At SES, we help connect businesses and people at sea or in the skies.

Through connectivity and innovation, we expand what they can achieve — either onboard a hospital ship, a business jet or an oil tanker — and their impact on other people’s lives.

Lifechanging surgery in the world’s least economically developed countries

Mercy Ships is a charity that brings hospital ships to countries with limited healthcare infrastructure. For example, Lara Underhill, Senior Laboratory Technologist, and her team work in an onboard lab, collecting specimens and sharing them with volunteer pathologists around the world. Using the ship’s satellite connection enabled by SES, the remote healthcare specialists supporting Mercy Ships’ efforts can connect with onboard equipment and can even remotely control the ship’s microscope to zoom in on areas of interest.

Delivering best-in-class service while in flight

Getting passengers to a destination safely and on time is just the start for Chris Bing, a private pilot for United Technologies in the United States.

He provides best-in-class customer service to the executives who rely on his flights. This involves giving his passengers up-to-date information about weather conditions, anticipating potential turbulence and ensuring access to reliable WiFi.

When Chris started as a pilot, he would print out the weather report before take-off. Today, an in-flight internet connection from Collins Aerospace and SES enables real-time weather reports. Meanwhile, passengers can catch up with emails and even participate in meetings using the onboard WiFi service. Chris’s technical aviation skills are matched by his passion for making every aspect of his passengers’ journey perfect.

Combatting loneliness at sea

Captain Caris’s dedication to the safe transportation of his cargo is only matched by his dedication to crew welfare on The Ardeche, a EuroNav oil tanker.

Their demanding jobs and being away from home for long periods can take a toll on a crew. So, taking care of their mental health is of utmost importance.

Married for over 30 years, Caris knows how hard it is to be separated from loved ones for extended periods. When he started sailing in 1984, communication with home was limited to letters or calls via the ship radio.

Fortunately, innovation and vast improvements in mobile satellite connectivity has helped support onboard morale, with crew able to communicate with loved ones back at home or catch up with family on social media, no matter a ship’s coordinates.

Skippers like Captain Caris are now able to give their crews the vital connections that makes life on board feel a little closer to home and a less lonely.

Taking purpose to the seas and skies

Connection on the move is one of communication’s fiercest challenges, and we feel privileged to be able to support individuals such as Lara, Chris and Captain Caris who are using our services to make the world a better place.