BIYAYA: THE PHILIPPINE SOVEREIGN SATELLITE
Connecting Every Island. Serving Every Filipino.
For the first time in its history, the Philippines will command a sovereign, high-bandwidth communications satellite of its own. BIYAYA, a Filipino word for blessing, carries a promise: that what reaches the Filipino people from orbit is a gift, given for their greater good and sustained under Philippine authority.
Built in France and scheduled for launch aboard Ariane 6, BIYAYA will operate from the ITU-registered orbital position at 95°E, with Ka, Ku, C, Q, and V-band capacity across the archipelago. In June 2026, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., as chairman of the Philippine Space Council, approved the establishment of a Philippine geostationary telecommunications satellite. PhilSA has confirmed the Philippines as the launching State, with registration through the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).
Connectivity for All
BIYAYA supports the DICT's Connectivity for All mandate, including Internet for All, WiFi for 48,000 Schools, and Broadband ng Masa. Where fiber and towers cannot reach, BIYAYA can. Where typhoons and earthquakes silence terrestrial networks, BIYAYA keeps the nation connected.
The network is anchored at the sovereign Teleport Gateway at Morong Technology Park in Bataan, in partnership with the BCDA, with full operational service planned for 2028.
The Eight Pillars of BIYAYA Services
1. Universal Broadband Access
High-speed internet for barangays, Local Government Units, and remote islands beyond the reach of fiber and towers.
2. Digital Financial Services & Fintech
BIYAYA extends trusted mobile and financial services into unconnected barangays, enabling e-wallet access, satellite-connected banking and ATM kiosks across remote islands, and secure remittances for Overseas Filipino Workers and their families.
3. Telehealth and Remote Wellness
Video consultations, remote diagnostics, and specialist care for rural health units, mothers, children, and elders. BIYAYA brings the doctor to the patient.
4. Digital Education
Distance learning and broadcast lessons extend the national curriculum to classrooms on every island.
5. Government Services & Secure E-Government
Encrypted government circuits, digital identity, and citizen services, with data routed and governed on Philippine soil.
6. Defense and National Security
Sovereign C4ISR for the Armed Forces of the Philippines across air, land, and sea. Reprogrammable in orbit to counter jamming and electronic warfare, BIYAYA strengthens maritime domain awareness across the West Philippine Sea.
7. Maritime, Aviation, and Mobility
Continuous communications for fishing fleets, vessels, and aircraft, supporting CAAP's modernization of air navigation systems in line with ICAO's Global Air Navigation Plan.
8. Enterprise, Media, and Broadcast
Resilient connectivity for mining, agriculture, logistics, and retail, and nationwide distribution of Filipino news, culture, and content.
Dedicated Capacity for a Nation
BIYAYA will provide up to 100 Gbps of capacity through a dedicated geostationary satellite resource serving the entire Philippines. Together with a dedicated Philippine ground station and teleport, managed and controlled by Filipinos, it will establish the initial supply of satellite capacity at the heart of Brightside’s expanding network, serving Filipino needs and Philippine priorities.
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Sovereign by Design: Commanded from Philippine ground stations, with network operations and capacity allocation under Filipino management and Philippine authority.
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Reprogrammable in Orbit: Beams and capacity redirected as needs change, supporting a typhoon-struck province, a remote school, or a naval patrol.
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Built to Withstand Interference: Planned beam nulling and anti-jam capabilities will help protect communications against interference and attempts to disrupt service.
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Stronger Together: BIYAYA will anchor the network’s initial supply, supplemented by SES medium-Earth-orbit (MEO) and allied low-Earth-orbit (LEO) capacity as demand grows and their capabilities allow, with traffic routed through Philippine gateways.
Extending the Signal: Free Space Optics
A satellite brings capacity to an island. Brightside's Free Space Optics (FSO) network carries it across the island and beyond. Using invisible beams of light, FSO delivers fiber-class speeds without cables, linking cell towers, schools, health units, and neighboring islands into mobile coverage. Narrow light beams are difficult to intercept or jam, adding a secure terrestrial layer to the sovereign network. Brightside's FSO systems will be manufactured in the Philippines by Filipino engineers, through its joint venture with fSONA.
Why Sovereignty Matters
• National Security: Command and control continue when foreign networks are unavailable.
• Disaster Resilience: Emergency communications stay live through typhoons and earthquakes.
• Economic Independence: Philippine jobs, manufacturing, and ownership of a strategic national asset.
• A Seat at the Global Table: The Philippines joins Asia's space-capable nations.
Built in Partnership, Governed by the Philippines
BIYAYA is the work of a united team: the Office of the President, PhilSA, DICT, BCDA, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and Brightside's strategic partner, SES. All policy authority remains with the Government of the Philippines. Built in partnership, handed over with care, and operated by the nation it serves.
A Message from Brightside Leadership
"BIYAYA belongs to the Filipino people. Every school it connects, every patient it reaches, every family it brings into the financial system, and every soldier it keeps in contact is the measure of its success. The name is our promise. The program is the work of keeping it."
~ Christopher Harriman, CEO, Brightside
BIYAYA, the Philippines’ first fully sovereign satellite communications platform, marks a historic milestone for the Filipino people—advancing national control of critical communications infrastructure and helping build a more connected, resilient, and self-reliant future.