NTT and SES team up on satellite-based edge solution

Enterprises based in remote areas shouldn’t have to miss out on the latest connectivity services.

That’s the rationale behind a new multi-year partnership between NTT and SES, which combines the former’s networking and enterprise services with the latter’s satellite capabilities into a new edge-as-a-service offering.

The solution will support IoT, edge compute and private 5G connectivity, and is being pitched at companies beyond the reach of terrestrial networks – the usual suspects being those in the energy, mining, maritime, manufacturing, and industrial sectors. NTT and SES also have an eye on companies that sometimes have to cope with surges in connectivity demand.

NTT is bringing to the table its private 5G and edge compute expertise, as well as its use-case consulting and design, application development, system integration, implementation, and managed services capabilities. These will be seamlessly integrated with SES’ end-to-end satellite network.

“This partnership between NTT and SES is an industry-first milestone at the whole industry level, combining massive amounts of expertise that both companies are bringing in each field, and the joint value proposition is ahead of the curve in terms of added value that will be provided to customers,” said Alejandro Cadenas, associate VP of EMEA telco mobility research at IDC, in a statement that came via NTT.

“This will open great opportunities also in countries where 5G spectrum is not yet ready, enabling the transformation of companies at a global scale,” he added.

Indeed, NTT and SES’ new offering will be able to deliver edge services to 190 countries thanks to public-private roaming.

The announcement offers more evidence that the capabilities of modern satellites are able to meet the increasingly complex connectivity demands of enterprises, rather than just being a connectivity solution of last resort for companies brave enough to base themselves in the middle of nowhere. Further proof can be seen from the regularity with which the likes of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite operators Starlink and OneWeb have been signing up new partners lately.

SES offers global coverage via fleets of geostationary (GEO) and mid-Earth orbit (MEO) satellites. It has begun upgrading its MEO constellation, called O3b, to its more powerful, second generation satellites – which it is calling O3b mPower – to provide higher bandwidth and lower latency. The first two of 11 planned satellites blasted off from Cape Canaveral in December. The O3b mPower network is due to enter commercial service in the third quarter of this year.

“In addition to its predictable low latency capabilities, O3b mPower’s best throughput and full flexibility on asymmetric or symmetric services will result in the seamless integration and extension of terrestrial and satellite networks, enabling our customers to unlock the full potential of emerging technologies like 5G, IoT, and cloud computing, and drive digital transformation across industries,” said John-Paul Hemingway, chief strategy officer at SES.

“We are excited to embark on this journey with SES, combining our collective expertise to help businesses digitally transform and scale,” added Miriam Murphy, CEO Europe at NTT Ltd. “As organisations grapple with the challenges of a rapidly changing world, it is now more important than ever to leverage the power of technology to drive growth and innovation.”

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