Global communications underpin modern society and represent one of the most important commercial sectors. Satellites are a fundamental part of global telecommunications networks, providing all kind of services, efficiently and seamlessly, over almost every region of our planet.
By promoting the research and development of a wide range of new technologies and system concepts, ESA maintains the competitiveness of European industry to develop and exploit emerging products, services and markets.
ESA supports the deployment of new satellites and programmes, such as Alphasat and Alphabus, the next generation of large platforms for high-power telecommunications satellites, SmallGeo, a small geostationary satellite platform, and Hylas, a communications satellite for broadband services.
The European Data Relay Satellite, EDRS, is an independent European geostationary satellitesystem for transmission of large data quantities from low earth orbit satellites and other spacecraft to the ground. Iris is a new air-to-ground communications system for air traffic management.
ESA also develops telecommunications and integratedapplications to provide space-based solutions to a wide range of needs and challenges faced by European citizens and society at large.