Bandwidth Wars: The High-Stakes Battle for High-Throughput Satellite Dominance (2025–2035)
HTS use numerous narrow spot-beams and on-board processing to deliver dramatically higher data rates than legacy FSS, with platforms like Boeing 702X and SES-17 featuring fully digital, reconfigurable payloads. HTS constellations can deliver terabits of capacity worldwide to power broadband, backhaul, IoT and government networks. Modern HTS platforms operate primarily in Ku/Ka-bands and increasingly in V/Q/KuL bands to support mobility. In aviation, Ka-band GEO and LEO HTS provide in-flight connectivity on thousands of passenger aircraft, with SES-17 Ka-band HTS expected to meet exponential airline connectivity needs. On-the-move broadband can deliver gigabit links to moving antennas for military, emergency-response and commercial
