Satellite communications specialist Mangata Networks closed a USD 33 million Series A round led by US-based venture capital firm Playground Global. Other major investors include Singapore’s Temasek, KTsat from South Korea, Scottish Enterprise in the UK, Promus Ventures from its Orbital Ventures Fund, and Meta Venture Partners, also in the US.
Mangata plans to develop HEO (highly elliptical orbit) and MEO (medium earth orbit) satellite constellations, combined with a terrestrial system of MangataEdge micro data centres, extending the cloud to the edge of the network close to users. This single core network is designed to provide scalable B2G and B2B connectivity.
Mangata Networks plans to initiate service for the entire Northern Hemisphere starting in 2024 with its initial launch of eight HEO satellites. Subsequent launches of 24 MEO satellites will provide complete global coverage and increased overall system capacity. This architecture is expected to decrease the capital expense required for this scale of global connectivity, while creating access to cloud technology, backhaul, IoT services, and 5G coverage.
Mangata is developing a patented architecture to connect micro data centres over satellite, hosting cloud service platforms with the capability to extend connectivity directly into localised 5G, IoT and Wi-Fi networks on a global basis. Initial community networks will be deployed as early as 2023, prior to launch of its initial satellites. This will allow customers to evaluate use-cases and conduct commercial trials before the start of service, the company said.
Early in 2023, the company plans to implement multiple trial networks around the world to begin product testing and evaluation in advance of its first launch, starting with South Korea in Asia, the 5G Open Innovation Lab in Seattle, and the Scotland 5G Centre in the UK.
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