SES ASTRA Adds French WIMAX Operator Wibox as Distribution Partner For ASTRA2Connect
30 June 2010
SES ASTRA, has signed an agreement with the French WIMAX operator Wibox for the distribution of its satellite-based broadband service ASTRA2Connect. Wibox will offer SES ASTRA’s broadband access to end customers, small and home offices as well as small and medium enterprises especially in regions without terrestrial networks. The marketing will begin in July 2010.
Wibox, a subsidiary of the French telecoms operator Altitude Infrastructure, has specialized in providing customers in rural regions with tailored solutions to access the high-speed internet. Wibox will offer ASTRA2Connect to complement its current solutions. In addition to interactive broadband access, users will also benefit from VoIP telephony and TV reception from ASTRA’s orbital position 19.2 degrees East, including hundreds of analogue and digital TV and radio stations.
“We are very delighted that Wibox has chosen ASTRA2Connect to extend its service portfolio for high speed internet connections”, said Norbert Willems, Managing Director of ASTRA Broadband Services, SES ASTRA’s broadband subsidiary. “Wibox is the first WIMAX operator to use our successful satellite broadband technology. The agreement will allow Wibox to provide 100% coverage everywhere in France without an additional investment into costly infrastructure.”
“The ASTRA2Connect solution allows Wibox to offer its subscribers a universal service, including those who are not connected to terrestrial networks,” said David El Fassy, President of Wibox. “Wibox can therefore always offer the right technical solution to connect its customers to the broadband internet – no matter where they live.”
With more than 60,000 end users, ASTRA2Connect is the most successful satellite broadband service in Europe. Offering always-on and interactive broadband internet access for flat service fees, ASTRA2Connect is immediately available anywhere within the footprint of the satellite. ASTRA2Connect is marketed via wholesalers and internet service providers to the residential, industrial and maritime markets in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
