Artistic rendition of the SES-20 and SES-21 satellites is courtesy of Boeing and Business Wire.

SES has selected two U.S. satellite manufacturers, Northrop Grumman and the Boeing Company, to deliver four new satellites as part of the company’s accelerated C-band clearing plan to meet the Federal Communications Commission’s objectives to roll-out 5G services.

Northrop Grumman will deliver two, flight-proven, GeoStar-3 satellites, each equipped with a high-quality C-band payload to deliver the superior customer experience that end users are accustomed to. The two satellites – SES-18 and SES-19 – will be designed, assembled and tested in Dulles, Virginia.

The Boeing Company will deliver a pair of highly efficient, all-electric, 702SP satellites. The two satellites – SES-20 and SES-21 – will be manufactured and assembled in Los Angeles, California.

These four C-band only new satellites will enable SES to clear 280 MHz of mid-band spectrum for 5G use while seamlessly migrating SES’s existing C-band customers. Each satellite will have 10 primary transponders of 36 MHz plus back-up tubes so they can enable the broadcast delivery of digital television to more than 120 million TV homes as well as provide critical data services. The satellites, when launched in Q3 2022, will be positioned at 103 degrees West, 131 degrees West and 135 degrees West orbital slots. The cost of manufacturing these four satellites is part of the $1.6 billion investment envelope that SES has announced in May.

SES is committed to investing in America by procuring services and equipment needed for the C-band transition from large and small businesses across the U.S., and these significant partnerships with Northrop Grumman and the Boeing Company are cornerstones of that commitment.

Steve Collar

Steve Collar, the CEO at SES, said that given the FCC’s strong leadership in providing for accelerated clearing of precious C-band spectrum in the U.S., the company's focus is on delivering on the SES commitment and making the spectrum available in the shortest possible time, while ensuring that the firm protects the broadcast customers and communities that the company has built over 35 years. To meet the deadlines to clear C-band spectrum, SES has selected established, American, satellite manufacturers in Northrop Grumman and Boeing, with their focus on heritage, reliability and minimal risk to build these four satellites, enabling SES to fully support the FCC’s 5G Fast initiative.