Filtronic signs deal to supply E-band parts to SpaceX

Filtronic’s industry-leading mmWave SSPAs for high-data-rate communications

Filtronic, a leader in high-performance mmWave technologies, signed a strategic partnership and commercial agreement last week with SpaceX which includes the ongoing supply of Filtronic’s cutting-edge E-band Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPA), alongside collaborative efforts in developing and delivering comparable products across multiple frequency bands core to SpaceX’s Starlink platform.

The agreement was signed with an initial order of £15.8 million to supply E-band SSPA modules, scheduled for delivery in this financial year, with further order flow expected to continue thereafter to support the ongoing deployment of SpaceX’s Starlink constellation, which provides high-speed, low-latency internet to users all around the world. As part of the partnership, SpaceX has committed to ongoing orders for the next five years to ensure Filtronic remains a key part of its supply chain.

Filtronic’s CEO Richard Gibbs, said: “We are delighted to enter into this important Strategic Agreement with SpaceX, a market leader in LEO (low-Earth orbit) satellite constellations. This ongoing SpaceX partnership underlines our core value proposition of high-performance mmWave and operational excellence.

“It also provides Filtronic with the opportunity to scale manufacturing, build capability and execute our technology roadmap. The team at Filtronic are excited to develop our existing relationship with SpaceX and secure the ongoing supply of E-band SSPAs. We also look forward to collaborating with the SpaceX engineering team to develop new products for use in the Starlink system.”

Mike Nicolls, SpaceX’s vice president of Starlink Engineering concluded: “Filtronic has been an outstanding supplier for Starlink. It has matched our rate ramp and increasing demand for high-quality parts. Filtronic’s strong engineering teams have taken ownership of their production process to meet our needs, taking their designs from wafer to functional unit, and are delivering quality parts in E-band which will enable the Starlink network to continue to grow and connect millions of more people around the world with high-speed, low-latency broadband internet.”