Thaicom, a satellite communication provider and operator based in Thailand announced on Wednesday that it is partnering up with US-based Orbital Insight Inc. This partnership would enable Thaicom to deliver world-class data insights and intelligence services with Orbital Insight’s geospatial analytics platform to its customers in Thailand and the region.
The Orbital Insight Platform can transform multiple geospatial data sources from spaced-based technology and other world sensors from a wide range of service providers around the world such as satellite images, anonymized location data, vessel automatic identification system (AIS) data, and other IoT data—combined with AI and Machine Learning to analyze data.
According to the agreement, Thaicom will initially offer a different model of services, i.e., provision of data insights to customers, licensing to access the platform, and customized platforms designed to meet customer needs via the AI-powered Orbital Insight Platform.
Patompob (Nile) Suwansiri, Thaicom’s Chief Executive Officer, stated that “this collaboration marks an important milestone in our global partnership strategy for our future growth. As a regional space tech company, we will leverage this data-driven technology from the Orbital Insight Platform to embrace our new business opportunities in the new space economy domain. Applying insights from this trusted geospatial data will help our customers in government and private sectors, including the military, financial institutions, energy, and industrial sectors, as well as corporate and consumer goods, make better-informed decisions and enhance the country’s development in the digital era.
Kevin O’Brien, Chief Executive Officer, commented, ” Orbital Insight’s geospatial intelligence platform enables customers to discover, measure, and monitor activity anywhere in the world and get visibility into what they cannot see. We are excited to help Thaicom uncover insights and understand trends, patterns, and social-economic changes to make better, more data-driven decisions.”
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Thaicom and its royal history
Established in 1991 as Shinawatra Satellite after the name of its founder Thaksin Shinawatra, the company was granted a 30-year operating license by the Thailand government. During the same year, H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great graciously named the national communication satellite program “Thaicom” short for Thailand Communication looked to bridge the gap between Thailand and modern communications technology.
The company launched its first satellite called the Thaicom 1 in 1993 which covered Southeast and East Asia serving the region’s broadcast industry. Subsequently in 2014, the company launched Thaicom 6 which now provides broadcast and data services over Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Thaicom’s Indian adventures
Earlier this year, Thaicom announced that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian media company NXTDIGITAL LIMITED (NDL). This MoU was carried out as a strategic partnership between both companies and helped Thaicom enter the Broadband-over-satellite market and related services in India.
Thaicom and NDL also said that they will develop and offer a myriad of global emerging digital solutions – critical to the government’s vision and mission of a resilient digital India. These solutions, already developed and deployed by Thaicom elsewhere in the world include satellite artificial intelligence solutions comprising space-based data technologies for agriculture, disaster relief & natural resource management to public WIFI systems, and drones for augmenting rural digital solutions. With India’s significant dependence on agriculture and the incumbent challenges of crop management – the satellite-based AI will help by providing mission-critical data on tap.
Palo Alto’s own Orbital Insight
Orbital Insight Inc. is a geospatial analytics company that analyzes satellite, drone, balloon, and other unmanned aerial vehicle images. It was founded in 2013 in Palo Alto, California, by James Crawford.
It partnered with the World Bank in 2015 to improve its poverty data, using building height and rooftop material analysis to approximate wealth. In 2016, In-Q-Tel, and Google Ventures (GV), along with CME Group joined Orbital Insight’s earlier promoters Sequoia Capital, Lux Capital, and Bloomberg Beta.
The company has been on a stable upward trend and following the partnership with Thaicom, this stable trend might elevate even further.
