Vimpelcom inks capacity deal with SES to extend Far Eastern connectivity

Luxembourg-based satellite broadband operator SES, which boasts a fleet of 52 geostationary orbiters, has announced that it has signed a three-year deal with mobile giant Vimpelcom, granting the Russian telco additional capacity on SES’ NSS-9 satellite. The new capacity will be used to provide data services to Vimpelcom’s corporate clients in the Kamchatka, Magadan and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky regions, while also enabling the mobile giant to boost its 3G network in the Far Eastern Federal District, as well as parts of East Siberia. The deal means that Vimpelcom now accounts for multiple transponders on the NSS-9 satellite. SES senior vice president for Asia Deepak Mathur commented: ‘Vimpelcom operates in some of the harshest areas of Russia, which are best served by satellites. The high-powered NSS-9 satellite and its comprehensive coverage over Russia has enabled SES to support VimpelCom as it continues to roll out 3G networks and provide data services in the eastern regions of Russia’.