stc Group Signs Strategic Deal with TONOMUS for LEO Satellite Capacity in Saudi Arabia

stc group logo
stc group logo
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stc Group Signs Strategic Deal with TONOMUS for LEO Satellite Capacity in Saudi Arabia

stc group logo
stc group logo

TONOMUS – NEOM's cognitive technology and digital infrastructure subsidiary – announced the signing of a multi-year agreement with stc group, an engine of digital transformation, to acquire from TONOMUS Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity capacity in Saudi Arabia.

Unveiled at FII in Riyadh, the newly announced agreement will grant stc group unprecedented access to LEO satellite capacity and empower the company to offer high-speed broadband internet and data services, as well as business continuity solutions to government institutions, large enterprises and SMEs across Saudi Arabia.

stc group's acquisition is a significant milestone for the connectivity landscape in the country, given their emphasis on enhancing and offering optimized connectivity services for customers in crucial industries like oil and gas, mining, agritech, health, education and finance.

The collaboration between TONOMUS and stc group is a testament to the accelerating demand for affordable, fast, high-bandwidth and low-latency connectivity across the region. It will enable the provision of fiber-like internet access to residents of rural and remote areas, ultimately facilitating an enhanced and seamless online experience.

TONOMUS' agreement with stc group will strengthen Saudi Arabia's digital transformation through strong collaboration with local infrastructure and service providers. It will also help usher in a transition to broad participation in the digital ecosystem as a platform for scalability, innovation and availability for all government and business sectors.

Scott Gegenheimer, President of Infrastructure, TONOMUS, said: "The acquisition of LEO satellite network capacity by stc group corresponds with TONOMUS' vision for a more connected, inclusive and prosperous Saudi Arabia. We see stc group as an ideal partner to extend coverage in the region and help us realize this vision. The agreement between our two companies will facilitate the provision of rapid and reliable connectivity to transform businesses and the lives of communities, while empowering NEOM's groundbreaking ecosystem of cognitive technologies that we are developing at TONOMUS."

Riyadh Muawad, GCBO, stc group, said, "stc is committed to lead in the ICT and digital transformation in the region. Our contract with TONOMUS is a major milestone that will enable us to offer high-speed, low-latency satellite internet and data services to customers in crucial industries. This will help bridge the digital divide in remote areas and communities, benefitting government sectors and businesses. We are proud to partner with TONOMUS and contribute to the country's digital ecosystem."



Nvidia Making AI Module for Outer Space

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says artificial intelligence powered by the company's graphics processing units is quickly infusing nearly everything from Disney character robots to data centers that may one day be orbiting the planet. JOSH EDELSON / AFP
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says artificial intelligence powered by the company's graphics processing units is quickly infusing nearly everything from Disney character robots to data centers that may one day be orbiting the planet. JOSH EDELSON / AFP
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Nvidia Making AI Module for Outer Space

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says artificial intelligence powered by the company's graphics processing units is quickly infusing nearly everything from Disney character robots to data centers that may one day be orbiting the planet. JOSH EDELSON / AFP
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says artificial intelligence powered by the company's graphics processing units is quickly infusing nearly everything from Disney character robots to data centers that may one day be orbiting the planet. JOSH EDELSON / AFP

Nvidia chief Jensen Huang on Monday said the leading artificial intelligence chip maker is heading for space with a goal of powering orbiting data centers.

An Nvidia graphics processing unit (GPU) was launched into space late last year by startup Starcloud in what was touted as an off-planet debut for the technology, but now Nvidia is creating a module intended as a building block for data centers there.

"We're working with our partners on a new computer called Vera Rubin Space One," Huang said as he kicked off the GPU-maker's annual developers conference in Silicon Valley.

"It's going to go out to space and start data centers."

Partners in the project include Starcloud, which is planning a November satellite launch that will mark the "cosmic debut" of the new Nvidia module.

A Starcloud-1 satellite, about the size of a small refrigerator, is expected to be packed with 100 times more computing power than any previous space-based operation.

"In 10 years, nearly all new data centers will be being built in outer space," predicted Starcloud co-founder and chief Philip Johnston.

The startup explained that it plans to power Google AI with the Nvidia GPUs to show that large language models can run in outer space.

Nvidia described the Vera Rubin module as being optimized for AI, enabling real-time sensing, decision making, and autonomous functioning.

"Space computing, the final frontier, has arrived," Huang said.

"With our partners, we're extending Nvidia beyond our planet - boldly taking intelligence where it's never gone before."

Tech firms are floating the idea of building data centers in space and tapping into the sun's energy to meet out-of-this-world power demands in a fierce artificial intelligence race.

More than a dozen startups, aerospace leaders, and major tech firms are involved in the development, testing, or planning of space-based data centers.

The big draw of space for data centers is power supply, with the option of synchronizing satellites to the sun's orbit to ensure constant light beaming onto solar panels.

Building in space also avoids the challenges of acquiring land and meeting local regulations or community resistance to projects.

Critical technical aspects of such operations need to be resolved, however, particularly damage to the orbiting data centers from high levels of radiation and extreme temperatures, and the danger of them being hit by space junk.


Samsung Shares Rise After Nvidia’s Huang Flags Tie-up on New AI Chips

10 September 2025, Bavaria, Munich: The Samsung logo can be seen at the Samsung stand during the International Motor Show (IAA Mobility). (dpa)
10 September 2025, Bavaria, Munich: The Samsung logo can be seen at the Samsung stand during the International Motor Show (IAA Mobility). (dpa)
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Samsung Shares Rise After Nvidia’s Huang Flags Tie-up on New AI Chips

10 September 2025, Bavaria, Munich: The Samsung logo can be seen at the Samsung stand during the International Motor Show (IAA Mobility). (dpa)
10 September 2025, Bavaria, Munich: The Samsung logo can be seen at the Samsung stand during the International Motor Show (IAA Mobility). (dpa)

Shares of Samsung Electronics rose as much as 5% on Tuesday after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said the South Korean company was producing Nvidia's new artificial intelligence chips.

The news fueled expectations that Samsung's foundry division, which makes logic chips for customers including Tesla, Apple and Samsung's phone division, may be able to turn around ‌as early ‌as next year after posting ‌billions ⁠of dollars in annual ⁠losses in recent years, analysts said.

At Nvidia's GTC developer conference in California on Monday, Huang unveiled Nvidia's new AI inference processor based on technology from chip startup Groq.

"I want to thank Samsung who manufactures the Groq LP30 ⁠chip for us and they're cranking as ‌hard as they ‌can," he said, adding the chips were in production, ‌and would be shipped in the second half ‌of this year.

Samsung also showcased the Nvidia chips made using its 4-nanometer manufacturing process at the GTC.

Samsung shares were up 4.3% at 196,800 won ‌as of 0252 GMT, after earlier reaching 198,000 won. The broader market was ⁠up 2.7%.

Sohn ⁠In-joon, an analyst at Heungkuk Securities, expected Samsung's foundry business would be able to reach breakeven later next year. But he said weak demand from mobile phones stemming from surging memory chip prices could weigh on foundry earnings.

Advanced Micro Devices' CEO Lisa Su will meet Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee in South Korea on Wednesday, media reports said, with eyes on whether the two would discuss cooperation in memory chips and logic semiconductors.


Nebius Signs AI Capacity Deal with Meta for at Least $12 Billion

FILE PHOTO: The logo of Nebius during the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Nebius during the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo
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Nebius Signs AI Capacity Deal with Meta for at Least $12 Billion

FILE PHOTO: The logo of Nebius during the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Nebius during the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo

Amsterdam-based Nebius Group said on Monday it has signed a new five-year deal with Meta Platforms to provide the social media giant with $12 billion of dedicated AI computing capacity ⁠across multiple locations by ⁠2027.

Under the deal, Meta will also buy an additional $15 billion worth of capacity planned by Nebius over ⁠the coming five years if it is not sold to other customers, giving the contract a total value of up to $27 billion, Nebius said.

Nebius is a so-called "neocloud" company that sells hardware and cloud capacity ⁠as ⁠services to other tech firms. It uses Nvidia processors to provide AI cloud infrastructure.

It signed an initial $3 billion deal with Meta in November.