Entering the space race and ensuring Hungary has its own satellite is a matter of “national sovereignty”, the majority owner of 4iG, which recently established Hungary’s first commercial satellite business in partnership with state-owned Antenna Hungária, said in an interview published by Növekedés.hu.
“Some television and radio broadcasts, some mobile and internet communications, the operation of ATMs, or simply being able to see the weather forecast with a touch of a button on our mobile phones are impossible today without satellites. We can view these devices as a part of critical infrastructure, and if they were to fail or be absent, it could result in serious consequences on a national level. In this sense, the state having satellite technology at its disposal is a matter of national sovereignty,” Gellért Jászai told the portal. He noted that Hungary has had a satellite orbit, assigned by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for some 30 years, but the state rented it out to a privately-owned foreign company in 2004. He said the contract with that company expires in 2024.
“There is a quiet but very serious space race going on in Europe at present that involves meeting the demands of the technologies I’ve mentioned as well as other things. Countries in the region and western European states are all working on getting their own satellites or on expanding their existing capacity. From a strategic point of view, we don’t really have a choice. If we do not enter the race from 2024, we’ll be at a significant disadvantage as well as perpetuating the country’s vulnerability,” he said. Jászai said that if Hungary doesn’t have its own satellite, it will be forced to use the satellites or technology of foreign companies. “As a communications satellite requires an investment in the ranges of tens of billions of forints and remains operational for about 20 years, the decisions we take now will determine Hungary’s development path in this area for decades to come,” he added.
Listed IT company 4iG announced earlier in August that it established a venture to launch in 2024 and operate Hungary’s first satellite suitable for commercial, governmental and scientific research missions. 4iG holds a 51% controlling stake in the company, called CarpathiaSat Magyar Űrtávközlési. State-owned terrestrial broadcasting company Antenna Hungary has a 44% stake in the venture and New Space Industries holds 5%.
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