SES Broadband

SES Broadband provides high-speed Internet access (at up to 10 Mbit/s[2]) at a flat rate cost to end users, along with Voice over IP, IPTV, and content-on-demand facilities, without any requirement for a landline, cable or terrestrial wireless connection.

The industrial implementation of SES Broadband allows for a SCADA network to be realized with an always-on, secure two-way satellite connection to the IP backbone, with a guaranteed bandwidth (and symmetrical download/upload speeds if required) for a flat fee.

[8] SES Broadband uses a satellite link to carry IP data in both directions between the central hub and remote terminals.

At the hub, routers connect to the Internet backbone and IP data is embedded in a DVB-S2 format carrier to be uplinked to the satellite from SES' teleport and, from there, downlinked to the remote terminal where the signal is received with a domestic-type dish for the satellite internet modem, which extracts the IP data for the end user's PC.

[14] In the UK, customers of BeyonDSL purchase the SES Broadband terminal equipment for £300, pay a £50 registration fee and a monthly fee according to the package chosen with one-off allowance extensions available for additional payment:[15] Connection to the SES Broadband service is by way of a Sat3Play satellite terminal developed by Newtec[16] in conjunction with the European Space Agency (ESA).

[17] The satellite dish is of an offset design with an 80 cm (31 in) diameter solid steel reflector and fitted with an altazimuth mount.

The iLNB combines the feedhorn and electronics for reception and transmission in one unit, and is provided with two F connectors for receive and transmit connection to the IPmodem.

[22] Digital Fernsehen magazine's tests of SES Broadband (then ASTRA2Connect) found that "two-way connection via satellite is unsuitable for lovers of on-line games.

[23] However, PC Magazin's tests found: "The echo (Ping) times were around 650 ms. For large downloads, that is insignificant and while surfing on the Internet, it is easy to accept a half-second 'time to reflect'.

"[24] SES Broadband for Maritime was launched in September 2009 to provide satellite internet access for vessels at sea and on inland waterways in the European region.

The maritime service is intended for pleasure crafts, fishing and coastal ships, ferries and smaller commercial cargo carriers, operating mainly in the North and Baltic Seas, and the northern Mediterranean.

The SES Broadband for Maritime service uses the same satellite modem, as the land-based solution, but the terminal deployed is a professional 85 cm (33 in) in-motion marine dish with automatic tracking capabilities, housed in a protective radome.