Economic Impact of Satellite Communication Outage Estimated at €20 Billion

• •A week-long satellite outage could cost up to €20 billion in economic impact.
• •The maritime sector would suffer the most, with losses exceeding €19 billion.
• •Aviation could face significant disruptions, including 4,000 flight cancellations.

A hypothetical week-long outage of satellite communications could disrupt vital services, leading to an estimated economic impact of up to €20 billion across ESA Member States and Canada. The London Economics report, commissioned by the European Space Agency (ESA), highlights that the maritime sector would face the greatest losses, accounting for over 90% of the total impact. This includes €19 billion in losses from maritime logistics, with €3.5 billion in direct impacts and €15.5 billion in indirect effects. The aviation sector could see cancellations or delays of around 4,000 transatlantic flights, resulting in economic losses of approximately €558.7 million. Additionally, emergency response capabilities would be compromised, affecting around 2.2 million individuals without internet access. The energy sector, particularly offshore operations, would incur losses of about €89.8 million. The report emphasizes the critical role of satellite connectivity in areas lacking terrestrial networks.