CARLSBAD — The city’s largest employer is laying off 4% of its global workforce due to changes in certain businesses and the delayed launch of the first of its satellites.
Viasat, a Carlsbad-based telecommunications company, filed Worker Retraining and Adjustment Notification Act paperwork earlier this month, trimming its staff as it prepares for its upcoming Viasat-3 satellite launch, according to media reports.
The company also sold one of its most profitable business units — the Link 16 Tactical Data Links — to defense contractor and technology company L3 Harris for $2 billion. Link 16, a military tactical data link network used by U.S. and NATO “for exchanging real-time tactical data,” was a successful unit for the company’s defense contracting business.
Viasat aims to grow its internet bandwidth in space and cover the costs of Viasat-3 and Viasat-4 satellites. Each new satellite will provide at least one terabyte of internet capacity and help keep up with the competition, such as Starlink, a satellite internet constellation owned by SpaceX.
The first Viasat-3 satellite, consisting of three ultra-high-capacity, Ka-band satellites, is set to launch this month at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Viasat provides residential internet service but has seen its aviation business increase since the company’s coverage area ballooned due to the location of its satellites. Viasat’s competitors largely utilize ground-to-air internet.
The Viasat-3 constellation is expected to give the company global coverage, enhancing its residential, aviation and defense services. The second launch is scheduled for September, and the third satellite will launch about six months later, according to Viasat’s website.
The first two satellites will cover the Americas, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The third satellite will cover Asia and other countries in the Pacific. The satellites will reside in geostationary orbit, providing a greater range for service than satellites in low earth orbit, like Starlink.
In related news, Viasat is acquiring Inmarsat, a British satellite telecommunications company, for $6 billion.
