SES Satellites and Shakira Lead Parallel Relief Efforts for Quake-Stricken Colombia

SES operates the most sophisticated fleet of satellites in geosynchronous orbit, and is now using these spacecraft to beam life-saving broadband connections to quake-hit Colombians 35,000 kilometers below.

image courtesy of MAXAR and SES/Intelsat

When seismic waves from a powerful Colombian earthquake began rattling his home, Victor Ariza, a regional director at satellite operator SES, immediately recognized the event’s magnitude. He quickly assessed how to mobilize assistance as rapidly as possible.

Ariza logged the quake via an online monitoring app and was struck by the volume of similar reports flooding in from observers nationwide, confirming the scale of the temblor and its subsequent aftershocks.

He promptly contacted SES leadership to propose humanitarian aid on behalf of the Luxembourg-based company, whose advanced fleet can deliver broadband connectivity to virtually any location—including disaster zones where terrestrial infrastructure has been obliterated. SES, which has a track record of rapid deployment following earthquakes, hurricanes, and conflicts such as Russia’s missile strikes on Ukraine, approved the proposal immediately.

As Ariza developed a communications rescue strategy—envisioning a network of satellite hotspots to connect first responders and victims nationwide—international aid offers poured into Colombia. Global pop icon Shakira, a native of the country, returned home to comfort children whose schools had collapsed and pledged to construct ten new learning centers across the affected region.

Via Instagram, Shakira described a “ring of guardians” emerging to support the nation. “These past few days, I’ve seen something powerful,” she wrote, “people showing up for each other, especially for our kids.”

She announced that the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund would contribute $500,000, working alongside her Pies Descalzos Foundation to support children returning to classrooms. FIFA and Global Citizen have partnered to raise $100 million for global education access, with a portion now directed toward the Latin American relief effort.

Shakira’s 2010 FIFA World Cup anthem “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” has amassed 4.7 billion YouTube views. She noted that Live Nation is matching the FIFA contribution, bringing the total to $1 million, and urged registered nonprofits to register their interest in assisting.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the magnitude 7.4 quake caused significant damage, injuries, and fatalities across western and central Colombia. The United States is mobilizing humanitarian aid through trusted partners and supporting search-and-rescue operations. Rubio emphasized that financial donations to established relief organizations remain the most efficient way to assist, noting that “every financial donation, regardless of size, helps save lives and reduce suffering.” The State Department is collaborating with groups including Catholic Relief Services, which is accepting public donations.

While aid arrives globally, Ariza notes it can also come from orbit. Following its merger with U.S. giant Intelsat, SES now operates the most advanced geostationary fleet and is activating its flagship SES-17 satellite—positioned 35,000 kilometers above Earth—to beam life-saving internet access to remote, devastated regions.

The SES-27 satellite, with a 48-meter wingspan, can deliver high-speed broadband to isolated hospitals, schools, aircraft, and emergency convoys navigating the Andes. The goal is to reconnect facilities like the Hospital Departamental San Francisco de Asís to global medical networks and research databases.

From geosynchronous orbit, SES can transmit high-speed Wi-Fi connections to even remote outposts across Colombia hit by the August earthquake.

Image courtesy of Thales Alenia Space and Intelsat/SES

Longtime SES partner Sencinet Colombia immediately joined the effort, providing satellite and WiFi equipment, distribution, and field technicians for installations at no cost to the government. The alliance aims to establish connectivity across Chocó, the Pacific coast epicenter “where the rainforest meets the sea,” in coordination with the Colombian Civil Defense.

Civil Defense, which leads national rescue efforts, will oversee the rebuilding of schools and hospitals in isolated areas empowered by the free satellite links. Some donated terminals are already mapping and coordinating operations at the epicenter, with future deployments planned for additional health and educational facilities.

Nationwide, approximately 30,000 homes have been destroyed, alongside over 3,000 schools and 300 health centers. The instant broadband from SES would accelerate recovery while narrowing the digital divide separating connected citizens from those still offline.

SES, whose leadership includes CEO Adel Al-Saleh, is already collaborating with Colombia’s Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies to connect isolated communities. These links provide access to digital markets, online education, telehealth, and cross-border educational resources. The company currently serves one million Colombians through its “Zonas Comunitarias para la Paz” (Community Zones for Peace) initiative and continues expanding that outreach.

SES and Intelsat have been at the forefront of emergency connectivity, notably during the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As missiles targeted Ukrainian cities and telecom towers, Intelsat rapidly partnered with UN partner Help.NGO to deploy satellite terminals and prevent an information blackout.

Help.NGO teams, equipped with Intelsat ground stations, established wireless hotspots in makeshift shelters across the country, often in town squares under active fire, according to Executive Director Brendan Harvey. Technicians connected communities to Intelsat’s satellites within hours, including areas outside Kyiv struck by rockets.

Former Intelsat CEO Dave Wajsgras called the partnership a high-priority humanitarian mission. “We believe it’s important to support these types of missions around the world,” he stated. “People in Ukraine need support. They need our help.”

Harvey noted the decade-long alliance with Intelsat will continue under the combined entity, having previously executed tech-driven recoveries in hurricane and earthquake zones across the Atlantic and Caribbean. Advances in miniaturized, backpack-sized terminals now allow Help.NGO to deploy networks faster, reducing risk to staff in active conflict zones.

CEO Adel Al-Saleh affirmed SES’s commitment to sustaining connectivity for Ukraine’s citizens and rescuers despite ongoing bombardment, and to continuing joint missions with Help.NGO. He emphasized the company’s broader mission to connect the 2 billion people globally who remain offline, with active campaigns expanding across Latin America, Central Asia, Africa, and remote Pacific islands. “We’re quite serious about supporting the world,” Al-Saleh said.

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