NOAA Signs First U.S. Government Deal With SES for O3b High Throughput Solution

Global satellite solutions provider SES Government Solutions (SES GS) has agreed to a one year contract with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) to provide O3b Networks’ services and ground equipment to the National Weather Service Office (WSO) in Pago Pago, American Samoa. NOAA’s WSO supports the National Weather Service (NWS) mission to provide weather, water, and climate data, forecasts and warnings for the protection of life and property. The WSO also provides critically important tropical cyclone warning information to portions of the Pacific.

The contract allows NOAA to expand their broadband connectivity outside the continental U.S. to facilitate the wider dissemination of weather and data forecasting. The O3b ground equipment and services at WSO Pago Pago will be key elements of NOAA’s communications link to meet these mission requirements. This particular implementation will enhance NOAA’s existing terrestrial connectivity with the use of O3b’s high throughput and low latency bandwidth.

An uninterrupted high-speed data connection between the NOAA station at Pago Pago and the primary Pacific NWS center on Ford Island in Honolulu, HI is essential for NOAA to update forecast models and issue safety warnings in near real-time. Many Big Data files are transferred between the two stations, including weather maps and seismic sensor data. By connecting over the O3b constellation, NOAA can accelerate their analysis while reducing reaction times to weather or seismic events.

The addition of O3b’s ‘fiber in the sky’ solution to NOAA’s current ground network is a prime example of how O3b’s capabilities can enhance the U.S. Government’s current data dissemination networks.

About SES Government Solutions

SES Government Solutions, a subsidiary of global satellite operator SES, is exclusively focused on meeting the satellite communications needs of the U.S. Government. Leveraging more than four decades of experience in the government SATCOM market, SES Government Solutions offers robust and secure satellite-based communications solutions. Supported by SES’s fleet of over 50 satellites offering comprehensive global coverage, SES Government Solutions offers highly reliable fixed and on-the-move capacity. Further information can be found at www.ses-gs.com.

About O3b Networks Limited

O3b Networks Limited is a global satellite service provider offering a next-generation satellite network for telecommunications operators, Internet service providers, enterprise and government customers in emerging markets. The O3b system combines the global reach of satellite with the speed of a fiber-optic network providing billions of consumers and businesses in nearly 180 countries with low-cost, high-speed, low latency Internet and mobile connectivity. O3b Networks’ investors include SES, Google, Liberty Global, HSBC Principal Investments, Northbridge Venture Partners, Allen & Company, Development Bank of Southern Africa, Sofina, Satya Capital and Luxempart. O3b Networks is headquartered in St. Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands.

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