Orange partners SES, opens new era for satellite connectivity innovation

Orange and SES have collaborated on O3b mPOWER Communications System in order to open a new era for satellite connectivity innovation.The system, according to Jean-Luc Vuillemin, Executive Vice President at Orange, will power low-latency high-throughput solutions that can be seamlessly integrated into existing terrestrial networks“We are thrilled to be partners and early adopters of this innovation with SES, and to be able to offer high-quality connectivity in the most remote locations of the Central African Republic. This longstanding partnership fully aligns with our mission of building smarter and open networks to bridge the digital divide in Africa, and to increase the speed and geographic reach of our network,” he said.“This new agreement marks a very important milestone for both our companies and also for the broader industry. With the innovative O3b mPOWER system, Orange and SES are revolutionising the telco market, and the way networks can be extended and improved,” said JP Hemingway, CEO of SES Networks.“With its ability to power a wide range of telecommunications needs, including cellular backhaul and high-performance cloud connectivity, O3b mPOWER – together with other terrestrial infrastructure – is key to connecting remote and underserved regions in the most economically viable way,” he added.Orange will be the first global telecom operator to integrate satellite-based revolutionary terabitscale O3b mPOWER communications system in its network, to support the growing demand for connectivity in Africa.Orange, one of the world’s leading multi-service telecommunications operators with presence in 18 countries in Africa, will be the first telco to adopt the ground-breaking O3b mPOWERIt is the world’s only fully-funded non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) broadband system in development today.Positioned at only 8,000 kilometres away from Earth, the system will power low-latency high-throughput solutions that can be seamlessly integrated into existing terrestrial networks.When operational in 2022, O3b mPOWER will provide multiple terabits of throughput globally to drive digital transformation and cloud adoption virtually anywhere on the planet.The highly flexible O3b mPOWER constellation comprises ultra-high-capacity, low-latency, highpower MEO satellites, each with up to 5,000 fully-shapeable and steerable beams that can be shifted and scaled in real-time to meet customers’ demands.The system is ideally suited for domestic cellular backhaul and simultaneous international IP trunking applications.