By Ryan Daws
SES has announced that it has ceased merger talks with Intelsat, ending plans for further consolidation in the satellite internet sector.
The potential combination of the businesses, which was reported in March, would have created a significant player in the industry. According to Bloomberg, the transaction would have been valued at over US$10 billion, including debt.
SES confirmed the end of discussions in a statement, while Intelsat stated that it regularly engages in strategic conversations with potential partners and does not comment publicly on the content or outcome of those discussions.
The breakdown of the merger talks slows down the trend of consolidation in the satellite internet industry, which has raised concerns about increased competition.
In July of last year, French satellite company Eutelsat announced a merger agreement with Britain’s OneWeb in an effort to challenge competitors such as SpaceX’s Starlink, owned by Elon Musk, and Amazon’s Project Kuiper.
The satellite internet industry has been undergoing significant changes and advancements in recent years, with companies vying for market share and seeking partnerships to strengthen their positions.
While the SES-Intelsat merger would have created a major industry player, its termination means that the landscape remains open for other companies to explore potential collaborations and acquisitions to gain a competitive edge in the evolving satellite internet market.
- Daws is a senior editor at TechForge Media with over a decade of experience covering the latest technology and interviewing leading industry figures. He can often be sighted at tech conferences with a strong coffee in one hand and a laptop in the other. If it’s geeky, he’s probably into it. Find him on Twitter (@Gadget_Ry) or Mastodon (@gadgetry@techhub.social)
