In the bidding process for the award, EnSilica put forward a business case, supported by letters of interest from potential lead customers, to develop a chip family to support future generations of mass market satellite broadband user terminals.
The terminals will be capable of connecting with various satellite constellations and will leverage advanced semiconductor technology. In addition, the project will provide a resilient and secure source of chips which is independent and not tied to specific satellite service operators.
The market potential for satellite user terminals is growing rapidly, as demonstrated by Starlink, and is projected to reach c. US$16.5 billion by 20311. Each terminal requires hundreds of specialist chips to create an electronically steerable antenna.
The UK Space Agency’s C-LEO programme was launched last year and is designed to ensure that the UK space sector remains competitive in the rapidly evolving global market for low-earth orbit constellations. With a total funding pool of up to £160 million available over the next four years, the C-LEO programme supports the development of smarter satellites, enhanced hardware, AI-driven data delivery, and improved inter-satellite connections.
“We believe satellite communications is an incredibly important sector for EnSilica and 
one that is fast expanding globally,” says CEO Ian Lankshear (pictured) “this funding will enable us to advance our technology and bring innovative solutions to the satellite broadband market, with the project expected to be hugely beneficial to society, offering resilient internet connectivity in times of crisis, as well as providing high speed internet connectivity in remote communities not well served by terrestrial networks. We welcome the ongoing support from the UK Space Agency, which provides the framework for EnSilica to develop the technology required to address a market worth many hundreds of millions.”
