Broadband Commissioner and CEO of Intelsat, Stephen Spengler shares the satellite industry’s perspective on how to close the urban and rural digital divide.

“Hundreds of millions of people living in remote rural and hard to reach places around the world, struggle to access basic broadband services. Today’s unfortunate reality is that access to reliable connectivity depends on where you live. Space based solutions are bringing connectivity services to more people in more places and satellite network operators like Intelstat intend to play a larger role. With the right mix of partnership, investment, innovation and services, the private and public sectors can work together to quickly develop and implement flexible, cost effective and even profitable solutions to close the global connectivity gap.

In Latin America, for example, Intelsat and Andesat are pioneering and innovative and cooperative business model to bring end to end mobile communications to remote communities across Peru. We’ve already brought life changing broadband wireless access to more than 100 rural Peruvian communities. And we have plans in place to bring access to hundreds more. 

There is no easy one solution fits all. But one thing is certain. When communications companies, government policymakers and regulators infrastructure service providers nongovernmental organizations, and multinational corporations all work together, the sky is the limit. At Intelsat, we believe the world is a better place, when everyone regardless of their location has the resources they need to recognize their full potential.

We support the work of the broadband commission, and we commit to do our part to close the global connectivity gap.”