Anuvu buys Signal Mountain Networks to expand government business (Image Credit: Space News)
TAMPA, Fla. — Mobile satellite connectivity specialist Anuvu is looking for more avenues for growth with the acquisition of Signal Mountain Networks, a satellite communications provider to the U.S. government.
Anuvu said Aug. 11 that the 20-year-old mission-critical solutions provider could help unlock new revenue streams ahead of plans to start deploying its own constellation next year.
Los Angeles-headquartered Anuvu currently leases capacity from other operators to provide Wi-Fi on aircraft, boats, and remote locations to commercial and government customers.
Signal Mountain is based in Atlanta and designs, implements, and supports satcoms and other connectivity systems for customers that include NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Army, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
While Anuvu already has a long-term commercial partnership with Signal Mountain, it said using the company’s position on key contracting vehicles for government agencies enables it to expand into new areas.
The companies did not disclose financial details of the transaction.
Signal Mountain founder and CEO Jonathan Huffman is set to assume a leadership role within Anuvu following the deal.
San Francisco-based Astranis is building the first two satellites for Anuvu’s upcoming constellation, and they are due to launch next year to geostationary orbit (GEO) on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
At around 400 kilograms, Astranis satellites are much smaller than traditional GEO satellites and are scaled to provide smaller geographies with dedicated bandwidth at lower costs.
SpaceX is slated to fly Astranis’ first commercial satellite, Arcturus for U.S.-based telco Pacific Dataport Inc., as a secondary payload on a Falcon Heavy later this year. The mission’s primary payload is ViaSat-3, the first satellite in U.S.-based broadband provider Viasat’s next-generation constellation.
