Member Spotlight with Intelsat on the Benefits of the HAPS Alliance

Gregory Ewert, Vice President Strategy & Business Development, Intelsat

Intelsat is an active member of the HAPS Alliance and an avid supporter of HAPS technologies, including communications, imaging, and sensors supporting M2M and IoT. The energy and support that HAPS Mobile and Loon established with the launch of the HAPS Alliance to introduce the world to HAPS impressed us.  Joining the Alliance to contribute and advance the mission they set out to establish was an easy decision and aligns with our strategic view of the disruptive advantages HAPS presents.  Intelsat has been at the forefront of technologies that support connecting the under and unconnected and shrinking the global digital divide.

Intelsat has a long history as a global data and communications company.  We operate one of the world’s largest fleets of satellites for ourselves and other companies.  Our expertise in space-based missions and operations will help the HAPS industry establish stratospheric con-op and safety guidelines.  Furthermore, our long-standing engagement with global MNOs will help bridge HAPS-based introduction as organizations within the sector look for new technologies to extend their mobile footprint.

The global digital divide is not getting smaller. Pick a number – 3B, 5B, or 6B – un-connected is not an option anymore. To unleash the potential of HAPS education, standards across the industry, regulations must all be aligned. The HAPS Alliance does this by bringing together some of the world’s leading communications companies, technology organizations, and academia with a collective voice. Plus, HAPS technologies are green.

We are excited to contribute to the Alliance’s working groups, from telecommunications and regulations to educational outreach. The caliber and commitment of HAPS Alliance working groups’ members are truly impressive. HAPS Alliance working groups all align with the organization’s mission, which is to bridge the digital divide and unleash the potentially massive social and economic benefits needed by the underserved and un-connected.