Astra solution for UK satellite pilot
February 13, 2015
SES has announced that its Astra Connect for Communities solution will be used in a UK Government-funded Market Test Pilot (MTP) project. These Pilot projects aim to assess which technologies and commercial models are best suited to deliver superfast broadband to the final five percent of households in the UK that currently do not have access to high-speed internet.
SES is working with Satellite Internet, the UK-based Internet Service Provider, to deliver its satellite broadband solution to the villages of Simonsbath and Luxborough in south-west England. The villages, each with a population of about 200 residents and located in Exmoor National Park, will benefit from a Satellite Distribution Node (SDN) and a Wi-Fi head-end technology providing homes with internet speeds of up to 25 Mbps.
“This is a great initiative and we are pleased that our proven, reliable and cost-effective satellite solution is being evaluated for potential nationwide roll-out in the UK,” said Patrick Biewer, Managing Director of SES Broadband Service.
Secretary of Culture, Media & Sport Sajid Javid said: “We want everyone in the UK to be able to enjoy the benefits of superfast broadband, that’s why we have begun work on reaching the last five percent of communities not covered by existing plans.”