SES's unique three-orbit satellite Internet strategy

SES's three-orbit offering is unique.

In 2021, OneWeb CEO Neil Masterson said, "Interoperability with GEO satellites must happen -- it's common sense ... Customers don't care whether it's a LEO satellite or a GEO satellite -- all they want is connectivity," and ten months later, OneWeb and Intelsat signed the first multi-orbit broadband agreement. SES, which was already a LEO-MEO operator in 2021, is now pursuing a three-orbit strategy, but they are not planning to launch a LEO constellation, but will blend multiple partners’ constellations into a unified three-orbit offering.

• SES's first multi-orbit partnership was Cruise mPOWERED + Starlink,  providing a managed blend of SES MEO and Starlink LEO service for maritime operators, and we can expect similar bundled services in aviation and enterprise markets. 
• SES and Lynk Global plan to provide direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity through Lynk's "cell towers in space" and SES's MEO backhaul and terrestrial infrastructure. (SES operates the largest fiber network among satellite providers, with global reach through 150 owned and partner teleports and 50 points of presence.) Might SES also offer AST SpaceMobile D2D service?
• SES recently completed its acquisition of GEO operator Intelsat, giving it 120 LEO and MEO satellites, but it also inherited Intelsat's commitment to buy $250 million worth of LEO capacity from OneWeb over six years, giving it access to an operating LEO constellation.
• SES and OndWeb's parent company Eutelsat are both members of the SpaceRISE consortium that is building the Iris^2 multi-orbit network.
• Amazon’s Project Kuiper is ramping up launch campaigns and seeking distribution partners, and SES’s global ground infrastructure and government contracts make selective Kuiper integration plausible, especially for defense and enterprise deals. Project Kuiper expects to offer service in the US and four other countries by the end of March and approximately 26 countries by the end ot next year.
• Telesat's  LEO constellation Lightspeed targets enterprise and government -- markets SES knows well. If Lightspeed reaches orbit at scale, SES could combine its MEO and GEO coverage with Telesat’s polar-friendly LEO. Telesat also offers GEO connectivity, but instead of offering multi-orbit service, they will sell Lightspeed to other GEO providers. For example, they have an agreement to provide LEO service to Viasat.

These early and potential LEO partners are all US or European companies, and SES is in Luxembourg, which is now a member of NATO, but it was neutral before World War II and is relatively liberal. While it is inconceivable today, might SES collaborate with a Chinese LEO constellation one day? Perhaps starting with geo-fenced service in China or Belt and Road initiative nations.  

This move makes SES unique. They will offer three-orbit service without the cost and delay of a new LEO constellation, and will be able to select the best LEO provider for a given application. They also plan to gradually grow their MEO constellation, adding a satellite every year.

That being said, they are facing stiff competition from Starlink today, and Amazon's Project Kuiper will be in service soon. They will be competing with their partners in some cases and sharing profits with them in all cases. It also remains to be seen how smoothly they can technically and operationally integrate heterogeneous LEO partners at a competitive cost. Stay tuned.