For decades, satellite connectivity played a small role in global communications and served specific use cases such as emergency links or remote coverage. Today, it is becoming much more important. Satellite networks are increasingly seen as a crucial element rather than a backup plan as mobile network operators (MNOs) rethink how to extend coverage, boost resilience, and prepare for a 5G/6G world.
A recent interview between SES’s President of the Fixed and Maritime Vertical, Jean-Philippe Gillet, and Fierce Network’s Chief Analyst Communications Technologies, Linda Hardesty, highlighted how quickly the landscape is evolving. SES’s approach is representative of a larger shift in the industry: satellite and terrestrial infrastructure is no longer parallel systems, but increasingly interdependent parts of a single connectivity fabric.
From Last Resort to Integrated Layer of the Network
Operators’ expectations have changed, according to Gillet. Once the last resort, satellite is now “top of mind” for MNOs planning infrastructure upgrades or expansions. More flexible satellite architectures, especially multi-orbit constellations like GEO, MEO, and new LEO systems, are driving this change by allowing services to be personalized to specific performance requirements like latency, throughput, or reliability. Growing standardization efforts, including 3GPP’s work on non-terrestrial networks in 5G Release 19, are also making satellites easier to integrate into existing network operations.
Satellite’s Expanding Role in Everyday Life
One of the strongest themes from their discussions is the wide range of environments where satellites play a practical, everyday role.
Not only are MNOs using satellites for remote island communities, but they are also using them to support rural enterprises, backhaul traffic from suburban towers, and provide high throughput where fiber is difficult, pricey, or slow to deploy. Gillet mentioned deployments ranging from Germany to Nigeria, and the DRC, many of them fully managed on the ground.
This hybrid approach, which combines satellite and terrestrial, reflects a broader industry shift away from fragmented infrastructure projects toward end-to-end managed connectivity.
Additionally, satellites are becoming more central to resilience strategies as climate-driven natural disasters become more frequent and severe. Disaster recovery, once a side application, is now a core capability.
The Rise of Direct-to-Device
Direct-to-Device (D2D) satellite service is another topic that has captured the industry’s attention. Gillet acknowledged the excitement around moving beyond text-and-voice, with future possibilities including broadband and IoT. The partnership between SES and Lynk shows that the industry is actively exploring what integrated terrestrial-satellite smartphone connectivity could look like.
Preparing for the Next Generation of Connectivity
Looking ahead, Gillet pointed to technologies on the horizon such as laser-based links and quantum key distribution that aim to make future communications more scalable and secure. These innovations suggest a path toward satellite networks capable of supporting next-gen applications, like critical infrastructure and large-scale IoT deployments, with greater resilience than earlier architectures.
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