SES-18 Satellite for C-Band Transition Enters Service

SES, a global satellite communications company, has announced that its SES-18 satellite is now delivering services at 103 degrees West. The satellite replaces the C-band payload of SES-3 and enables SES to continue providing C-band broadcast and radio services to millions of American households. Additionally, SES-18 will support critical network communications services across the United States.

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Also Read: SES Launches Final Satellites as Part of C-Band Transition Plan

Deployment of C-Band Transition Satellites

Alongside the launch of SES-18, the SES-19 satellite has also reached its designated orbital slot at 135 degrees West, where it is co-located with SES-22. This achievement marks a significant milestone for SES as it completes the in-orbit deployment of five out of six new satellites as part of a larger Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program. The program aims to clear a portion of the C-band spectrum, making way for wireless operators to deploy 5G services across the contiguous United States.

C-band transition program

Under the FCC’s directive, satellite operators like SES have been entrusted with the task of clearing the lower 300MHz of the C-band spectrum throughout the country by December 2023. SES said the remaining sixth satellite, SES-23, is currently held on the ground as a spare to ensure redundancy if needed.

According to the statement, SES-18 plays a vital role in this spectrum-clearing endeavour by allowing SES to transition existing services to the upper C-band frequencies while maintaining uninterrupted services for customers. By providing contractual service protections to customers receiving video services in the US, SES-18 contributes to the FCC’s ambitious goals for driving 5G innovation in America.

Also Read: NTT and SES to Deliver Satellite-Based Edge and Private 5G Network

SES-18 and SES-19 were successfully launched into space in March 2023 by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Northrop Grumman, a leading global aerospace and defence technology company, designed, manufactured, and assembled both satellites.