SES has announced agreements with several regional satellite network operators to create the SES Open Orbits™ Inflight Connectivity (IFC) Network, promising seamless connectivity services to airlines globally. This innovative Ka-band platform will integrate SES’s geostationary earth orbit (GEO) and medium earth orbit (MEO) satellite networks with those of NEO Space Group (NSG) from Saudi Arabia, AeroSat Link (ASL) from China, and Hughes Communications India (HCI).
The SES Open Orbits™ network will enable regional satellite operators to join a global IFC service, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity for airline passengers by seamlessly transitioning between different Ka-band networks. The network will utilize multi-orbit and multi-waveform capacities from regional partners and SES to offer resilient services, including high-quality video, data, and communications, akin to ground-based offerings.
Elias Zaccack, SES’s Global Head of Aviation, emphasized the groundbreaking nature of SES Open Orbits™, highlighting its open architecture that supports multiple orbits and waveforms, thus allowing more satellite operators and inflight service providers to enter the global IFC market. “This is the future of inflight connectivity, enabling airlines to deliver superior connectivity services by seamlessly roaming across multiple satellites and orbits,” Zaccack said.
Philippe Carette, Head of Aerospace Segment of PIF, expressed excitement about NSG being an early partner, noting that combining their satellite network with SES Open Orbits™ would set new standards in the IFC market across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Yufei Shen, Vice President at China Satcom, emphasized the importance of connecting flights over China and the Asia-Pacific region, while Shivaji Chatterjee, CEO of HCI, noted their forthcoming GSAT-20 satellite’s pivotal role in the global network.
SES, as a Managed Service Provider for Airbus’s HBCplus programme, will make the SES Open Orbits™ network accessible to airlines within this program and is also collaborating with Boeing through Safran Passenger Innovations to offer this service on Boeing aircraft.
