Telecoms company Orange has agreed a deal with SES Networks to add new higher-capacity VSAT services for maritime customers, integrating Orange’s own global infrastructure with the SES Networks’ Skala Global Platform.
This latest agreement builds on an existing partnership between the Orange Group and SES Networks established over the last few years, with Orange using SES’ O3b satellite constellation operating in medium earth orbit (MEO) as well as SES’ geostationary satellites to deliver services.
Orange is also the first announced network operator to adopt O3b mPOWER, SES’s next-generation MEO system, which is planned for commercial service availability in the second half of 2022.
“At Orange, we continue to believe that satellite is a future-oriented technology and that the many recent innovations in this industry will give it a growing place in the telco area, whether in Africa, in more developed areas such Europe or North America, or in specific industries such as maritime,” said Jean-Luc Vuillemin, Executive Vice President, Orange International Networks Infrastructures and Services.
“This is why we are glad to reinforce our partnership with SES, as it will add a new component to our overall mission at Orange, that of building intelligent, open and innovative networks in order to support the digital transformation of our business customers and provide access to digital usage to the largest number of people.”
“With the commercial maritime sector seeking global and high-quality connectivity as it enters the next stage of digitalisation to implement more AI and other automated technologies, expanding our partnership with SES is fitting as we will be opening the door to more exciting innovations for our maritime customers.”
