2023 has brought about a lot of change in the satellite communications industry, not least the widespread consolidation that has taken place over the course of the year. In May, we saw the closing of Viasat’s acquisition of Inmarsat; three months later came the announcement that Echostar and DISH would merge; and finally, in September,.
Software-defined satellites are a growing trend in the satellite industry, especially in GEO. With SES-17’s successful launch two weeks ago, and Eutelsat Quantum as well back in July, the industry is seeing more fully-flexible satellites in orbit.
In recent years, satellite operators have busied themselves finding new ways to deliver cost-competitive connectivity in response to evolving consumer demand and price expectations. On the satellite design side, this encompasses new architectures, multiple forms of heightened risk taking, and adoption of low or no heritage technologies. SES is pushing this process even further with.