Artist rendition of SES-17. Photo: Thales Alenia Space

SES’s Ka-band satellite, SES-17, is now fully operational over the Americas, the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean at 67.1 degrees West, the company announced June 16. The all-electric propulsion satellite has reached orbit per schedule after months of in-orbit raising and successful in-orbit testing.

SES-17 satellite was built by Thales Alenia Space to provide connectivity services to customers across aeronautical, maritime, enterprise, and government markets whether on land, at sea, or in the skies.  SES-17’s anchor partner, Thales InFlyt Experience, will leverage SES-17 for FlytLive, an aviation connectivity solution that aims to enhance Wi- experiences onboard commercial aircraft across the Americas and the Caribbean.

“We are excited to have the highly-anticipated SES-17 satellite start delivering services, while redefining and transforming the digital landscape for many different applications across the Americas and ultimately bringing high-speed connectivity to people wherever they are. At SES, we are extremely thankful to our partners at Thales Alenia Space and Arianespace that have shared our vision at each step of SES-17’s journey to orbit,” Ruy Pinto, Chief Technology Officer at SES, said in a statement