LUXEMBOURG & HONG KONG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SES S.A. (NYSE Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG), SpeedCast, a leading satellite telecommunications service provider in Asia-Pacific, and AsiaSat have donated satellite and service capacity to enable NetHope, a consortium of 41 non-governmental organisations around the globe, to re-establish communication links to survivors of Typhoon Haiyan.
By utilizing the 36 MHz capacity on SES’ NSS-11 satellite donated by SES and the uplink services and ground infrastructure provided by SpeedCast and AsiaSat, NetHope will be able to provide Typhoon Haiyan survivors access to information directly. The services and infrastructure will also support a number of other relief agencies and NGO’s working in-country.
“Damage to critical telecommunications infrastructure has made disaster relief and rapid assessment of the situation difficult. Given that it may be weeks or months before terrestrial infrastructure is up and running, satellite connectivity is vital in providing immediate communication needs. SES is pleased to donate satellite capacity to support the people of the Philippines during their recovery from this terrible disaster,” said Elias Zaccack, Senior Vice President, Commercial Americas at SES.
“SpeedCast, SES and AsiaSat are providing vital aid directly to the areas that need it most with the help of NetHope. Since the Typhoon hit and we activated our response services, NetHope is now able to assist the relief efforts with communication services that can reach the most remote parts of the country,” said Pierre-Jean Beylier, CEO of SpeedCast.
“AsiaSat is pleased to take part in this initiative by offering uplink services from our Tai Po Earth Station. This effort in cooperation with our partners, will establish communication links needed to assist Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts in the Philippines,” said William Wade, President and Chief Executive Officer of AsiaSat.
The GVF’s Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Response Programs helped to facilitate this combined industry response to Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.
About SES
SES is a world-leading satellite operator with a fleet of 55 geostationary satellites. The company provides satellite communications services to broadcasters, content and internet service providers, mobile and fixed network operators and business and governmental organisations worldwide.
SES stands for long-lasting business relationships, high-quality service and excellence in the broadcasting industry. The culturally diverse regional teams of SES are located around the globe and work closely with customers to meet their specific satellite bandwidth and service requirements.
SES (NYSE Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG) holds participations in Ciel in Canada and QuetzSat in Mexico, as well as a strategic participation in satellite infrastructure start-up O3b Networks. Further information under: www.ses.com.
About SpeedCast
SpeedCast is a leading global network and satellite communications service provider offering high-quality managed networks services in over 60 countries throughout Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Europe and Africa; and a global maritime network serving customers worldwide. With 16 international sales & support offices and 28 teleport operations, SpeedCast has a unique infrastructure to serve corporate and carriers' requirements globally. SpeedCast has distinguished itself with a strong operational expertise and a highly efficient support organization, which are the foundation of SpeedCast's success. For more information, visit www.speedcast.com.
About AsiaSat
AsiaSat, the leading regional satellite operator in Asia, serves over two-thirds of the world's population with its four satellites, AsiaSat 3S at 105.5ºE, AsiaSat 4 at 122ºE, AsiaSat 5 at 100.5ºE and AsiaSat 7. The AsiaSat satellite fleet provides services to both the broadcast and telecommunications industries. Over 450 television and radio channels are now delivered by the company's satellites offering access to over 710 million TV households across the Asia-Pacific region. AsiaSat also provides telecommunications operators and end users services such as voice networks, private VSAT networks and broadband multimedia. AsiaSat’s latest satellites, AsiaSat 6 and AsiaSat 8, are planned to be launched in the first half of 2014. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Asia Satellite Telecommunications Holdings Limited, a company listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (Stock Code: 1135). For more information, please visit www.asiasat.com.