08 Apr Interview with Christodoulos Protopapas, CEO Hellas Sat, Greece
According to the European Commission’s annual report, Greece has made significant progress in improving its telecommunications sector, notably in its Very High-Capacity Networks and 5G coverage. In April, EETT announced that investments of around 1 billion euros per year over the next five years had already been planned to boost telecommunications infrastructure. How would you assess the strengths of Greece’s telecommunications sector compared to its EU counterparts? What major infrastructure projects have been seen in recent years to boost the capabilities of the local telecommunications sector?
Given its strategic geographical position as a crossroads between the Middle East, Asia, and Africa via Crete, Greece holds a pivotal role in the telecom industry, making it an optimal investment destination within the sector. We need to promote this strategic geographical position. Recently, Greece has been growing at a higher pace than the other European countries in the development of telecom services. Only four countries in Europe have a commercial satellite operator, and Greece is one of them.
Hellas Sat is now diversifying its scope of services, expanding in the Data Center service business and cloud services, as well as the hosting facilities in Cyprus and Greece. We are venturing into groundbreaking services, including laser communications through space, marking a new chapter in telecommunications technology. In Greece we are establishing the first Tier 4 Data Center in the Balkans and one of only a few in Europe. The objective is to provide resilient and uninterruptible services to all the customers of Hellas Sat. We received the Uptime Institute’s approval for the Tier 4 Data Center, and it will be ready at the beginning of April for services. A Tier 4 Data Center represents the pinnacle of data center infrastructure with the highest levels of reliability and operational sustainability. This facility will ensure that our services remain uninterrupted and secure, catering to the most critical data needs.
Hellas Sat has been in the game since the launch of its first satellite – the Hellas Sat 2 – in 2003. Since then, it has grown its satellite network to encompass three, with the latest satellite – Hellas 4 – launched in February 2019. The 4th Satellite is about to be launched. Since 2014, the company has been a subsidiary of Arab Satellite Communications Organization.
Since 2014, Arabsat has been the main shareholder of Hellas Sat, alongside the Hellenic Aerospace Industry, which holds a smaller stake. Despite this international shareholding, Hellas Sat retains the unique distinction of being the sole commercial satellite operator in Europe that is fully regulated by national legislation. It is a European company established in 2001 and is licensed by both the Hellenic and Cypriot Republics with the right of exclusive access and exploitation of the 39 degrees East orbital position until 2041. Operation of the company is subject to a particular legal framework, namely the Greek National Law n. 4506/2017 which provides the Hellenic Republic with the authority to exercise specific control, thus guaranteeing the protection of essential Greek and EU security interests.
Can you give our readers a quick overview of the company’s current assets and key services? How do you stand out in this field?
Founded in 2001 as a dedicated satellite operator, we marked our entry into the industry with the successful launch of Hellas Sat 2 in 2003. This initial foray provided expansive satellite capacity across Europe, the Middle East, and South Africa, delivering services to Broadcasters, Enterprises and Government & Defense customers. Our subsequent launches, Hellas Sat 3 in 2017 and Hellas Sat 4 in 2019, significantly increased our presence at the 39oEast orbital position whilst also ensuring in-orbit redundancy for essential services. Beyond our core offerings, we have broadened our portfolio to include uplink and colocation services for a variety of clients, including satellite operators, corporations, and governmental bodies from our state-of-the-art, WTA certified, Tier 4 teleport in Cyprus. As we progressed, we established a second teleport in Athens, Greece. Currently, we’re embarking on the third pillar of our expansion strategy: entering the Data Center and Cloud services market to meet the evolving needs of our customers with cutting-edge solutions.
Hellas Sat quite recently signed an MoU with Thales Alenia Space to develop its next satellite – the Hellas 5. You mentioned the satellite represented ‘a new era’ in technological advancement. What milestones have been passed in Hellas Sat’s mission to launch its fourth satellite, and what kind of new technological frontiers has the company crossed?
The satellite industry is undergoing a transformative period due to an escalating demand for data and ubiquitous connectivity needs. Industries such as maritime, aviation, government and defense require robust, anytime-anywhere communication capabilities. To address these needs, the satellite sector is leveraging new technologies and exploring various orbital deployments. In this dynamic context, Hellas Sat has taken a significant step by entering into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Thales Alenia Space. This collaboration aims to incorporate two laser beams on the forthcoming Hellas Sat satellite. These lasers promise to provide high-speed, uninterrupted, and secure communication by directly linking two points. This pioneering technology not only circumvents the need for radio frequency allocations from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) but also guarantees exceptionally rapid data transfer, utilizing the medium of laser light.
As we anticipate the significant shifts in technology on the horizon, particularly the onset of ‘Q Day’, the anticipated milestone when quantum computers will outpace current encryption, we are taking proactive steps towards exploring the emergent market of quantum security and communication. Our focus is on Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), a field that will become critically important in the quantum computing era.
We understand that the current infrastructure for secure communication will face new challenges due to quantum computing’s potential to decrypt existing cryptographic protocols. In response, we are exploring the strategic use of satellite technology to distribute quantum keys, a solution that transcends the physical limitations of terrestrial networks, which are currently bound to a quantum key distribution capacity of about 150 kilometers via dark fiber optic cables.
We acknowledge the vast oceans as significant barriers to terrestrial QKD between continents, such as from Asia to Europe or Europe to the US. This reality underscores the potential of satellites to serve as a vital link for secure global communication.
We are exploring the possibilities and preparing to establish ourselves within this market. Our venture into satellite-based QKD represents our commitment to innovation and our vision to meet the future demands of global communication security.
Hellas Sat made its first appearance at the International DEFEA 2023 event showcasing its government and defense capabilities. In 2022, Greece was one the few EU nations to invest more than 2% of its GDP on defense. A total of 42.6% of its defense budget was allocated on new technologies and state-of-the-art equipment. Tell us a little bit about the role that the telecommunications and Hellas Sat plays sector now plays in the defense sector.
Geostationary satellites provide a high-ground perspective that is vital for national security, strategic communications, and operational effectiveness of military forces globally. More specifically, Hellas Sat’s satellites at 39o East are being used by different Armed Forces in Europe, Middle East and Africa to provide real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) are increasingly becoming pivotal in defense operations, disaster response, and management, highlighting the essential role satellites play in command and control as well as in the integration of intelligence gathering. The design of Hellas Sat’s forthcoming satellite will be tailored to accommodate a flexible payload, ensuring enhanced efficiency and adaptability for defense applications across various domains. This will enable the satellite to support a wide range of operations, from strategic military deployments to critical disaster relief efforts, by providing robust communication links, real-time data transmission, and a seamless flow of intelligence.
The US has played a strong role in Greece as the 8th largest source of FDI, with major players such as Google, J.P. Morgan, Meta, Microsoft, and Pfizer all participating in the market. We expect that with the investment upgrade of Greece more investors will continue to come into the country. What kind of opportunities exist for collaboration between Greek and US companies in the telecom sector?
The telecom sector in Greece, like in many other countries, is ripe with opportunities for collaboration between Greek and US companies. These opportunities can range from infrastructure development to advanced services and innovations in the telecommunications industry. With the increasing move towards cloud computing, U.S. tech giants could work with Greek companies to establish data centers and cloud services that cater to the Balkans and Southeast Europe, leveraging Greece’s strategic location.
Hellas Sat is strategically positioning itself to harness the synergistic potential of its extensive infrastructure, including its state-of-the-art teleport and data centers in Greece. By fostering partnerships and leveraging these assets, Hellas Sat stands to create a mutually beneficial ecosystem for collaboration with U.S. companies.
What kind of trends or business potential do you see in the data center field?
The data center industry is undergoing significant growth and transformation, driven by various trends and emerging technologies. The potential for businesses in this field is substantial due to the increasing reliance on digital technologies and data-driven decision-making across all sectors.
Hellas Sat is poised for significant expansion, presenting a prime opportunity for clients from the United States and the Middle East to leverage our top-tier data centers as a strategic gateway to European telecom operators.
We invite prospective customers to capitalize on our secure, state-of-the-art facilities to amplify their telecom operations and navigate the European market with confidence and ease.
You have been at the helm of the company for 23 years. What is your vision for the sector as a whole? What kind of role can Greece play in the telecom sector as a whole?
Rooted deeply in the telecom industry, with over twenty years dedicated to satellite technology, my career trajectory mirrors the sector’s remarkable evolution and accentuates the critical role of satellite technology. This evolution is far from over; satellites remain indispensable, providing essential connectivity and mobility across diverse sectors such as maritime, aviation, and government and defense.
While Hellas Sat is poised to embark on ventures within the low-earth orbit satellite arena, engaging with various entities to make this a reality, our vision extends beyond being just a satellite operator.
The transformation into a holistic solutions provider is a strategic pivot that’s defining the industry’s future—and one that Hellas Sat has been successfully navigating for the past decade. This evolution of services, diversifying beyond traditional satellite operations, has been instrumental in ensuring our profitability and attractiveness as a business. Our commitment to this diversification is a testament to our adaptability and forward-thinking approach.
What is your final message to the readers of USA Today?
In an era where strategic synergies and partnerships are more crucial than ever, Hellas Sat stands out as the national satellite operator of Greece and Cyprus, embodying the ideal partner for businesses seeking comprehensive services. As a one-stop hub for turnkey solutions, Hellas Sat offers an integrated suite of Satellite services, Ground Services, and Data Center operations. This integration positions us as the perfect ally for companies and corporations aiming to streamline their communications infrastructure. Leveraging our extensive experience and capabilities, Hellas Sat is dedicated to delivering seamless, end-to-end solutions that empower our partners to achieve their objectives with efficiency and reliability.