This agreement will see SES provide Series B funding for Lynk Global’s D2D constellation while introducing a suite of integrated services, including MEO-relay and Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) capabilities.
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Ramu Potarazu, CEO of Lynk Global said: “This long-term strategic collaboration with SES will deeply integrate our networks to enhance our capabilities and validates our LEO D2D network.
“With access to the right satellite infrastructure and dedicated ground infrastructure through SES, we are strengthening our ability to address government, MNO, and automotive D2D use cases.”
Additionally, SES will act as a strategic channel partner, enabling key government, MNO, and automotive customers to access Lynk Global’s D2D network.
SES’s MEO-relay service will allow D2D providers to route traffic between low Earth orbit (LEO) and SES’s medium Earth orbit (MEO) network, providing secure, real-time data delivery while reducing investment in ground infrastructure.
The NaaS offering will leverage SES’s global ground network for gateway access and use SES’s geostationary satellites for Telemetry, Tracking, Command, and Monitoring (TTC & M) services.
Adel Al-Saleh, CEO of SES added: “We recognise D2D as an exciting growth opportunity that complements our multi-orbit network.
“This partnership gives SES exposure to the D2D segment and is a key part of our strategy to diversify into this nascent, high-growth market. Lynk Global will be the first D2D provider to benefit from our MEO-relay service working in orchestration with our global ground-based infrastructure.”
As part of the collaboration, SES and Lynk Global will also work together on Lynk’s network architecture and satellite manufacturing in the US and Europe.
Intelsat’s independent investment
In a parallel development, it was revealed that SES’s merger partner, Intelsat, had also independently invested in Lynk Global without prior knowledge of SES’s decision.
“This really is coincidental,” Intelsat CEO David Wajsgras told SpaceNews on 10 March, just hours after SES announced its deal with Lynk Global.
“We were completely independent of SES, and we had our own analysis and our own logic. The two companies are going through integration planning, but there are certain things that we cannot and don’t talk about.”
Neither SES nor Intelsat has disclosed the amount invested in Lynk Global’s ongoing Series B funding round, which had raised over $85 million of a $215 million target as of February 2025.
However, Wajsgras confirmed that Intelsat had been in talks with Lynk Global for at least two years before committing to the investment, while SES made its decision after about a year of discussions.
Similar to SES, Intelsat sees a strong opportunity to bring Lynk Global’s technology to government and mobility customers worldwide. The operator is also exploring collaborations on new small satellites to enhance connectivity services, expanding from intermittent texting and SOS alerts to full voice and data coverage globally.
As part of its investment, Intelsat acquired a minority equity stake in Lynk Global, with its Chief Technology Officer, Bruno Fromont, joining the company’s board of directors. The investment comes as Lynk Global continues to scale its satellite constellation, aiming to deploy 5,000 satellites to expand global reach and reduce latency.
SES-Intelsat merger on track
Despite their separate investments in Lynk Global, SES and Intelsat remain on course to complete their $3.1 billion merger in the second half of 2025, pending regulatory approvals.
SES plans to leverage its MEO fleet to relay signals from Lynk Global’s satellites, strengthening connectivity and improving service performance.
Meanwhile, Lynk Global’s CEO, Ramu Potarazu, a former Intelsat executive, is steering the company towards a planned merger with a publicly listed shell company to secure further funding for its constellation expansion.
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