Page 63 - SAMENA Trends - May-June 2023

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

SES and TESAT to Develop Payload for Europe’s

First Quantum Cryptography LEO Satellite System
EAGLE-1

EAGLE-1 consortium lead SES announces a new key partner, users. This elevates secure communications to an entirely new
TESAT, responsible for developing and integrating the Quantum level, supporting development of reliable pan-European quantum
Key Distribution (QKD) payload for the EAGLE-1 satellite. The communications infrastructures.” “We are delighted to be selected
SES and TESAT partnership is aimed at achieving the next key as payload prime by SES and looking forward to bring our expertise
milestone in building and implementing Europe’s pioneering in integrating secure technologies, and a track record of almost
quantum secure communications initiative EAGLE-1. Supported 80,000 executed optical satellite links for the benefit of this highly-
by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European important and timely European project,” said Thomas Reinartz, CEO
Commission, EAGLE-1 is a quantum key system integrating both of TESAT. “The EAGLE-1 system allows for achieving synergies
space and ground segments that will deliver secure transmission together with leading industry partners, SMEs and institutes,
of encryption keys across geographically dispersed areas and reducing time to service and to market for the quantum secure
connect EU’s national quantum communications infrastructures technologies and its future key users, such as governments and
for truly sovereign networks. Consortium member and Europe’s institutions, or banking sector. Together with our partners, we are
leading laser communication technology company TESAT will looking forward to strengthen European collaboration at all levels,
manufacture the QKD payload comprising the Scalable Optical including SMEs and institutions and contributing to European
Terminal SCOT80 to establish a secure optical link from space to sovereignty in space.”
ground, as well as the QKD module of the satellite. The technology
integrated into the EAGLE-1 system’s payload will include built-in
redundancy and is specifically designed to be associated with the
satellite communications and data transmission for such areas as
government, telco operators, cloud providers and banking, to add
guaranteed security of the cryptographic applications. “EAGLE-1
is a project that will benefit the whole of Europe, and being able
to work with the leading technology players in the market to co-
develop it and together shape this innovative secure technology
is a privilege to SES,” said Ruy Pinto, Chief technology Officer of
SES. “The addition of the secure optical links and the actual QKD
module brings us closer to implementation, testing and further
scaling the technology, that can ultimately serve millions of

SES Releases Q1 2023 Results

SES S.A. announced financial results for the three months ended onto the system through Q4 2023
31 March 2023. • SES-17 & O3b mPOWER backlog of $1 billion with additional
Solid Q1 2023 performance and on track to deliver Full Year 2023 commitment of €195 million from Luxembourg government
financial outlook • US C-band Phase II on track: SES-18 & SES-19 launched, >95%
• Revenue of €490 million (+9.6% YOY as reported) including of satellite transitions completed, and >90% of ground filters
contribution from DRS Global Enterprise Solutions and stronger installed
US dollar • Well positioned for the European Commission’s IRIS2 via strong
• Differentiated Networks business +2.9% YOY including double consortium of space and telecom players focused on creating a
digit growth in Mobility state-of-art, multi-orbit space-based infrastructure for European
• €90 million in new business signed in Mobility since 31 March governments and their citizens
2023, including significant wins in Aviation and Cruise Steve Collar, CEO of SES, commented: “2023 has started well with
• €110 million of renewals and new business in Video (-5.0% YOY) solid Q1 results and excellent progress on both O3b mPOWER and
demonstrating long-term attraction of our core neighborhoods our US C-band project. Close to double digit revenue growth as
• Adjusted EBITDA of €265 million (-3.2% YOY as reported) reported reflects the contribution from our acquisition of DRS GES,
representing a margin of 54% while solid EBITDA performance underscores our continued focus
• 2023 outlook unchanged and on track (Revenue of €1,950-2,000 on execution across the business. We have good market traction
million and Adjusted EBITDA of €1,010-1,050 million) with a number of deals signed since the start of the year with €90
• Strong execution in delivering on key strategic initiatives in 2023 million of backlog added in Mobility; a substantial upgrade with
• First 4 O3b mPOWER satellites launched and next 2 satellites CNT in Ecuador including a transition to O3b mPOWER; a 5-year
planned to launch in June 2023, paving the way for start of renewal with long standing customer US Army WIN-T program;
commercial service in late Q3 2023 with customers ramping and a number of multi-year extensions, on excellent commercial

63 MAY-JUNE 2023