The Pentagon has formed a partnership with private investor group Concerto Advisors, commercial-satellite operator Intelsat Ltd. and Cisco Systems Inc. to deliver high-speed Internet connections to military units on the move, the WSJ reports.
We couldn’t find a Web site for Concerto, and the WSJ calls it a “fledgling private-equity fund.” Here’s a snippet:
The demonstration project requires private investors led by a fledgling private-equity fund to shoulder the entire cost of a networking system for directing messages. Slated to be added to an Intelsat satellite already under construction, that portion of the spacecraft’s capacity would be reserved for military and intelligence customers.
Private investors are gambling the military will make long-term commitments to support technical breakthroughs and new acquisition procedures. About $80 million is budgeted for the first satellite installation, including government funds for testing and evaluation. But Claire Fairfield, managing director of venture fund Concerto Advisors Inc., said his group is looking to raise up to $200 million to fund four similar projects involving Intelsat or other commercial operators.
