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Ibadan, 20 March 2023. – Two C-band Northrop Grumman Corporation satellites have successfully launched. The launch will enable SES to achieve another milestone of the Federal Communications Commission’s program to clear C-band spectrum to enable wireless operators to deploy 5G services across the U.S. (CONUS) and to continue delivering uninterrupted TV, radio, and critical data transmission services to millions of Americans.
Speaking on the launch, Steve Krein, Vice President, Civil and Commercial Satellites, Northrop Grumman, “Our GEOStar platform is an affordable and reliable option for a diverse set of commercial and Government customers.” Krein also added, “the successful launch of SES-18 and SES-19 builds on our strong partnership with SES and indirectly plays a key role in supporting the rollout of 5G services across the country.”
Since 2020, SES and other satellite operators have been clearing 300 MHz of C-band spectrum and transitioning customer services to the remaining allocated 200 MHz of spectrum by launching new satellites. Furthermore, the satellite operator has been building new ground stations and sending hundreds of satellite earth station technicians across the country to install new filters on customers’ antennas.
Steve Collar, CEO of SES, said, “we are now on the home stretch in protecting our customers’ broadcasts while freeing crucial 5G spectrum, and we look forward to successfully concluding our work well before the FCC’s December 2023 accelerated clearing deadline.”
The satellites are the eighth and ninth GEOStar communications satellites Northrop Grumman has manufactured for SES. Northrop Grumman builds communications satellites for various operators around the globe for commercial, Government, hybrid MILSATCOM, and satellite servicing missions.
