SES SA said on June 1 Skycable has signed a multi-year, multitransponder agreement for broadcasting direct-to-home (DTH) satellite TV channels with the Euronext-listed satellite operator.
The statement was issued the day SES announced its new SES-9 spacecraft is entering commercial service. “SES-9 has successfully completed its testing and reached its orbital position at around 108.2 degrees East, where it has joined SES-7 and will replace NSS-11.”
SES-9, built by Boeing Satellite Systems International, is the largest SES satellite to serve the Asia-Pacific region, with 57 high-power Ku-band transponders—equivalent to 81×36-megaHertz transponders, out of which 53 are incremental, according to the company. The new spacecraft will provide significant expansion capacity to serve the video and mobility sectors across Northeast Asia, South Asia, India, Indonesia and the Philippines, it added. The satellite will also be capable of supporting a range of enterprise and government applications, SES said.