SES, Swisscom make Astra Connect agreement
October 1, 2014
SES has signed an agreement with Switzerland’s leading telecom provider, Swisscom, to provide the Astra Connect service in Switzerland.
Swisscom provides nationwide broadband access as part of the Universal Broadband Service Obligation in Switzerland. In about two per cent of homes, a DSL broadband Internet access with the required minimum transmission rate is not possible. To provide Internet access in these homes, Swisscom has decided to opt for a bidirectional satellite solution. Starting from September 2014 it will deploy the Astra Connect service and upgrade the existing access lines.
The Astra Connect service uses Ka-band capacity on SES’s satellite Astra 2E, which entered into commercial service in the orbital arc of 28.2 degrees East on February 1st 2014. The solution has been in operation since 2007 and provides next generation broadband services in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
“We have chosen to partner with SES for this project as it is renowned for reliable solutions and for being a high quality supplier,” said Peter Eschmann, Head of Broadband Service Obligation, Swisscom. “We are also convinced by the scalability of the Astra Connect solution.”