AVANTI HYLAS 2 CYPRUS LIMITED

Their core work

Avanti HYLAS 2 Cyprus is the Cyprus-registered subsidiary of Avanti Communications, a commercial satellite broadband operator running the HYLAS 2 satellite that covers Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa. In EU research projects, they contribute real operational satellite network infrastructure — something most academic or SME partners in digital consortia cannot offer. Their role bridges commercial satellite communications with experimental internet architectures and next-generation network testbeds. They are most valuable in projects that need a working satellite link to validate connectivity solutions in real-world conditions, particularly for reaching underserved or remote areas.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their first H2020 project (RIFE, 2015–2018), Avanti's contribution centred on connectivity gaps — affordable internet access, delay-tolerant networking, and novel communication architectures that could work over high-latency satellite links. By their second project (5GENESIS, 2018–2021), the focus shifted toward 5G system integration, end-to-end network validation, and public showcasing — reflecting the industry-wide pivot toward 5G and satellite's emerging role within it. The trajectory is clear: from solving basic connectivity problems to participating in next-generation network experimentation infrastructure.

Avanti is positioning satellite infrastructure as a component of 5G and future network architectures, suggesting future collaboration interest in non-terrestrial network (NTN) research, satellite-5G convergence, and digital inclusion projects.

How they like to work

Avanti participates exclusively as a consortium partner — never as coordinator — across both projects, which is consistent with an operator that brings infrastructure rather than leading research agendas. They have worked in large, multi-country consortia (42 unique partners across 15 countries from just 2 projects), suggesting they are comfortable operating as a specialist contributor in complex EU research structures. This profile makes them a reliable industry partner for consortia that need a credible operational satellite network to validate experimental protocols.

Despite only two projects, Avanti has connected with 42 unique consortium partners spanning 15 countries — an unusually wide network for such a small project portfolio, reflecting the large international consortia typical of ICT Research and Innovation Actions. No geographic concentration is evident from the data, pointing to pan-European and potentially global research networks.

What sets them apart

Avanti HYLAS 2 Cyprus is one of very few commercial satellite operators to participate directly in H2020 ICT research — most industry partners in these consortia are hardware vendors or software firms, not live network operators. This gives them a rare ability to provide working satellite connectivity as a testbed rather than a simulation, which is difficult for academic partners to replicate. For consortium builders targeting digital inclusion, rural connectivity, or satellite-terrestrial network integration, Avanti represents a credible operational anchor that strengthens project realism and exploitation potential.

Highlights from their portfolio

• 5GENESIS
  The larger of the two projects by EC funding (€506,682), 5GENESIS placed Avanti inside a major 5G end-to-end experimentation programme — signalling satellite's integration into the 5G ecosystem well before this became mainstream.
• RIFE
  RIFE targeted internet access for underserved populations using information-centric and delay-tolerant architectures, a direct match for Avanti's satellite infrastructure serving remote or low-connectivity regions.