SES Renews Long-Term Relationship with Comcast Technology Solutions

June 15, 2021

SES will continue delivering Comcast Technology Solutions’ Managed Satellite Distribution service, formerly known as Headend in the Sky (HITS), that reaches hundreds of multichannel video programming distributor systems across the US. SES recently renewed its long-term relationship with Comcast Technology Solutions (CTS), a division of Comcast Cable that provides media and entertainment technology to advertisers, agencies and content providers.

As part of a new, multi-year extension agreement, SES will be transitioning CTS’s Managed Satellite Distribution service from SES-11 at 105 degrees West to AMC-11 at 131 degrees West. This is part of SES’s plan to clear the C-band spectrum in the US to accommodate the deployment of 5G services in the coming years.

For more than two decades, CTS’s Managed Satellite Distribution service has enabled multichannel video affiliates to transition to digital services, reduce costs and reclaim valuable bandwidth for new services. SES is using advanced compression as part of the transition to AMC-11 and is working with CTS to ensure its Managed Satellite Distribution affiliates have a seamless transition, deliver a high-quality experience to their subscribers and ensure no interference from 5G transmissions on the cleared spectrum. 

As part of its C-band clearing plan, SES will also be launching new C-band satellites to provide continuity of service well into the future for CTS and its Managed Satellite Distribution affiliates.

“SES has been integral in providing continuity of service to our Managed Satellite Distribution customers in the midst of great change. The current transition of satellite services in order to free up C-band spectrum represents a huge change for us and our partners. SES has been collaborative and hands-on, participating in webinars and outreach efforts to maximise response time for businesses, solve for problems before they occur, and provide clear transition paths for every impacted operation,” said Allison Olien, Vice President and General Manager, Communications and Technology Provider Suite for Comcast Technology Solutions.

“Comcast Technology Solutions has been a critical customer and partner for SES for decades, and our relationship has strengthened further as we jointly re-engineer the Managed Satellite Distribution service to ensure that millions continue to receive radio and TV programming across the US. Our focus throughout the C-band clearing process has been to support our customers in delivering state-of-the-art services while freeing up spectrum for the US market. We are using the best technologies, processes and people to do this, and our partnership with CTS is a great testament to that,” said Steve Collar, CEO of SES.