SES Networks and PNG DataCo restore connectivity to Earthquake-stricken Papua New Guinea

Written on 13 May 2019

O3b MEO beam delivers additional 1.5 Gbps capacity deployed to restore connectivity to support DataCo customers affected by earthquake

Luxembourg, 13 May 2019 - Mobile networks and broadband internet access for corporate and consumer customers operated by PNG DataCo have been restored by SES Networks following a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck near the town of Bulolo, Papua New Guinea in the early morning hours of 7 May 2019, SES announced today.

Connectivity for DataCo customers was disrupted due to damage caused to critical nodes of terrestrial and subsea transmission infrastructures between Port Moresby and Madang following the earthquake. Contingency teams from SES Networks used an additional O3b Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) beam to deliver an extra 1.5 Gbps of low-latency IP Transit service to ease network congestion on DataCo's damaged primary link. The additional bandwidth was made available within hours of receiving a request from DataCo.

Together with DataCo, we are glad that connectivity has been restored swiftly to enable communications and critical disaster recovery services in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, said Imran Malik Khan, Vice President, Global Fixed Data Sales of SES Networks. We recognise the importance of communications services in the event of natural disasters to facilitate quicker information transfer between families and communities, as well as to coordinate recovery and search-and-rescue operations. Our thoughts are with the affected communities, and we offer our well wishes.

It is our duty to provide the essential communications links for our customers to connect with their loved ones and facilitate critical business and operational activities, said Paul Komboi, Managing Director of DataCo. We are glad that SES's O3b MEO satellites has provided us and our customers with a reliable, high-throughput and low-latency solution in our time of need. The fact that connectivity services were restored in the shortest possible time at critical areas where our primary linkages were down has helped the local communities, businesses and organisations greatly.

About SES SES is the world's leading satellite operator with over 70 satellites in two different orbits, Geostationary Orbit (GEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). It provides a diverse range of customers with global video distribution and data connectivity services through two business units: SES Video and SES Networks. SES Video reaches over 351 million TV homes, through Direct-to-Home (DTH) platforms and cable, terrestrial, and IPTV networks globally. The SES Video portfolio includes MX1, a leading media service provider offering a full suite of innovative services for both linear and digital distribution, and the ASTRA satellite system, which has the largest DTH television reach in Europe. SES Networks provides global managed data services, connecting people in a variety of sectors including telecommunications, maritime, aeronautical, and energy, as well as governments and institutions across the world. The SES Networks portfolio includes GovSat, a 50/50 public-private partnership between SES and the Luxembourg government, and O3b, the only non-geostationary system delivering fibre-like broadband services today. Further information is available at: www.ses.com.

LINK:	https://www.ses.com/press-release/ses-networks-and-png-dataco-restore-...
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