European satellite firm eyes wider footprint in PH

MANILA   -European satellite company SES is preparing to operate six additional satellites next year as it seeks to expand presence in the Philippines.

MANILA  -Rob Marabut, SES sales director for enterprise and cloud at Asia, said in a virtual event on Wednesday they were keen on strengthening partnership with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

“Our intention is that by the second quarter of 2024, hopefully, we can get DICT to consider our MEO (medium earth orbit) technology for the national digital inclusion programs that they will be deploying next year,” he said.

The DICT and SES are currently working together under the Universal Internet Subscription for Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (UIS-GIDA) project, which seeks to deploy free Wi-Fi connectivity across the country.

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SES recently conducted a test drive of its technology in the country before further ramping up its presence.

The test run showed that its MEO satellite can provide speeds of 500 Megabits per second (Mbps) for download and 80 Mbps for upload. In comparison, the median fixed broadband download speed in the country is 83.09 Mbps while median upload speed is 79.42 Mbps according to Ookla’s speed test as of September.

“The high speeds demonstrated in the proof-of-concept can empower communities and villages in isolated areas — connecting them to buyers, suppliers, banking, and other institutions that will help build rural communities’ livelihoods,” SES said in a statement.

Marabut stressed the need for a quick internet connectivity for education, healthcare and other use cases at a time of heightened digitalization.

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Information and Communications Technology Undersecretary Jeffrey Ian Dy said the government continues with its initiative of providing internet connectivity in remote areas to lessen the digital gap.

“The DICT wants to create an ecosystem. All available technologies should be used,” he said.

As of latest data, the government agency has deployed 11,080 free WiFi sites in 849 cities and municipalities. It aims to roll out additional 52,000 sites next year