Astrium Services and Allsat form JV for European Navigation and Positioning Services

* Precise positioning down to ±2 cm
* Blue chip customers across Germany
* GNSS augmentation tailored to user needs

München/Hannover. – Astrium Services and Allsat GmbH network+services have created a joint venture AXIO-NET GmbH to provide precise navigation and positioning services across Europe.

Precise navigation and positioning services use satellite navigation signals in combination with terrestrial networks to offer very accurate location data. This data is invaluable to a host of applications and companies – including monitoring and maintainting utility networks, transport infrastructure and geographical features.

AXIO-NET will offer the “ascos” service across Germany which currently has a large number of established blue chip users in industrial sectors including agriculture, utilities, transport, forestry, surveying and construction

Accurate and reliable location data enable everything from monitoring the performance and integrity of a utilities distribution network or transport system to improved targetting of fertilisers for agriculture.

AXIO-NET will ensure uninterrupted continuation of the “ascos” service to all its users. Until now "ascos” was owned by E.ON Ruhrgas AG. The “ascos” migration to a joint venture formed by Astrium Services and Allsat GmbH network+services had been announced in September 2007.

Astrium Services is developing its navigation services strategy to provide value added services to users beyond those available through existing and future Global Navigations Satellite Systems (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Compass, etc). Providing more precise and more reliable location signals combined with guarantee of availability greatly enhances the value to users.

Eric Beranger, CEO of Astrium Services said: “The market for precise navigation and positioning services looks set to grow enormously as more and more government and commercial users realise the value of accurate location data. We will continue to develop and explore new opportunities in navigation services – to be ready to make the most of the Galileo system due to be in service in 2013.”

Astrium Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Astrium, offers a unique ‘one-stop shop’ in the satellite services market, with unrivalled capability and expertise in secure communications, Earth observation services and navigation services. The European provider of milsatcom services, including the pioneering Skynet 5 service, and a world-leading supplier of geo-information products and services, Astrium Services meets its customers’ requirements with innovative and highly competitive end-to-end solutions.