The past year marked a period of significant progress across the satellite and connectivity landscape. In this first episode of 2026, The Satellite World Briefing podcast revisits the conversations from 2025 that encapsulated this momentum. Industry leaders discussed how software-defined satellites, hybrid satellite-IP networks, and next-generation mobility solutions are reshaping connectivity in broadcast, mobile, maritime, and aviation markets. These conversations revealed that new operational models and increased performance expectations are driving a growing convergence between terrestrial and space networks.

Joshua Flood, Co-Founder and Director of Maritime at Valour Consultancy, joins our host in this episode of the Satellite World Briefing to give a preview of their Future of Maritime Connectivity 2025 Report. Flood covers a wide range of issues, including the growing significance of multi-orbit and hybrid connectivity architectures for today’s fleets, the main drivers behind broadband adoption at sea, and the critical role that collaboration plays throughout the satellite ecosystem. In the era of emerging LEO constellations, he further explores the ongoing development of Ku-band and GEO services and highlights the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for the industry.

In the second episode of  Satellite World Briefing’s new media mini-series, Ruben Calzadilla, Senior Technical Advisor at SES, and Dr. Ciro Noronha, President of the RIST Forum and Chief Technology Officer at Cobalt Digital, join host Lucas Hunsicker to discuss the advantages of hybrid satellite and IP delivery, why public internet alone cannot ensure reliability, and how broadcasters can future-proof content distribution with backward-compatible methods. As Calzadilla said:

“Satellite handles scale, internet ensures resiliency, and together, they form a model that’s both efficient and future-proof.”