SES S.A.

Summary

SES S.A. began in Luxembourg in 1985 with a business many European households would come to recognise: satellite television. Its first satellite, ASTRA 1A, launched in 1988. The business has since expanded from sending television into homes to connecting aircraft, ships, remote sites and government operations.

Customers buy communications capacity and services. A terminal sends a signal to a satellite, which links it to another terminal or a ground station connected to wider networks. SES S.A. combines satellites that stay above the same region with others orbiting closer to Earth. Its acquisition of Intelsat, completed in July 2025, added satellites, customers and communications services to that network.

Customer value

• Keeping remote operations connected: Businesses and public organisations use satellite links where ground networks do not reach. That supports communications and data exchange at sites that still need to work beyond the nearest fibre connection.
• Serving moving customers: Airlines and maritime operators use connectivity for passengers, crews and operations. The service follows the route rather than requiring the aircraft or ship to stay beside a fixed connection.
• Reaching many viewers at once: Broadcasters can distribute the same television signal across a large region. Customers buy audience reach without building a separate connection to every household.
• Managing the connection: Ground infrastructure, network monitoring and managed services help customers run the link as part of their wider communications system.

What sets it apart

SES S.A. can combine different orbits to suit the job. Geostationary satellites cover broad regions from a fixed position in the sky. Its O3b systems operate closer to Earth, shortening the signal’s journey and supporting applications that need a faster response. The ground network connects those space assets to the customer’s service.

That gives SES S.A. several ways to build a connection, but the orbit alone does not determine the result. Terminals, available capacity, coverage and service terms still matter. A satellite network has to work for the customer’s route and workload, not just look impressive on a map.

Growth plans

SES S.A. is building a broader communications business around government, aviation, maritime and other network customers. Following the Intelsat acquisition, it is integrating the businesses and investing in satellite capacity and services that combine space and ground infrastructure.

Its July 2026 presentation identifies O3b mPOWER expansion, the future meoSphere network and Europe’s IRIS² secure-connectivity programme as investment priorities. SES S.A. is responsible for IRIS²’s medium-Earth-orbit segment, with operations targeted from 2030. These are development plans with launch, construction and contract milestones still ahead.

In November 2026, Finnair selected SES to connect 18 new Embraer E195-E2 aircraft. The service will combine SES satellites with Eutelsat’s OneWeb network to provide internet access on board. The first connected aircraft is expected to enter service in 2027. The companies did not disclose the contract value.