqiva intends to deliver a fully managed end‑to‑end uplink service that merges global fiber connectivity, integrated infrastructure and 24/7 operations. This service will offer secure, geographically diverse ex‑region uplink services sourced from outside the Middle East.