Page 75 - SAMENA Trends - September-October 2022

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

SES-Led Consortium to Work with European Space Agency, EC on Satellite

Quantum Cryptography System

An SES-led consortium of 20 European companies, with the Quantum Communication Infrastructures (QCIs), contributing for
European Space Agency (ESA) and European Commission support, example to the EU plans to deploy a sovereign, autonomous cross-
will design, develop, launch and operate the Eagle-1 satellite-based border quantum secure communications networks. The Eagle-1
system for Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), enabling in-orbit satellite is due to launch in 2024 and will then complete three years
validation and demonstration of next-generation cyber-security of in-orbit mission supported by the European Commission. During
across Europe. To implement the cryptographic key exchange this operational phase, the satellite will allow European Union
system of Eagle-1, the consortium will create the QKD (quantum governments and institutions as well as critical business sectors
key distribution) payload, terrestrial optical station, scalable early access to long-distance QKD to path the way towards an EU
quantum operational networks and key management system to constellation enabling ultra-secure data transmissions.
interface with national quality of service (QoS) class identifiers
(QCIs). Together with its European partners, SES will build the first
sovereign European space-based QKD system, developing and
operating a dedicated low earth orbit (LEO) satellite and building
a QKD operations centre in Luxembourg. The project is co-funded
by the ESA contribution of Germany, Luxembourg, Austria, Italy,
the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium and the Czech Republic
under Artes, as well as the European Commission through Horizon
Europe. Using the Eagle-1 system, ESA and the EU Member
States will achieve the first step to demonstrate and validate
QKD technologies from low earth orbit to the ground. The Eagle-1
project will provide valuable mission data for next generation

SES and RCSC to Provide O3b mPOWER Services in Kazakhstan

Republican Centre for Space Communications (RCSC), a maritime and enterprises via RCSC, offering these companies to
subsidiary of the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations drive digitalization in the region with expanded high performance
and Aerospace Industry and SES, the leading global content network capabilities. As part of the agreement, SES and RCSC will
connectivity solutions provider via satellite, announced today build an in-country gateway in the Almaty region that will allow
that they will jointly offer high-speed connectivity services to Kazakhstan-based companies to quickly deploy and leverage
businesses across Kazakhstan. The services will be delivered O3b mPOWER’s high-speed and low-latency network connectivity
via O3b mPOWER, SES’s second-generation non-geostationary for customer applications and offices, as well as partake in the
(NGSO) satellite system, and will be made available to various governmental digital inclusion programmes. The gateway will
industries, including telecommunications, onshore energy, mining, also enable delivery of services to other bordering countries in the
region, including Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Launching
in Q4 2022, O3b mPOWER is a satellite communication system
located in the medium earth orbit (MEO) with a vast service
offering. One key service available in Kazakhstan in 2023 is SES’s
Trunk mPOWERED, which will enable customers to extend their
core networks with uncontended, multi-gigabit services quickly.
“As we expand our partnership with SES, we are proud to open
Kazakhstan to new high-speed connectivity solutions via satellite.
Our joint expertise and understanding of opportunities in the
country allows us to offer satellite-enabled services that will bring
new technologies and growth for businesses across Kazakhstan,”
said Malik Zhuiriktayev, Chairman of the Board of JSC RCSC.
“Transforming the digital landscape for business across the globe
is one of the key mission pillars of the O3b mPOWER system. We
are very excited to further strengthen our partnership with RCSC
and jointly introduce high-throughput and low-latency satellite-
enabled services to Kazakhstan,” said Steve Collar, CEO of SES.
“O3b mPOWER is a unique NGSO system – local businesses will
have guaranteed access to reliable and high-speed networks,
whenever and wherever they need it, allowing them to flexibly and

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