SSi Canada Contracts SES’s Newest Satellite to Meet Growing Customer Needs and Canadian Government Broadband Goals

SES-17 Ka-band capacity adds to existing AMC-18 C-band capacity to support expansion of SSi Canada’s QINIQ broadband and SSi Mobile services across Northern Canada

LUXEMBOURG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Consumers, students, government entities and businesses across Northern Canada, including all 25 communities of Nunavut, will have access to expanded broadband capacity following a partnership signed between SSi Canada, the developer-operator of QINIQ broadband and SSi Mobile services in Nunavut, and SES, the leader in global content connectivity solutions.

Under the agreement, SES will provide additional satellite capacity, initially to Pond Inlet and Iqaluit, from its newly launched SES-17 satellite using Ka-band. This builds on existing arrangements enabling SSi Canada to use C-Band capacity from SES’s AMC-18 satellite to connect all 25 communities in Nunavut. The additional Ka-band capacity from SES-17 will be used to enhance services and support further expansion across Northern Canada.

“We are proactively working to expand our capacity and meet the growing broadband needs of the Northern and remote communities we serve,” said Jeff Philipp, Founder and CEO of SSi Canada. “The additional SES capacity provides support for vibrant cultures and close-knit communities, as well as new opportunities for work, education and access to better healthcare. Our commitment is clear: we are delivering top-quality broadband services today. Our partnership with SES leverages all the resources available to us and shows the progress we can make when working together as part of Canada’s Connectivity Strategy.”

With this partnership, SES and SSi can make an even greater contribution to achieving Canada’s Connectivity Strategy. The goal of the Connectivity Strategy is to connect 98% of Canadian citizens to a minimum broadband service of 50/10 Mbps by 2026 and all Canadians by 2030. A key part of this initiative is the creation of the Universal Broadband Fund to invest in the infrastructure needed to connect all Canadians, including using satellite-based connectivity as cost-effective backbone infrastructure to quickly and effectively connect remote and rural communities.

“While the digital divide is real, Canada is taking an innovative and proactive approach to expanding broadband services to every citizen, no matter where they live. This is even more critical as we exit the pandemic and more people are able to work remotely if they have a proper broadband connection,” said Omar Trujillo, Vice President of Sales for the Americas at SES. “SES has a proven track record for providing reliable data services across Canada in a variety of spectrum bands over its satellite fleet, and we are glad to work with SSi on expanding its capacity and footprint across Northern Canada.”

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About SES

SES has a bold vision to deliver amazing experiences everywhere on earth by distributing the highest quality video content and providing seamless connectivity around the world. As the leader in global content connectivity solutions, SES operates the world’s only multi-orbit constellation of satellites with the unique combination of global coverage and high performance, including the commercially-proven, low-latency Medium Earth Orbit O3b system. By leveraging a vast and intelligent, cloud-enabled network, SES is able to deliver high-quality connectivity solutions anywhere on land, at sea or in the air, and is a trusted partner to the world’s leading telecommunications companies, mobile network operators, governments, connectivity and cloud service providers, broadcasters, video platform operators and content owners. SES’s video network carries almost 8,400 channels and has an unparalleled reach of 366 million households, delivering managed media services for both linear and non-linear content. The company is listed on Paris and Luxembourg stock exchanges (Ticker: SESG). Further information is available at: www.ses.com.

About SSi

Headquartered in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, and with a satellite teleport and network operations centre in Ottawa, SSi is the developer-operator of the award-winning SSi Mobile and QINIQ broadband services in Northern Canada. Along with the James Bay Eeyou Corporation and Eeyou Communications Network, SSi is also one of the founding shareholders of Eeyou Mobility, which provides broadband wireless services throughout the Eeyou Istchee and James Bay region of Quebec.

With over 30 years of operating experience, SSi is a leader in delivering advanced satellite, broadband, mobile wireless and clean energy solutions. SSi understands first-hand the challenges faced in providing effective and affordable communications services to remote and outlying areas, having launched broadband and mobile services into many markets where these previously did not exist. For more information, see www.ssicanada.com.