GOVSATCOM

EU GOVSATCOM (European Union Governmental Satellite Communications) refers to space-based communication services for the European Union and its Member States, facilitating security-critical missions and operations, and the management of critical infrastructures. Access to GOVSATCOM is indispensable in areas with no ground infrastructure (e.g., maritime, air, remote areas, the Arctic region), or where existing ground infrastructure is unreliable, disrupted or destroyed (e.g., due to natural disasters, crises, conflicts). GOVSATCOM is a highly assured SatCom offering a certain robustness and security level with some resilience. EU GOVSATCOM services will guarantee the transmission of security critical information with adequate protection against interference, interception, intrusion, and cyber-security risks.

GOVSATCOM will constitute a part of the EU Space Programme (2021-2027), which will exploit the possibilities offered by space in the domain of satellite communications, to enable and facilitate the implementation of Member States or EU policies related to the security of its citizens. The programme aims at providing secure and cost-efficient communications capabilities to security- and safety-critical missions and operations managed by the European Union and its Member States, including national security actors, EU institutions and agencies. The core of EU GOVSATCOM consists of the aggregation of demand, common EU level security requirements and accreditation, and pooling and sharing of national and commercial resources.

Access to GOVSATCOM services is required in the following fields of application, which group specific use cases:

1. Crisis management, ncluding civilian and military missions and operations, Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions and operations, natural and man-made disasters, humanitarian crises, and maritime emergencies;
2. Surveillance, such as border and maritime surveillance, combatting illegal trafficking, search and rescue (SAR), environmental monitoring, CSDP missions & operations at sea;
3. Key infrastructure management, which includes diplomatic networks, police communications and institutional communications, transport infrastructures, energy grid infrastructures, space infrastructures and services (including EU space infrastructures such as Galileo and EGNOS);
4. Specific use cases, such as connectivity for the Arctic region, Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), Machine to Machine (M2M) and Internet of Things (IoT) communications.

EU GOVSATCOM focuses on the needs of governmental users, including civil and military entities or institutions, requiring access to secure satellite communication services to execute their missions or to improve current operational capabilities. For instance, foreseen users include border authorities, maritime authorities, law enforcement bodies, civil protection (including rescue and emergency services, public protection and disaster relief), humanitarian aid, military forces, EU external actions, authorised key infrastructures operators.