Blink Modem at the Core of RF Ground Communications for SpeQtral's SpeQtre Quantum Satellite
[Illustration of Earth and a satellite-based quantum communications network. Image credit: SpeQtral]
Amphinicy Technologies today announced SpeQtral has selected its Blink software modem to manage radio frequency (RF) communications with the SpeQtre quantum communications satellite. SpeQtral, a leader in quantum communication technologies, took operational control of the SpeQtre satellite in July 2026 and is now focused on the mission's quantum experimentation phase. In the SpeQtre mission, Blink runs within the AWS Ground Station network and provides telemetry and telecommand (TM/TC) and wideband data downlink over the satellite's RF link.
Advances in quantum computing threaten conventional encryption methods. This creates new cybersecurity risks for sovereign and enterprise telecommunications networks. SpeQtral develops satellite-based quantum key distribution (QKD) to secure communications over long distances. Its work is a key step towards a global quantum-secure communications network for governments, businesses and operators of critical infrastructure.
The SpeQtre satellite is designed to generate and transmit entanglement-based encryption keys worldwide. After its launch in November 2025, the satellite made contact with optical ground stations (OGS) in Asia and Europe. SpeQtral is now calibrating the optical links to the higher precision that operational quantum communications require.
For the SpeQtre mission, Amphinicy’s Blink software modem is used within AWS ground station network for flexible, efficient and convenient RF communication with the satellite. Blink has been supporting the SpeQtre mission from its AIT/AIV phase in 2024 to operations today. Both AIT/AIV tests and operations use Blink deployed as virtual modem within the AWS cloud infrastructure. This is a novel method of modem use, particularly for AIT/AIV purposes.
In addition to simple and fast modem deployment, Amphinicy delivered an automated, on-demand, TM/TC and payload downlink communication stack on AWS, orchestrating all required resources and distributing uplink and downlink digIF between AWS antennas and Blink modem for each scheduled contact.
Dr. Robert Bedington, Cofounder and CTO at SpeQtral, said:
”Amphinicy’s Blink software modem has given the SpeQtre mission the flexibility to move with relative ease from integration and testing into on-orbit operations. Its cloud-based deployment through AWS Ground Station provides a scalable and efficient foundation for reliable satellite communications, allowing our team to focus on the mission’s core objective: advancing space-based quantum communications towards real-world deployment.”
About Blink modem
Blink is a wideband software modem developed by Amphinicy Technologies, helping satellite operators and ground station service providers optimise operations, improve efficiency, and reduce costs and time-to-market. Blink supports multi-channel comms in one solution, (de)modulating the signal, (de)coding the data, communicating with the mission control system and generating advanced downlink processing reports.
[Blink software modem in the cloud deployment scenario. Image credit: Amphinicy Technologies]
In addition to AWS infrastructure, Blink can be deployed on other public or private clouds or run efficiently on standalone and isolated servers, seamlessly integrating within existing ground stations. It is the only software modem capable of fully supporting S, X- and Ka-band communication with CCSDS and DVB-S2(X) protocols. TM/TC and high data rate (HDR) modems have traditionally been separate, purpose-built hardware units. With Blink, both are delivered in one flexible software modem on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) infrastructure.
Irena Kos, Head of Product Development for Blink at Amphinicy Technologies, said:
“We are very proud and happy to be supporting amazing SpeQtral team in their important mission and vision to break through the industry boundaries and mature new quantum technologies. Our mutual understanding of the pragmatic and flexible engineering approach needed to facilitate such development speed made our collaboration successful and swift, to the benefit of the mission.
The solution we’ve delivered for SpeQtre mission exemplifies some of the best aspects of a virtual, software modem deployed on cloud infrastructure. Instead of buying and shipping hardware modems between test and operational sites with all the risks and costs that can include, a virtual software modem can be instantiated when needed, for the time needed and wherever the cloud provider’s data centre or applicable COTS compute exists. This is an advantage that NewSpace, agile satellite operators and technology demonstrators can greatly benefit from.”
About SpeQtral
SpeQtral is a pioneer in quantum communications, with a vision to build and deploy global quantum networks. The company develops quantum-secure products and services designed to protect sovereign and enterprise telecommunications networks against classical, as well as future quantum based cyber-attacks. Combining terrestrial and space-based solutions, SpeQtral aims to secure the world’s networks against the threats posed by the imminent quantum revolution and support the development of future quantum communication infrastructure that will serve as the backbone of the future quantum internet.
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