Following last week’s news that satellite operators Intelsat and SES have ended talks about a possible merger, there’s been evidence from both companies that it’s still business as usual with Intelsat highlighting a significant Indonesian deal and SES announcing a collaboration related to space situational awareness services.
Intelsat and Lintasarta, an Indonesian information and communication technology company via its mobile network operator subsidiary Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH), have rolled out a network to cover remote areas in Indonesia.
Nearly 400 sites across Central and Western Indonesia, including Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Nusa Tenggara, have received broadband connectivity with Intelsat’s help using cellular backhaul. This is said to be the first time a mobile operator has covered these areas.
“Pairing Intelsat satellites in a hybrid network solution proves to be the best real-world solution to provide countrywide coverage for different population densities,” says Gaurav Kharod, regional vice president of Intelsat, Asia Pacific. “Intelsat understands Lintasarta’s specific requirements and can craft a niche advantage for them to maximize existing hardware platforms to effectively provide the connectivity needed.”
Meanwhile, SES and NorthStar Earth & Space, described as the first commercial service provider to monitor space from space, have signed an agreement to collaborate on the implementation of next-generation commercial space situational awareness (SSA) services. The aim is to significantly increase the precision of resident space object (RSO) tracking to enhance the safety and sustainability of operations in space.
The two companies intend to leverage their complementary expertise, advanced technologies, and comprehensive satellite networks to bring unique SSA services in terms of dimension, precision and reliability.
This commercial service will enhance traditional fleet management capabilities by reducing collision risk and enabling optimum safety and efficiency during operations.
