Australia''s SpeedCast International Limited, global satellite telecommunications expert, has signed an agreement to acquire SAIT Communications, a fast-growing European maritime communications service provider.
SAIT Communications is one of the leading suppliers of L-band satellite services in the southern European maritime market, in particular in Greece, which is one of the largest maritime markets in Europe.
Pierre-Jean Beylier, CEO of SpeedCast, said: “Our maritime business is a key growth engine for SpeedCast. With this acquisition, we are expanding our presence in major and fast growing maritime markets in southern Europe. These low VSAT-penetrated markets are well positioned for accelerated growth.”
He added that the acquisition will position the group as an even stronger global provider of state-of-the-art communications and IT services to the maritime sector.
Joining SpeedCast, SAIT Communications will now be able to offer its maritime customers a wider portfolio of products and services, including the widest range of VSAT services in the market, and to better support its customers globally leveraging SpeedCast’s network of field engineers in key ports around the world.
The combined entity will be one of the largest service providers to the maritime sector in the market today, servicing over 5000 vessels with a wide portfolio of communications and IT services, and an impressive global support network.
This latest announcement follows SpeedCast’s acquisition of Geolink Satellite Services earlier this year, a service provider active in the maritime sector, mostly in France.
By Anne-Marie Causer