Launch of Northrop Grumman-built SES-18 and SES-19 represents the ultimate launch milestone in SES’s C-band transition plan

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–SES introduced right now that the SES-18 and SES-19 satellites, designed and assembled by Northrop Grumman, had been efficiently launched by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, United States, at 7:38 pm native time on Friday, March 17.

The two American-made satellites are the fourth and fifth – and closing – satellites to be launched as a part of SES’s C-band transition plan, following the launch of SES-22 in June 2022 and the tandem launch of SES-20 and SES-21 in October 2022. These satellites are important components of SES’s plan to attain the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) program to clear C-band spectrum to allow wi-fi operators to deploy 5G companies throughout the contiguous U.S. (CONUS) whereas guaranteeing that SES’s present prospects proceed to get pleasure from uninterrupted TV, radio, and demanding knowledge transmission companies to hundreds of thousands of Americans.

Since 2020, SES, together with different satellite tv for pc operators, has been clearing 300 MHz of C-band spectrum and transitioning buyer companies to the remaining allotted 200 MHz of spectrum by launching new satellites, constructing new floor stations and sending a whole lot of satellite tv for pc earth station technicians throughout the nation to put in new filters on prospects’ antennas.

By offering contractual service protections to prospects who obtain video companies within the U.S., SES-18 and SES-19 will allow SES to securely clear C-band spectrum to assist accomplish the FCC’s bold targets for American 5G innovation. SES-18 is predicted to start operations in June 2023 at 103 levels West changing SES-3 C-band payload and SES-19 might be co-located with SES-22 at 135 levels West.

“This successful launch marks one of the last remaining milestones on our journey to clear a portion of the C-band, and we are incredibly grateful to Northrop Grumman, SpaceX, and all of our partners who helped make this plan a reality,” stated Steve Collar, CEO of SES. “We are now on the home stretch in protecting our customers’ broadcasts while freeing crucial 5G spectrum and we look forward to successfully concluding our work well before the FCC’s December 2023 accelerated clearing deadline.”

More info on the SES-18 and SES-19 satellites might be discovered on the SES C-band in the U.S. newsroom.

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About SES

SES has a daring imaginative and prescient to ship superb experiences all over the place on earth by distributing the very best high quality video content material and offering seamless connectivity all over the world. As the chief in world content material connectivity options, SES operates the world’s solely multi-orbit constellation of satellites with the distinctive mixture of world protection and excessive efficiency, together with the commercially-proven, low-latency Medium Earth Orbit O3b system. By leveraging an unlimited and clever, cloud-enabled community, SES is ready to ship high-quality connectivity options wherever on land, at sea or within the air, and is a trusted accomplice to the world’s main telecommunications corporations, cell community operators, governments, connectivity and cloud service suppliers, broadcasters, video platform operators and content material homeowners. SES’s video community carries ~8,000 channels and has an unparalleled attain of 369 million households, delivering managed media companies for each linear and non-linear content material. The firm is listed on Paris and Luxembourg inventory exchanges (Ticker: SESG). Further info is accessible at: www.ses.com.

Contacts

Suzanne Ong

External Communications

+352 710 725 500

suzanne.ong@ses.com