Intelsat CEO Dave Wajsgras outlined the company’s pivot from capacity provider to end-to-end solutions provider at SATELLITE 2024. Aviation is a top growth platform: in Q4 2023 Intelsat won more business through its multi-orbit offering with Eutelsat OneWeb than in the prior three years combined with a single-orbit offering. Later that week, Intelsat announced a $250 million LEO capacity commitment to Eutelsat Group over six years with an option for $250 million more.
Wajsgras said the addressable market for bandwidth is $12–14 billion, but connectivity is much broader. He previewed discussions with “blue chip OEMs” for land mobility and said Intelsat will make a decision on a MEO constellation before end of Q2 2024, noting government and military interest in funding or participating.
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On direct-to-handset, Wajsgras said: “The market’s substantial — $20 billion-plus over say the next five to 10 years.” He revealed Intelsat is close to investing with an unnamed company that has proven satellite-to-cell capability and agreements with large MNOs, planning to co-develop a D2D offering using Intelsat’s spectrum holdings.
Intelsat is also investing in terminal manufacturers hiSky and Greenerwave: “Terminals are key to all of these networks. We’re looking at having an offering of terminals that will support our strategy, everything from very low-cost, ruggedized terminals to very high-end terminals.” VS
