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For business and leisure travelers, in-flight connectivity makes it possible to access the internet, stream movies, watch live TV, engage in social media, and enjoy other forms of entertainment that help pass the time and improve the overall experience of air travel.

Once regarded as a supplemental option for specific niche requirements, telcos and MNOs today see satellite connectivity as an integral enabler of seamless global coverage to extend services to users in more locations. With increased frequency, telcos have adopted space solutions for remote cellular backhaul, private network expansion, and to support emergency response. With new innovations in the industry, there are now even more opportunities to unlock the full potential of satellite.

As preparations for the World Radiocommunication Conference in 2027 (WRC-27) progress, Agenda Item 7 (AI 7) emerges as a pivotal topic with significant implications for satellite regulation.

In today’s streaming age, fans want and expect to be able to watch live events no matter where they are – and that includes inside the cabin of a commercial aircraft 35,000 feet above the Earth.

While Direct-to-Device (D2D) connectivity continues to gain traction in the consumer space, SES is bullish on its prospects for the commercial and government markets as well.

In 2003, Lufthansa became the first commercial airline to offer its passengers access to internet connectivity during a flight. Passengers traveling from Munich to Los Angeles paid $30 to access a very slow and unstable inflight Wi-Fi service.

Empowering Digital Transformations with Intelligent Networks, Advanced Industrial Automation and Edge-Enabled Satellite Connectivity.

WRC-27 AI 1.5 intends to address a real and growing challenge: unauthorized operations of earth stations (terminals) that connect to satellites in NGSO orbits. These devices can be shipped and installed in various locations worldwide, sometimes without the necessary national approvals. If these were left unchecked, they could cause harmful interference, violate spectrum rights, and undermine trust between regulators and satellite operators.

For years, fibre has been the backbone of modern networks, and still is, but in disaster-prone regions, it isn’t enough. That’s why hybrid connectivity, combining terrestrial and satellite links, is becoming the new standard.

Intelsat’s global satellite network was integral to powering this historical event.

In SES’s view, it’s necessary to continue building upon well-established regulatory practices while also considering evolving technologies and operational models that may offer new opportunities for efficient spectrum use.

Over recent months, SES has been partnering with the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) programme, supported by the Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA), to enable humanitarian efforts in Burkina Faso.