Ses-17: as connected in the air as at home

SES-17, a satellite procured and to be operated by SES, is incorporating cutting-edge  technologies set to support best customer experience for aeronautical, maritime, enterprise, and Government users. 

Built by Thales Alenia Space, the Spaceflex VHTS Processor, a Digital Transparent Processor (DTP) on SES-17 will “allow us to digitalize and process more capacity than the previous generation by a x100 scale factor,” says Jérôme Fraresso, Satellite Project Manager at Thales Alenia Space.  Fraresso explains, “digitalization offers the capability to adjust capacity where and when you need it.

The satellite will also be providing connectivity to FlytLIVE by Thales, enabling them to provide their customers – the airline passengers -- to experience WIFI service in the air as they do at home, including the ability to access HD video streaming services on multiple devices. The satellite, which Fraresso describes as “a flagship” in satellite technology, is set to revolutionize inflight entertainment and flexible data coverage.

SES-17 is not only SES’s first GEO Ka-band HTS satellite, but also the first one to embed a full digital payload. It accounts for the substantial upgrade over older generations. It entirely dispenses with analogue technology, allowing for far greater adaptability and efficiency.

SES-17 is SES’s next strategic step in serving the aviation market and is yet another differentiator enabling SES to provide varied connectivity solutions to customers seeking mobility connectivity. SES-17 uses almost 200 spot beams whose power can be dynamically adjusted to match customer traffic needs.. Thanks to its full digital payload, it further dispenses with restraints for Gateway locations, which can be now added to existing hub sites.

This unrivalled adaptability means FlytLIVE will be enabling their airlines customers to provide premium customer experience for their passengers.

This new addition to the SES fleet will significantly augment SES’s global coverage and ability to deliver a band-agnostic seamless network, meeting the exponential connectivity needs of airline passengers.

SES-17 is expected to be operational by 2021 and will mark the start of a new era of Premium Services that FlytLIVE is enabling.