The name change, effective immediately, comes after SES Government Solutions merged with the recently acquired DRS Global Enterprise Solutions (DRS GES). According to the company, the SES Space & Defense name reflects the organization’s new positioning and expanded offering serving the needs of the U.S. government and military customers.

Over the past four months, SES Space & Defense saw the appointment of its new leadership team, as well as the integration of capabilities that reflect the newly combined organization and differentiated value proposition. The company is focused on building, managing, and supporting the most advanced satellite network solutions for the U.S. government and Department of Defense (DoD). SES Space & Defense has been restructured to serve its customers across two integral markets – space and defense – by creating two business units, Space Initiatives and Defense Networks, to provide best-in-class satellite network solutions.

The Space Initiatives unit targets fleet-centric projects leveraging SES’s global multi-orbit satellite fleet, infrastructure, and assets. The Defense Networks unit is centered on multi-operator managed services and end-to-end mission-critical communications.

“This is a major milestone for us, and more importantly for our U.S. DoD customers,” said SES Space & Defense President and CEO David Fields. “In August we consolidated two best-in-class organizations focused on the U.S. government satellite communications needs, and we remain fully committed to providing innovative world-class space solutions to our most tactical customers. With SES Space & Defense as our new name, we would like our strategic vision and focus to come through brightly.”

SES Space & Defense’s ICT Portal
In addition to the company’s name change, SES Space & Defense has also announced their new Common Operational Picture (COP) capability, the Information & Communications Technology (ICT) Portal.

The ICT Portal is a modular web-based NetOps capability providing end-to-end situational awareness in a consumable single-pane-of-glass user interface. The ICT Portal uses the same holistic and vendor agnostic approach as the SES Space & Defense ICT Ecosystem – providing customers with a comprehensive and flexible monitoring and reporting solution. Accessible anywhere in the world, the technology agnostic capability is customizable based on mission and customer operational requirements.

The consolidated network visibility provides the transparency necessary to rapidly identify and diagnose issues across complex networks, including terrestrial and space assets, so networks and applications can be fully optimized to increase performance. In addition, the ICT Portal allows all SATCOM assets to be viewed as one comprehensive satellite and network architecture, providing customers with access to innovative solutions and making a more resilient satellite architecture a reality.

The ICT Portal is secure by design and incorporates the latest security and data processing technologies, ensuring mission assurance for government and military users.

“Today’s military and government users are more network-enabled than ever before, and our ICT Portal supports this through increased visibility and control over their network,” said SES Space & Defense President and CEO David Fields. “The ICT Portal will be showcased at the SIA DoD COMSATCOM Workshop, enabling our most tactical customers to see how performance, network transparency and assurance, makes it a critical capability for successful missions.”

To learn more about how solutions like the ICT Portal can transform how the military monitors network performance, click HERE.

The post SES’ government arm changes name and announces new ICT Portal appeared first on SES Space and Defense.

But building, operating, and maintaining a network in the incredibly harsh and extreme conditions in remote Alaska is harder than it may seem. While the climate and large size of the state would clearly cause problems, there are other challenges that are less obvious. These include the local fauna, and even the disparate cultures of the native peoples that the network providers are looking to serve.

In the second part of our discussion with Vickie, we take a deep dive into these challenges and explore the way they impact what local organizations should be looking for in their industry partners.

Government Satellite Report (GSR): Why are microwave networks utilized for connectivity in these more remote locations?

Vickie Kelly: In some areas, satellite services are the only solution for delivering coverage and connectivity. For example, the Aleutian Islands, a chain of islands that separates the north Pacific Ocean from the Bering Sea, are so remote that satellite connectivity is the only option for the people there. There are also remote locations in the interior of Alaska that are only accessible via small plane that can only get connectivity with satellite.

Building a microwave network is a terrestrial solution that enables you to provide high throughput connectivity to these remote locations at a fraction of the cost of satellite. However, satellite services are still needed to provide backhaul services and connect those microwave networks back to the Internet. to get to some of these remote sites, but you still need to get back to the Internet.

However, while microwave is a lower-cost solution to satellite, it does have a high maintenance cost. Continuing to operate and repair the microwave infrastructure that comprises the network can be incredibly expensive and difficult.

For example, in one instance, a bull moose would not allow maintenance crews to get to damaged microwave equipment to fix the connection. This resulted in the maintenance crew hiring a helicopter to get to the equipment.

GSR: What unique challenges do industry partners face when building, operating, and maintaining networks in these regions? Is it the same as operating anywhere else in the globe, or do the remote location and harsh climate impact operations?

Vickie Kelly: The climate and environment certainly impact operating and maintaining a network like ours. As we discussed, the climate can make it difficult or impossible to get to the hardware for maintenance purposes. The incredible distance dictates traveling by helicopter or small plane, and those can’t fly when the weather is bad.

Also, as we discussed, the fauna of the area has been known to create its own challenges. We’ve even had foxes chew through the wires of our microwave network infrastructure. Despite having fences and other security solutions in place, the foxes found a way to get to the equipment. Apparently, they learned how to climb fences.

But there are challenges that don’t result from the weather, environment, and animals. There are also challenges that result from the different cultures and people that you serve and work with.

“…the climate can make it difficult or impossible to get to the hardware for maintenance purposes. The incredible distance dictates traveling by helicopter or small plane, and those can’t fly when the weather is bad.” – Vickie Kelly

When you’re working in remote areas of Alaska, you’re also working with the different tribes of those regions. Each of these tribes has its own culture and traditions. Culturally, you have to be very astute. You have to understand what their beliefs and traditions are, and understand if what you’re asking for may offend or betray those traditions and beliefs.

To help ensure that the people within our organization understand and respect these different cultures, we actively work to provide employment opportunities to locals. We employ and train them to help operate and maintain the equipment that’s near their town. We’ll hire them as guides and for transportation for our staff.

But we also provide them with employment opportunities because they bring additional cultural awareness to our organization, as a whole.

GSR: In addition to building, operating, and maintaining these networks, there must be other challenges and requirements that the local government faces. What other services are provided by industry partners?

Vickie Kelly: That’s an excellent question. In many cases, these organizations lack trained IT staff and support to help deliver many of the services that they need as technology becomes more essential in their daily operations. In those instances, we also provide the services that they need to make online capabilities possible.

For example, we provide bandwidth monitoring to ensure that the bandwidth is being used efficiently. We provide quality of service and bandwidth prioritization to ensure that the most mission-critical applications and workloads get priority. We deliver content filtering for schools to help keep children safe. We also provide services to help keep healthcare organizations in compliance with HIPAA requirements.

“The emergence of next-generation NGSO satellite solutions at MEO and LEO promises to offer extremely low latency, extremely high throughput satellite solutions that could provide fiber-like connectivity to practically anywhere on the globe.” – Vickie Kelly

We also enable content caching for school districts that allows them to download content so that it lives on a server locally. This means they don’t have to rely on broadband connectivity to utilize those assets.

GSR: Considering the importance of the network and the service that it delivers – as well as the unique challenges of the region – what should organizations in places like Alaska be looking for in an industry partner? What attributes, expertise and experience are necessary to operate in these environments?

Vickie Kelly: One of the most important things these organizations in Alaska need to be looking at is the contention ratios of the providers. If the bandwidth is contended, there is a good chance that it will not be available for them when they really need it – or that it won’t offer the high throughputs that they need for particular use cases or applications.

This can be difficult for end users because many network and service providers have become very good at hiding the language about the fact that their bandwidth is contended. They need to read between the lines and ask difficult questions to ensure that they’re going to get the service that they need when they need it.

“In some areas, satellite services are the only solution for delivering coverage and connectivity. For example, the Aleutian Islands, a chain of islands that separates the north Pacific Ocean from the Bering Sea, are so remote that satellite connectivity is the only option for the people there.” – Vickie Kelly

I also think they should be looking for providers that not only offer a solution for today but are also innovating for the future. Just because microwave networks are the best solution for meeting the bandwidth requirements of these remote communities in Alaska now doesn’t mean they always will be.

We’re at a very exciting time in satellite and broadband connectivity. The emergence of next-generation NGSO satellite solutions at MEO and LEO promises to offer extremely low latency, extremely high throughput satellite solutions that could provide fiber-like connectivity to practically anywhere on the globe.

These organizations need to be looking for industry partners that not only recognize how this industry is evolving but are also investing in the future of these technologies. They need to be looking for organizations that have the resources, knowledge, and capabilities to bring these new technologies to bear to help meet their mission requirements.

To learn more about the next generation of NGSO satellite solutions that can deliver high throughput, low latency connectivity to remote locations, click HERE.

The post Bears, foxes, and bull moose – the unique challenges of maintaining networks in Alaska appeared first on SES Space and Defense.

When people could no longer go to a government building or office to file paperwork, submit an application, or pick up an important document, it became essential that government organizations give them digital and virtual alternatives. Information had to be made more readily available on government Websites, people needed to be able to download and submit applications for citizen services online, and AI solutions were needed to answer basic questions about government services and policies since many public servants were out of the office.

But what happens in that environment when government organizations want to go digital, but lack basic connectivity? What happens when the constituents they serve don’t have access to high-speed Internet access? And what impact does it have when modern applications and solutions that are hosted in the cloud simply can’t be accessed or utilized by an organization?

This is exactly the problem facing many of America’s rural and remote locations, such as the remote, sparsely-populated areas of the country’s largest state, Alaska.

We recently sat down with Vickie Kelly, a business development manager at SES Space and Defense that calls Anchorage, Alaska home, to discuss how the company is leveraging satellite and microwave networks to bring basic connectivity to school districts and government organizations in Alaska’s wildest regions.

Government Satellite Report (GSR): When it comes to connectivity for public schools and government organizations in remote parts of Alaska, what options do they have? Are typical, terrestrial broadband networks available to them? Why or why not?

Vickie Kelly: In Alaska, connectivity is a case of the “haves” and the “have-nots.” In an urban area, you do have connectivity by fiber that – while a bit more expensive than in the lower 48 – still offers quality connectivity. But the broader portion of Alaska is not urban. It’s defined as remote.

Connectivity for our remote school districts and government organizations is not typical. And there are a number of reasons for that.

Alaska is two-thirds the size of the lower 48 states combined. It’s huge and stretches over a large area containing numerous different topographic and geologic features. It’s almost impossible to run fiber in that environment due to the sheer scope and the terrain. The state’s high risk of natural disasters also plays a role, with frequent earthquakes that can disrupt fiber installation or damage existing fiber lines.

Also, it may sound humorous to those in the lower 48, but fiber and other infrastructure and hardware can be impacted by the local fauna. We’ve seen numerous instances of fiber being chewed and hardware being damaged by bears, foxes, and local animals.

Combined, these factors have resulted in many of the more remote, rural areas of the state having no connectivity via typical, terrestrial networks – like fiber.

GSR: Why is this a problem in these regions, specifically? What could high throughput connectivity enable these districts to do that isn’t possible without it?

Vickie Kelly: We just had an excellent example of how impactful a lack of connectivity can be due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When schools had to shut down, the majority of students had no home Internet. Schools found themselves assembling paper packets of assignments for kids that their parents would pick up.

That seems unreal in this time of connectivity – especially in the lower 48 – but it’s the reality in many of these small, remote towns and villages.

“We’ve traditionally leveraged a proprietary microwave network…to deliver connectivity to more remote places in Alaska. We supplement that microwave network with satellite services…and we’re increasingly looking at NGSO satellite offerings to deliver higher throughput, low latency connectivity to these regions.” – Vicky Kelly

Many teachers in urban areas take Internet-enabled tools for granted. Educational videos on YouTube. Cloud-based learning applications. Video teleconferencing for distance learning. These applications require broadband Internet to access, and low latency to use effectively, or else they’ll time out.

That’s particularly problematic in this region because they need these capabilities – potentially even more than urban school districts and districts in the lower 48.

For example, remote schools are very small. Teachers are generalists and teach multiple classes and subjects. In this environment, distance learning via video teleconferencing could be used to bring in faculty that teach more niche classes – such as foreign languages, music, or even advanced placement classes. This could enable schools and districts to deliver a more diverse, well-rounded educational experience to students.

I used to work in a school district that offered band and orchestra through distance learning via video. That’s a valuable resource for students, but it’s not possible without broadband connectivity.

But that’s only one example of a capability or application that these students can’t access because of their remote location. There are many more, and the number is increasing as technology advances and becomes a more fundamental part of education and curriculum.

“In Alaska, connectivity is a case of the “haves” and the “have-nots.” In an urban area, you do have connectivity by fiber that…still offers quality connectivity. But the broader portion of Alaska is not urban. It’s defined as remote.” – Vicky Kelly

For example, gaming is widely becoming a recognized part of school athletics, with many schools and school districts launching competitive gaming teams. That’s not possible for many of these remote school districts without fiber connectivity. In fact, it may not even be possible with traditional GEO satellite connectivity.

GSR: How have industry partners helped deliver connectivity to these regions in the past? What types of networks are utilized to deliver these services and capabilities to these regions?

Vickie Kelly: To the more remote locations in Alaska, industry partners have had to rely on either microwave networks or satellite services to deliver connectivity. However, there have been some plans proposed to lay additional subsea fiber to connect some more rural, remote areas. And for the urban areas, there are terrestrial fiber and copper networks that are providing connectivity.

We’ve traditionally leveraged a proprietary microwave network that we own, operate, and manage independently to deliver connectivity to more remote places in Alaska. We supplement that microwave network with satellite services where necessary, and we’re increasingly looking at non-geostationary (NGSO) satellite offerings to deliver higher throughput, low latency connectivity to these regions.

GSR: Are these networks only for public schools, or are they also used for other public sector use cases?

Vickie Kelly: Our microwave network is used to support a lot more organizations than just schools and school districts. In fact, one of our first customers was the Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC), an Alaskan Native non-profit corporation that provides health and social services to tribal members across much of the rural, remote parts of Alaska.

“Many teachers in urban areas take Internet-enabled tools for granted. Educational videos on YouTube. Cloud-based learning applications. Video teleconferencing for distance learning. These applications require broadband Internet to access…” – Vicky Kelly

For the TCC, we support healthcare clinics with the connectivity necessary to access essential online medical applications and services. We also enable telemedicine solutions that provide access to healthcare for people that need to stay in their homes, or when the weather makes it impossible to fly out to see a doctor or specialist.

In addition to our contributions to the local healthcare community, we also use our network to provide connectivity to tribal administrative offices and government entities. We provide connectivity to village police departments, fire departments, and emergency medical services. We also enable Radio over IP (RoIP) services for first responders.

Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve also begun to explore providing access to high-bandwidth connectivity for students and homes.

In our next article on the Government Satellite Report, we’ll feature the second part of our two-part conversation with Vickie, when we discuss the challenges that companies face when building, operating, and maintaining a network in these remote parts of Alaska.

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As part of the announcement of the deal closing, SES also revealed that David Fields would become the new President and CEO of SES Space and Defense. The thirty-year veteran of the satellite and IT industries would be taking over for Brigadier General Pete Hoene, who would be retiring.

The Government Satellite Report recently had the opportunity to sit down with Fields to discuss the acquisition, what it means for DRS GES and SES Space and Defense customers, and what his first priorities are as President and CEO.

Government Satellite Report (GSR): What kind of business was DRS Global Enterprise Solutions (GES)? What solutions and services did the organization offer? Which government agencies and organizations were among GES’ customers?

David Fields: The DRS GES was in space integration. They were not a satellite operator like SES.

As an integrator, DRS GES would work with government agencies to understand their customers’ satellite and communications needs and requirements. They would then connect those government customers with the best satellite solutions to fit their needs.

We will continue to bring the best of the industry together to meet the demanding mission requirements of agencies across the US Government.” -David Fields

DRS GES was always vendor agnostic – leveraging relationships across the satellite communications industry to get the best, most effective solutions for their government customers. That is something that will not change despite now being a part of SES Space and Defense. We will continue to bring the best of the industry together to meet the demanding mission requirements of agencies across the US Government.

GSR: Why was the acquisition of DRS GES the right decision for SES? How does the addition of the DRS GES business synergize with the company’s existing offerings and capabilities?

David Fields: DRS GES and SES have incredibly complementary capabilities. We’re effectively pulling together portfolios from two successful companies and creating an entity with the combined capabilities to meet even the largest and most critical government satellite requirements.

The integration of the two organizations brings together incredible capability and expertise in  end-to-end network management and multi-band and multi-orbit satellite communications. We’re combining an organization that manages over 10,000 terminals across government networks with a satellite provider that has deep expertise in offering best-in-class satellite communications from multiple orbits.

GSR: Why is DRS GES being organized under SES Space and Defense? Why does this make the most sense for both organizations?

David Fields: Even though the organizations’ offerings didn’t directly overlap – with DRS GES being an integrator and SES Space and Defense being a satellite operator, we did have common U.S. government customers.

While GES did have some non-government customers, they represented a small part of the business. So, it makes sense to bring together two organizations with a long history of servicing the government, deep knowledge about the unique challenges that government customers face, and the importance of their missions.

DRS GES’ terrestrial network has a Risk Management Framework (RMF) authorization from the U.S. Government and is completely approved to connect to government networks.” -David Fields

Bottom line is that both business units have trusted partnerships that have a strong record of enabling many of the most demanding, mission-critical applications required by the US government. With this experience—and now with the organizational scale, technology assets, and technical competencies from the GES acquisition—SES Space and Defense is poised to deepen these customer relationships and deliver long-term value that sustains market leadership.

GSR: What will the addition of  DRS GES mean for SES Space and Defense customers? What new capabilities or services will this make available to them?

David Fields:  DRS GES brings a very significant terrestrial network to the table, as well as a teleport and network operations capability. DRS GES’ terrestrial network has a Risk Management Framework (RMF) authorization from the U.S. Government and is completely approved to connect to government networks. That cyber posture will be a huge advantage for SES Space and Defense customers moving forward.

Also, early on, we’ll be looking to integrate DRS GES’ Information & Communications Technology (ICT) portal and SES Space and Defense capabilities for network management. Doing so, will provide SES Space and Defense’s customers with a transparent, single-pane view of the network. We’ve already begun rolling it out for DRS GES customers, and we’re looking forward to offering that capability to SES Space and Defense customers, as well.

GSR: What does this acquisition mean for DRS GES customers? What can they expect now that DRS GES is a part of SES Space and Defense?

David Fields: DRS GES has been satellite agnostic throughout its entire existence and takes pride in bringing the best satellite services and solutions to their customers based on their unique needs and requirements.

O3b mPOWER is revolutionary in capacity, flexibility, latency, and automation and will open the door for advanced capabilities for our US government and DoD customers.” -David Fields

But now, DRS GES customers will also have immediate access to a fleet of satellites in multiple orbits – GEO and MEO — and multiple frequency bands enabling them to meet surge capacity requirements in a timely manner.

Our DRS GES customers will also have access to SES’ upcoming next-generation Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite constellation, O3b mPOWER. O3b mPOWER is revolutionary in capacity, flexibility, latency, and automation and will open the door for advanced capabilities for our US government and DoD customers.

GSR: As the new President and CEO of SES Space and Defense, how has your career to date and past experiences positioned you to succeed in this role?

David Fields: My career has spanned more than 30 years, working with large government contractors and small companies, alike. I’ve worked with satellite operators, integrators, and in the IT industry – I’ve even started and sold two of my own startup companies.

We’re seeing massive innovation across the industry and a shift from constellations in a single orbit to satellite fleets spanning multiple orbits, particularly non-geostationary orbits (NGSO).” -David Fields

I believe my experience across all these complementary industries will benefit SES Space and Defense following the acquisition of DRS GES. I particularly think my startup experience will be beneficial. While neither SES Space and Defense nor DRS GES is a startup company, the resulting company will look very different following the acquisition.

GSR: What are your top priorities in this new role as CEO of SES Space and Defense? What can SES Space and Defense customers expect?

David Fields: My highest priority and our largest responsibility are delivering continued, consistent operations for our customers. Regardless of how we organize the company, how we combine its capabilities together, or the resulting corporate structure – the process needs to be seamless and transparent to our customers, and there can be no effect on operations.

GSR: Why is now such an exciting time to be at the helm of a satellite company? What industry trends and government trends make this point in time so important in the space and satellite industries?

David Fields: The industry is completely changing. We’re seeing massive innovation across the industry and a shift from constellations in a single orbit to satellite fleets spanning multiple orbits, particularly non-geostationary orbits (NGSO).

The fact is that today’s modern government systems and applications have increased throughput demands and required the industry to change the paradigm of satellite communications. In doing so, the industry has responded with the evolution of satellite constellations at MEO and Lower Earth Orbit (LEO). It’s exciting and driving a new wave of innovation and change that is unprecedented in the industry.

It’s unlike anything that I’ve witnessed in my thirty-year career.

To learn more about the acquisition of DRS GES by SES, click HERE.

The post What the SES acquisition of DRS GES means for the satellite industry appeared first on SES Space and Defense.

“The DRS GES business is well-respected by its customers and within the satellite communications (SATCOM) provider services market, and we are very pleased with the agreement reached with SES,” said Bill Lynn, CEO of Leonardo DRS.  “While the DRS GES business has flourished, Leonardo DRS has shifted its portfolio focus, and selling it now makes the most business sense,” he said.

The DRS GES business is a leading provider of commercial satellite communications to the U.S. government and delivers world-class, mission-critical satellite communications and security solutions to customers anywhere in the world.

SES plans to organize the DRS GES business unit under SES Space and Defense (SES Space and Defense), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SES.  For over 40 years, SES Space and Defense has supported the mission-essential operations of Combatant Command (COCOM), Military Services, and other U.S. government customers. SES Space and Defense delivers satellite communication solutions leveraging SES’s 70 satellites at geostationary and medium earth orbits and supporting ground infrastructure.

“SES Space and Defense is the only satellite operator with operational experience delivering multi-orbit, multi-band managed SATCOM services to the Department of Defense (DoD) and its warfighters,” said Pete Hoene, President and CEO of SES Space and Defense.  “With SES Space and Defense and DRS GES’ deep and trusted relationships with U.S. government agencies, we look forward to continuing to provide critical elements to meet the DoD’s connectivity requirements and deliver assured communications.”

Leonardo DRS regularly assesses its portfolio to ensure strong alignment with our customers’ needs and priorities.  As the company continues to focus on transforming to meet the DoD’s important priorities, this divestiture will allow the company to consider larger potential acquisitions that would strengthen its core capabilities and open new market opportunities.

“As we enter a new and exciting phase at Leonardo DRS, we are investing in our strengths to improve our core capabilities,” Lynn said.  “We are looking beyond incremental technology advances and moving towards a larger role in producing ground-breaking, market-disruptive technologies for our customer needs today, and well into the future,” he said.

“The combination of SES Space and Defense and DRS GES businesses unites the leader in multi-orbit satellite networking with unparalleled U.S. government satellite communications integration,” Hoene said.  “Both SES Space and Defense and DRS GES have a trusted reputation for delivering the best network solutions to meet unique and demanding U.S. government requirements.”

Featured image: An airman sets up a satellite in a simulated austere environment at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. (Photo by: Air Force Staff Sgt. Kristine Legate) The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.

The post Leonardo DRS Announces Sale of Global SATCOM Business to SES appeared first on SES Space and Defense.