Ways Viasat helps bridge the digital divide
09-11-2025
4-minute read
Connectivity in the air
From delivering real-time weather updates to enabling constant communication with air traffic control, satellites are essential to the safe and efficient operation of every flight. This continuous connectivity supports the coordination of thousands of aircraft across the world’s busiest airspaces each day, minimizing the risk of accidents, optimizing airspace usage, and maintaining a steady flow of air traffic. Viasat has been at the forefront of enabling safety communications in aviation for decades.
Our Classic Aero, SwiftBroadband-Safety (SB-S), and Iris services provide fast and precise aircraft positioning data, satellite voice, and text-based communications that facilitate air traffic management and allow planes to safely fly closer together — a critical need as the skies become busier. These solutions not only support real-time medical emergency applications, but also provide real-time weather updates, enabling pilots to adjust their courses to avoid hazardous turbulence or save fuel by optimizing their use of tailwinds.
Connectivity on land
Viasat’s IoT connectivity services are helping drive more efficient, sustainable, and safe business outcomes across global production and supply chains. Through the Viasat ELEVATE program, partners are embedding this connectivity to enable verticalized use cases such as water monitoring for cattle, poacher monitoring, mine tailings facility monitoring, route optimization, and electrical grid management. Viasat also provides critical communication services through its global satellite phone service, with users around the world relying on the service when beyond the reach of cellular coverage. Direct-to-Device (D2D) technologies are reshaping how people and businesses consume satellite services, driving wide-scale adoption. Through Viasat’s partnership with Skylo, these services are also helping to save lives, as demonstrated in the U.S. in September and early October 2024 during Hurricanes Helene and Milton, as well as during the forest fires in Oregon.
Connectivity at sea
Viasat's NexusWave bonded connectivity solution is a multi-orbit, multi-band service that provides fast, reliable, global, and secure connectivity, enabling onboard technologies to optimize fuel consumption, enhance voyage planning, and improve weather routing. The connectivity solution has already been deployed by numerous shipping companies globally to help drive their digitalization and efficiency efforts. Viasat also provides satellite communication technologies that enable ships in distress to alert shoreside authorities rapidly, supporting swift rescue planning and the deployment of life-saving teams. Whether facing a severe storm, a collision, or a medical emergency, seafarers can rely on our trusted maritime safety services to ensure their call for help is heard.
Key partnerships
Bridging the digital divide takes more than just connectivity — it requires strong, committed partnerships, including:
Altán
In partnership with Altán, a Mexican telecommunications wholesaler, we launched a first-of-its-kind home and mobile broadband service via satellite in Altán Mexico. This service integrates Viasat's satellite and wireless LTE technologies with Altán’s shared mobile network, providing cellular coverage to previously uncovered areas across 13 states in Mexico. The collaboration strategically addresses the connectivity gap for more than 150,000 people. This technology integrates satellite and wireless LTE systems to deliver digital connectivity via a cost-effective, power-independent infrastructure. Designed for remote regions with little to no cellular coverage, it utilizes solar-powered LTE towers to ensure reliable service.
Mexico Ambassador Program
Launched in 2021, our ambassador program empowers rural communities with local, predominantly women representatives to share knowledge and expertise in areas connected by Viasat’s technology by training ambassadors in digital skills development. This program promotes gender equality and digital inclusion.
Telebras
Viasat partners with Brazil-based Telebras to expand internet access through the Wi-Fi Brazil program, connecting government agencies, schools, and underserved communities. Together, we’ve deployed over 18,000 internet access points, including 5,000 in rural and Indigenous schools, health posts, public service facilities, and non-profits, bringing online access to more than 2.5 million students who previously lacked connectivity.
Through this collaboration, Viasat and Telebras have advanced digital inclusion for over 11 million Brazilians across nearly 3,000 cities, helping bridge the digital divide and support essential services.
International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO)
Viasat collaborates closely with IMSO, who monitors our organization to verify compliance with IMO standards of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS). Our commitment to safety and reliability is unwavering, and our GMDSS satellite communication service helps ensure the safety of 1.9 million seafarers
RESOLVE
Viasat’s partnership with RESOLVE exemplifies how connectivity and collaboration can drive real-world impacts. As a non-profit focused on sustainable solutions to environmental and social challenges, RESOLVE leverages Viasat’s mobile satellite networks to transmit critical data from some of the world’s most remote areas. This connectivity enables the use of advanced AI-powered technologies that support conservation efforts and the protection of vital environmental and industrial resources.
Telesat
We’ve advanced our multi-orbit services roadmap by integrating Telesat Lightspeed LEO Ka-band capacity with our ultra-high throughput satellites to provide customers with fast, reliable, and cost-effective connectivity services. With our multi-orbit service roadmap and the industry’s most comprehensive Service Level Agreement, we look forward to improving connectivity in the world’s busiest locations, such as high-traffic routes, airport hubs, and seaports.
Stevens Water
Partnering with Steven Water Monitoring Systems, Viasat aids in the mission of providing valuable environmental insights to organizations to improve resource management. The company offers custom turnkey monitoring solutions that integrate IoT sensors, data acquisition equipment, cloud-based software, and satellite communications to deliver key data, even in remote regions.
Space42
In 2025, we partnered with Space42, a UAE-based SpaceTech company, signing a Memorandum of Understanding to explore ecosystem partnership options to develop a 5G Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) initiative. We will contribute to the important work of advancing global satellite connectivity and sharing innovation while adding capacity to our network and LEO assets and unlocking possibilities for the future
Social impact
Connectivity unlocks access to education, economic opportunities, and healthcare enhancing nearly every aspect of life. Our social impact partners include:
Psicología y Derechos Humanos (PSYDEH)
PSYDEH is a Mexican non-governmental organization (NGO) that empowers rural and indigenous women to be community leaders, driving local social and economic development. Through our collaboration, 2,150 youths and adults — 65% of them women — have accessed high-speed internet for the first time. Additionally, 75% have enhanced their digital skills through dedicated classes and training. We've also provided connectivity and resources to more than 65 rural and urban sites.
Novo Sertão
In Brazil, we partner with Novo Sertão Institute to bring reliable internet access to some of the country’s most remote and underserved areas, including the rural region of Betânia do Piauí, where establishing foundational infrastructure remains a significant challenge. This initiative is part of their Todos Conectados program, launched in 2022, which emphasizes collaboration between our local office and communities across northeastern Brazil.
Additional social impact partners include:
- Associação Comunitária Monte Azul, Brazil
- Camp Wamp, U.S.
- CANICA, Mexico
- Columbia Urban League, U.S.
- Fondo Guadalupe Musalem, Mexico
- Fundacíon Donde Educarte, Mexico
- Village Book Builders, Mexico
Disaster recovery
When natural disasters or human conflicts occur, connectivity can often be disrupted for months. Viasat is uniquely suited to quickly mobilize our technology, volunteers, and partners to provide life-saving connectivity during global conflicts and natural disasters around the world. With satellite phones and portable broadband terminals, Viasat technology enables first responders and relief organizations to connect to our high-speed, resilient satellite communications wherever they are in the world.
For example, Viasat partnered with officials from the Košice region of Slovakia to provide Ukrainian refugees with free high-speed internet, leveraging Viasat Community Internet hotspots to keep displaced Ukrainians connected with friends and family, and providing access to critical, time-sensitive information.
When Turkey and Syria were devastated by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, Viasat set up satellite internet services and Viasat Community Internet hotspots to aid with recovery and restoration efforts, helping those impacted by the disaster remain connected to online information and resources.
We also partner with trusted global organizations to support disaster relief efforts, including:
- RE:ACT
- Allied governments
- International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
- Red Cross Disaster Services
- Satellite CARES (Community Aid Relief Effort)
- Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF)
Want to learn how Viasat is making an impact on the world?
Read our latest ESG report here