On October 19, 2024, the Intelsat 33e satellite experienced a catastrophic malfunction in geostationary orbit, breaking into over 57 pieces and disrupting broadband services across Asia, Europe, and Africa. This incident particularly affected sectors reliant on high-throughput connectivity, including inflight Wi-Fi and maritime communications.Intelsat is currently assessing its fleet capacity and coordinating with third-party providers to restore services efficiently. The cause of the satellite's sudden breakdown is under investigation, following a history of technical difficulties since its launch in 2016.