SES announces that SES-20 satellite has arrived at targeted location

Satellite operator SES announced today that the new SES-20 satellite has arrived at the 103 degrees West orbital slot and will serve as an in-orbit spare satellite to provide contractual service protections to customers who receive video services via C-band in the US. The Boeing-built SES-20 was launched by United Launch Alliance (ULA) in tandem with SES-21 from Cape Canaveral, Florida in October 2022.

SES-20 is part of a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) programme to clear a portion of C-band spectrum to enable wireless operators to deploy 5G services across the contiguous US. Satellite operators, including SES, have been tasked to clear the lower 300MHz of C-band spectrum throughout CONUS by December 5, 2023. SES-20 is necessary to continue service for customers and reduce the likelihood of outage if SES experiences an in-orbit failure during the transition.

SES’s video network carries about 8000 channels and has a reach of 366 million households, delivering managed media services for both linear and non-linear content. In its latest results (Q3, 2022), video revenues were down 6.5%.