UK Government awards over £160 million for better and secure connectivity
In November, the UK Space Agency has announced a £6.9 million investment to advance next-generation satellite communications technologies, reinforcing Britain’s position as a European leader in space innovation. This funding will support five pioneering projects through the European Space Agency’s ARTES (Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems) programme, which focuses on connectivity and secure communications.
Space technology plays a vital role in everyday life. From satellite navigation in cars to mobile connectivity, weather forecasting, and online banking, space-enabled services underpin modern society. By backing the UK space sector, the government aims to create high-skilled jobs, attract investment, and ensure that communities benefit from reliable and secure connectivity.
The funded projects span critical areas of innovation in satellite communications.
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Secure Satellite Service Management: Develops a service for governments to plan, procure, and manage satellite communications securely across multiple providers, ensuring coherent management of critical communications.
This strategic investment strengthens the UK’s role in global space innovation. It will drive technological progress, support economic growth, and deliver secure connectivity for the future, cementing Britain’s position as a leader in advanced satellite communications.
Building Resilient Positioning, Navigation and Timing for the UK’s Future
In parallel, the UK government has announced a £155 million investment to strengthen the resilience of Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) services, which underpin critical national infrastructure, the economy, and everyday life—from mobile communications and financial transactions to transport and emergency services. Most of the UK’s PNT is delivered via Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), but these are vulnerable to hazards such as jamming, spoofing, and natural events like solar flares. The loss of PNT is listed in the UK’s National Risk Register, and a 24-hour outage could cost the economy £1.4 billion.
Speaking at the Royal Institute of Navigation’s annual PNT Leadership Seminar, Science Minister Lord Vallance emphasized that resilient PNT access is vital for national security and innovation in sectors like AI, 5G, and autonomous vehicles. The Minister outlined four key areas of progress that demonstrate the UK’s commitment to safeguarding these essential services.
The first area is funding. Following a challenging Spending Review, DSIT secured £155 million over four years, including:
The second area is international cooperation. The UK is deepening partnerships with allies, including agreements with France and the US to advance resilient terrestrial alternatives and timing resilience. DSIT continues to engage with partners in Europe, North America, and Asia to strengthen global collaboration.
The third area is industry engagement. A June call for evidence on PNT and growth received strong input from industry and academia, informing a forthcoming strategy to drive innovation and adoption of resilient PNT solutions. The private sector will play a central role in delivering technologies, focused on commercialisation and user adoption.
Finally, DSIT’s collaboration with the stakeholder organisations remains crucial. This includes co-funding initiatives to raise awareness and deliver best practice, such as new formats to improve understanding of PNT across government and industry.
Next steps
Together, these investments position the UK at the forefront of next-generation connectivity. They demonstrate a holistic approach—combining resilient timing infrastructure, advanced satellite capabilities, and cutting-edge optical solutions—to secure critical national infrastructure and enable economic growth. It also shows the crucial integration of several systems between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, to ensure reliable connectivity in any scenario, future-proofing the UK’s digital infrastructure.
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Meet the team
Sophie Greaves
Associate Director, Digital Infrastructure, techUK
Sophie Greaves is Associate Director for Digital Infrastructure at techUK, overseeing the Communications Infrastructure and Services Programme at techUK, and the UK Spectrum Policy Forum.
Sophie was promoted to Head having been Programme Manager for Communications Infrastructure and Services, leading techUK's telecoms activities, engagement and policy development. Previously, Sophie was Programme Assistant across a variety of areas including the Broadband Stakeholder Group, Central Government, Financial Services and Communications Infrastructure programmes.
Prior to joining techUK, Sophie completed a masters in Film Studies at University College London; her dissertation examined US telecoms policy relating to net neutrality and content distribution.
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Tales Gaspar
Programme Manager, UK SPF and Satellite, techUK
Tales has a background in law and economics, with previous experience in the regulation of new technologies and infrastructure.
In the UK and Europe, he offered consultancy on intellectual property rights of cellular and IoT technologies and on the regulatory procedures at the ITU as a Global Fellow at the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI).
Tales has an LL.M in Law and Business by the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV) and an MSc in Regulation at the London School of Economics, with a specialization in Government and Law.
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Josh Turpin
Programme Manager, Telecoms and Net Zero, techUK
Josh joined techUK as a Programme Manager for Telecoms and Net Zero in August 2024.
In this role, working jointly across the techUK Telecoms and Climate Programmes, Josh is responsible for leading on telecoms infrastructure deployment and uptake and supporting innovation opportunities, as well as looking at how the tech sector can be further utilised in the UK’s decarbonisation efforts.
Prior to joining techUK, Josh’s background was in public affairs and communications, working for organisations across a diverse portfolio of sectors including defence, telecoms and infrastructure; aiding clients through stakeholder engagement, crisis communications, media outreach as well as secretariat duties.
Outside of work, Josh has a keen interest in music, painting and sailing.
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