SES and Intelsat have both invested in Lynk Global, a satellite operator providing Direct-to-Device communications using low Earth orbiting satellites. The announcement was made at the Satellite 2025 show in Washington DC.

SES and Intelsat are in the process of combining their assets, with SES in the final stages of acquiring Intelsat.

SES and Lynk Global, in their announcement, say they have agreed a “strategic partnership to address the high-growth direct-to-device (D2D) segment”. As part of the agreement, SES will provide Series B funding for Lynk Global’s D2D constellation and provide a suite of integrated services that will enhance Lynk Global’s capabilities which includes:

• MEO-Relay allowing D2D providers to route traffic between low earth orbit (LEO) and SES’s medium earth orbit (MEO) network to access gateways, enabling delivery of secure real-time data, reducing investment requirements in ground infrastructure, and enhancing the reach and resilience of D2D constellations.

• Network-as-a-Service leveraging SES’s global ground network to provide gateway access and SES’s geostationary satellites to provide Telemetry, Tracking and Command and Monitoring (TTC & M) services.

SES will become a strategic channel partner for Lynk Global, enabling key government, MNO and automotive customers to access Lynk Global’s D2D network. This will allow SES’s customers to benefit from a broader range of applications including remote access, mission-critical first responder and secure government communications, offshore and automotive connectivity.

“We believe direct-to-device is a huge opportunity,” SES CEO Adel Al-Saleh said March 10th during the Satellite show, “and we think that opportunity is going to evolve over multiple years”. “We believe our network in space, specifically MEO, is a great advantage,” Al-Saleh added. “Every continent, every political entity, is looking for sovereignty,” he explained, “so we will bring that capability to Europe to make sure that we can create an opportunity to participate in European projects.”

The SES investment in Lynk’s Series B financial round is said to be modest (“small, low risk”), but a key part of the agreement is that SES will aid Lynk in getting its satellites built in Europe.

The CEO at Lynk is Ramu Potarazu, who was previously CEO at Intelsat, which is understood to have made a similar commitment to Lynk.

Lynk has developed satellites that can communicate directly with unmodified cell phones. Potarazu, speaking in November 2024, said: “I believe Lynk’s patented technology has redefined the future of the satellite and telecommunications industries by developing proprietary satellite technologies, connectivity capabilities and seamless solutions that can connect everyone, everywhere. From 2G, to 5G and to the next frontier, the goal is for Lynk to be at the forefront of satellite-to-device technology.”

Lynk is already serving some Pacific Ocean islands and communities, but it will need around 5,000 extra satellites to provide a global service.

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Categories: Articles, Broadband, MNO, Mobile, Satellite

Tags: Intelsat, Lynk Global, SES