Page 34 - SAMENA Trends - July-August 2023

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SES completes C-Band Clearance in US

Satellite operator SES won a stamp repacked all its C-Band downlink services critical data services using the 4,000MHz
of approval from the US Federal and associated Earth stations across the to 4,200MHz range. SES CEO Ruy Pinto
Communications Commission (FCC) for continental US into the upper 200MHz of stated the project will enable the FCC to
clearing and relocating C-Band spectrum C-Band. It also launched five new satellites advance 5G access and innovation while
to free up access for mobile operators. The to maintain digital TV services to nearly ensuring current C-Band broadcasts and
satellite company is now eligible to receive 120 million homes along with so-called radio services are maintained.
a relocation payment of $3 billion from US
operators having completed something
known as a Phase II clearance scheme.
It expects to receive payment in Q4. The
deadline to meet relocation requirements
is 5 December. Clearing the spectrum is
meant to enable mobile operators which
acquired C-Band spectrum in an auction
to begin using it for 5G services. They
are required to pay early relocation fees
to SES. Under the Phase II scheme, SES

U.S. DoD awards US$134 million Global X Band Blanket Purchase Agreement

to SES Space & Defense

DRS Global Enterprise Solutions (GES), has partnered with several industry-leading beams. GovSat-1 is a satellite operated
acquired and now part of SES’s wholly- players, including integrators, SATCOM by GovSat and is entirely dedicated to
owned subsidiary SES Space & Defense, and teleport operators. Together, the government and military missions. “SES
has been awarded a five-year X-Band contracted satellite operators will deliver Space & Defense believes the BPA is one
Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) with Global X-Band satellite capacity, teleport of the foundation blocks in accelerating
an estimated value of USD 134 million in and network services over a highly secure MILSATCOM-COMSATCOM integration for
support of the U.S. Department of Defense global terrestrial network, and other the space enterprise. The US Space Force
(DoD). The single award BPA was awarded ancillary services to meet enduring and established this contract as a mechanism
through Defense Information Systems emerging DoD requirements. To provide to enable access to commercial X-band
Agency’s (DISA) Defense Information secure satellite communications service, capacity globally for the DoD,” said SES
Technology Contracting Organization SES Space & Defense will leverage the multi- Space & Defense President and CEO David
(DITCO) by the US Space Force. To deliver a mission GovSat-1 satellite, which features Fields. “We have partnered with industry-
near-global solution, SES Space & Defense high-power X-band and Military Ka-band leading X-Band owners and operators as
we understand the demand for secure, non-
preemptible mission-assured capacity for
critical operations. By combining satellite
capacity, SATCOM services can achieve the
highest availability with redundant X-Band
coverage and diverse gateway connectivity
within sovereign space.” The Global
X-Band BPA is the first integration services
agreement awarded to SES Space & Defense
since the acquisition of DRS GES by SES
was finalized in August 2022. SES Space &
Defense is dedicated to delivering the most
trusted end-to-end global communications
through a fully integrated Information and
Communications Technology Ecosystem
to the U.S. government and military.

34 JULY-AUGUST 2023