SES has announced the launch of its fourth and fifth C-band satellites for the United States.
SES-18 and SES-19 are the final satellites in SES’s C-band transition plan, following the launch of SES-22 in June 2022 and the tandem launch of SES-20 and SES-21 in October 2022.
According to the operator, they are essential parts of SES’s plan to achieve the FCC’s programme to clear C-band spectrum to enable wireless operators to deploy 5G services across the contiguous US (CONUS) while ensuring that SES’s existing customers continue to enjoy uninterrupted TV, radio, and critical data transmission services to millions of Americans.
SES-18 is expected to begin operations in June 2023 at 103 degrees West replacing SES-3 C-band payload and SES-19 will be co-located with SES-22 at 135 degrees West.
Commenting on the launch, SES CEO Steve Collar said: “This successful launch marks one of the last remaining milestones on our journey to clear a portion of the C-band, and we are incredibly grateful to Northrop Grumman, SpaceX, and all of our partners who helped make this plan a reality.
“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”.
