GEO's Place in the Multi-Orbit Puzzle

Via Satellite | August 25, 2025

A satellite in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) is the picture of stability. It seems to hover motionless above the same spot on Earth, broadcasting to the same region year after year. But the market for GEO is moving fast.

What was once a stable business model built on 15 to 20-year investments, reliable revenues and minimal competition has largely been disrupted. Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations, led by Starlink, have changed the satellite broadband market and shifted user expectations around cost, performance, and coverage. At the same time, broadcast revenues continue to decline, further challenging traditional GEO business models.

There is no doubt that GEO has a future. The orbit is far too valuable to be replaced. The real question is whether modularity, maneuverability, small form factors, and multi-orbit offerings can unlock the value of the orbit and revive a market that has been on the decline for the better part of a decade.

“All this funnels into the word flexibility,” said Dallas Kasaboski, principal analyst at Analysys Mason. “Everywhere the market is looking for increased flexibility, whether that’s flexibility in the satellite itself, flexibility of the mission, flexibility of the network, or flexibility of procurement.”