Boeing’s new unit targets rising military bandwidth demand

Boeing Co. has established Boeing Commercial Satellite Services to market commercial satellite telecommunications services, including hosted payloads, to the federal government and other satellite users.

The new group, based in El Segundo, Calif., is being integrated into Boeing’s Space and Intelligence Systems business unit, according to a company announcement released today.

“Boeing has received orders for five hosted payloads in the past 18 months,” said Craig Cooning, CEO of Boeing Satellite Systems International and vice president and general manager of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems, said in the announcement.

The market response has been extremely positive to hosted payloads as a creative solution to limited military bandwidth availability, he added.

“We believe that the Boeing Commercial Satellite Services unit will perform a valuable service both for the military and for commercial users of satellite services to meet mission needs,” Cooning said.

Hosted payloads -- which can be designed in a variety of configurations and can be a more affordable and timely option than procuring a complete satellite -- represent an important area for Boeing to respond to the global demand for more communications bandwidth, the announcement explained.

Boeing Commercial Satellite Services will work with owners of satellite systems to market available bandwidth and include hosted payloads on their future spacecraft, the giant aerospace company said.

Boeing Co is based in Chicago.