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SES Team Spotlight: Mourad Ouaret on Developing O3b mPOWER Service Automation
With O3b mPOWER launching this year, it is undoubtedly a very exciting time for SES and the connectivity industry. For our teams directly involved with the project, it is especially thrilling to see the innovations and unprecedented advancements the next-generation MEO satellite-enabled communications system will bring to life. We sat down with Mourad Ouaret, Operations Technical Lead on the O3b mPOWER team, to see how his team orchestrates the automation of end-to-end solutions at the heart of SES’s O3b mPOWER system and what inspires him most about his work. Share with us your primary focus and what inspires you most as technical lead on the O3b mPOWER services team? SES…
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SES Cloud Direct: Delivering One-Hop Connectivity from Anywhere for the Multi-Cloud World
SES recently announced its Cloud Direct service for dedicated, high-performance connectivity to multiple cloud providers from any global end-point. At SES, we recognise the power of cloud transformation for businesses (including ourselves) and are focused on ensuring that the end users we serve are just one hop away from their most essential cloud applications, regardless of their location. To better understand the value of Cloud Direct, we sat down with Karl Horne, Vice President of Cloud Practice and SMM Fixed Data for SES Networks. Why is the SES Cloud Direct service so important to SES and its customers? SES Cloud Direct is one of our first cloud offerings, building on SES’s core…
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SES Announces Total Reach of 361 Million TV Homes Worldwide
SES announced today the results of its annual Satellite Monitor market research, the industry’s premier accounting of satellite’s TV reach, which underscore SES’s established position as a leader in enabling direct and indirect content delivery via satellite. SES continues to lead the industry by delivering 8,265 channels, with almost 3,000 of them in HD, to a total of 361 million households worldwide. This year’s Satellite Monitor survey showed continued growth across Europe (+2 million households) and Africa (+2 million households). At SES’s prime orbital neighbourhood of 19.2 degrees East, SES’s satellites now serve an unparalleled 118 million households or over 43 percent of all European TV homes. The number of…
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WDR expands HD capacity with SES on ASTRA 19.2 degrees East
The leading German public broadcaster Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), regional member of the ARD broadcasting group operating in North Rhine-Westphalia, has expanded its partnership with SES to secure an additional transponder for High Definition (HD) programming on ASTRA 19.2 degrees East orbital position in a multi-year contract. Starting 3 March 2021, viewers in the region will be able to receive WDR’s entire programming in HD quality, including the popular "WDR Lokalzeit", a regionally focused program produced by WDR’s numerous local studios. Viewers who do not own an HD-capable television set will continue to receive WDR’s programming in SD format until termination of SD transmitting. “Delivering reliable and high-quality free-to-air regional TV…
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SES S.A.: Full Year 2020 Results
SES S.A. announces financial results for the year ended 31 December 2020. Third successive year delivering EBITDA outlook despite challenging COVID-19 environment in 2020 Growth engine Networks revenue +5% YOY(1,2), or +27% since 2017, and Video revenue of €1,108 million in line with expectations Adjusted EBITDA(3) of €1,152 million delivered within pre-COVID-19 financial outlook and at high end of mid-year outlook Strong net cash generated from operations of €1,049 million representing 97% of reported EBITDA Commitment to disciplined financial policy and shareholder returns Solid cash flow generation driving €505 million YOY debt reduction and lowest leverage ratio(4) (of 2.97 times) over the past 5 years Proposed 2020 dividend of €0.40 per A-share…
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AEB and EBC Channels Now Exclusively Broadcast via Ethiosat at 57 degrees East
SES, the leader in global content connectivity solutions, announced today that the Ethiosat platform is now broadcasting all channels of the Association of Ethiopian Broadcasters (AEB) and the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) exclusively, including many of Ethiopia’s most popular channels such as EBS, ETV News and FANA TV. The variety of lifestyle, news, sport and educational channels – more than 90 channels, out of which 21 are in high definition (HD) – from 57 degrees East, offers unmatched quality and convenience previously not experienced by Ethiopians. In December 2020, the Ethiopian Government announced that all satellite TV channels should be moved to SES’s NSS-12 satellite so that Ethiosat can meet…
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SES Networks to Power Ultimate Guest Connectivity Experience on Virgin Voyages‘ Scarlet Lady
SES Networks has announced today that it is working with Virgin Voyages to provide its fleet with the industry’s leading high-speed, low-latency connectivity. The ultra-modern Wi-Fi service will be free for every sailor. That’s pretty fly for Wi-Fi! Virgin Voyages’ Lady Ships will boast incredible speeds, unprecedented reliability, and all the bandwidth passengers could possibly need thanks to SES Networks’ satellite-enabled Signature Cruise Solution. Sailors on board the fleet will be able to stream their favourite HD movies, game online without lag, and seamlessly keep posting to the ‘gram while living for the moment and getting their full dose of Vitamin Sea. "SES Networks offers us unique, reliable capabilities that…
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NHK WORLD-JAPAN Extends Multi-year Contract with SES on ASTRA 19.2 Degrees East
Japan International Broadcasting Inc. (JIB), a subsidiary of Japan’s sole public broadcaster NHK and official distributor of NHK WORLD-JAPAN, has renewed its multi-year contract with SES for satellite capacity. The agreement will permit NHK’s free-to-air, English-language news and information channel in High Definition (HD) to continue to be distributed in SES’s prime orbital neighbourhood at 19.2 degrees East to over 45 million satellite TV-equipped homes across Europe. NHK WORLD-JAPAN provides the latest information on Japan and Asia through television, radio and online to a global audience. During the COVID-19 pandemic, NHK WORLD-JAPAN has observed a growing interest in its news and other programming as viewers seek trustworthy sources of updates…
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SES Networks Transforms Cruise Market Again as Leading Cruise Companies Choose O3b mPOWER for Enhanced Connected Guest Experiences
Four of the top five major cruise companies have entered into long-term strategic framework agreements, with the majority extending through 2026 and beyond, for services delivered over SES’s next-generation O3b mPOWER communications system, SES announced today. These agreements will enable enhanced connectivity experiences onboard their current fleets as well as ships planned as part of their extensive new-build programmes, and result in a backlog of over EUR 220 million. The advanced connectivity solutions delivered by SES will elevate guest connectivity to provide an ultimate digital immersive experience, enabling more wearable technologies and unlocking more personalised services. This reflects a major trend across the cruise industry and the priorities of leading…
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European Public Broadcasters Sign Multi-Year Capacity Contracts on SES’s prime TV neighbourhoods
SES announced today that it has signed multi-year capacity agreements totalling over EUR 66 million in backlog with multiple public broadcasters in Europe throughout 2020, enabling millions of satellite TV households across Europe to continue watching SD and HD content delivered with world-class reliability. The public broadcasters who have signed contracts directly with SES include ARD and ZDF in Germany, BBC in the UK, BVN in the Netherlands, as well as TV5Monde and France 24 from France via its partner Globecast, strengthening SES’s position as the world’s leading global content connectivity provider. With almost the entire global population being impacted by some form of COVID-19 containment measures throughout 2020, public…
