Satellite operator SES announced Monday it is teaming up with satellite vendor Gilat Satellite Networks to launch a hybrid broadband solution combining satellite, cellular and terrestrial fiber capacity.
The SES Enterprise+ Hybrid Broadband offering leverages capacity from the SES-9 bird and Gilat’s SkyEdge II-c Libra hybrid terminal with the goal of enabling customers to deliver cost-effective broadband internet connectivity to underserved areas and improve download speeds.
According to SES, customers will be able to integrate its satellite network for download traffic with their existing terrestrial network for upload traffic. The service is provided through Gilat’s hybrid terminal which uses the existing network for the return channel and allows the download via SES’s satellite.
The solution - which promises download speeds of up to 20 Mbps - is targeted at mobile network operators (MNOs) who want to offload their congested traffic networks and offer higher data rates, as well as for DTH providers who want to venture into the triple play of Internet, television and telephony.
“The satellite-cellular-terrestrial hybrid approach represents a huge opportunity in Asia,” said Ferdinand Kayser, Chief Commercial Officer at SES. “DTH providers will be able to use their existing satellite infrastructure and distribution channels to offer triple-play services to improve customer loyalty and reduce churn. In addition, MNOs can offer the hybrid broadband service leveraging their cellular networks and boost them with more capacity, thus significantly improving broadband penetration to underserved areas.”
SES Booth: 1R2-01