SES 03b mPOWER rendering provided by SES

SES‘ new software-enabled Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite system O3b mPOWER is now operational, the European satellite operator announced Wednesday. With six out of 13 O3b mPOWER satellites launched, SES said it will be rolling out services ranging from tens of Mbps to multiple gigabits per second to customers “in the coming months.”

SES O3b mPOWER will be targeted to mobility, government, enterprise and cloud markets, with new onboarding plans for customers.

SES CEO Adel Al-Saleh said the new system, combined with the operator’s access to GEO and LEO satellite, positions the company as a unique “all-orbit solutions provider.”

“We are very excited that O3b mPOWER is now ready to serve our customers around the world,” Al-Saleh said in the announcement. “Over the last few years, our SES team, along with our technology partners across space and ground segments, have worked tirelessly to bring our O3b mPOWER system online. I’m proud to say that all the core infrastructure is deployed, tested and ready on a global basis.”

SES previously had to delay its plans for O3b mPOWER service date to deal with power issues with four of the initial satellites. SES and manufacturer Boeing are upgrading five of the remaining satellites — satellites seven through 11 — and adding two additional satellites to the constellation.

SES expects to launch the next two O3b mPOWER satellites in late 2024.

“With our first-of-its-kind technology now proven on orbit, this is a big milestone for the entire industry,” Michelle Parker, vice president of Boeing Space Mission Systems said in a release. “We’re excited to deliver even more power with the next set of satellites that will be delivered later this year.”

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