In the framework of the Connectivity for Refugees initiative, the deployment uses SES’ O3b mPOWER satellite network to provide dependable, high-speed internet for humanitarian teams and essential services for refugees.

This is the first emergency.lu deployment using O3b mPOWER satellites in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), an expansion beyond the program’s previous use of geostationary (GEO) satellites for rapid disaster-response missions. It also marks a new application for the platform.

While emergency.lu has traditionally supported first responders and emergency operations, this deployment is designed to connect refugees and the humanitarian organizations enabling services such as online learning, digital skills training, community connectivity centers as well as reliable day-to-day communications.

The deployment was carried out by Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade’s personnel on the ground, following hands-on training at SES’ Luxembourg headquarters.

Built for sustained use and flexible expansion, the communication kit is designed to support longer-term operations and evolving needs on site.

By adding O3b mPOWER to the emergency.lu toolkit, the partnership strengthens its ability to provide connectivity beyond the first days of a crisis, supporting continued access to education, healthcare services and communications when displacement and humanitarian response extend for months.

“Connectivity can change a day, and a life. With this deployment, a classroom can keep teaching and access guidance, humanitarian workers can support displaced communities, and families can stay in touch,” said Adel Al-Saleh, CEO of SES. “With the addition of SES’ high-throughput, low-latency Medium Earth Orbit capabilities, we have adapted the solution to move from emergency restoration to everyday communications reliability for displaced communities, and are proud to support the Luxembourg Government’s teams as they bring this service online in Farchana.”

Under the agreement, Marlink will offer the high-throughput and low-latency O3b mPOWER dedicated connectivity services to its customers with data-intensive requirements.

These include its humanitarian, energy, enterprise, mining, government, maritime and OmniAccess’ superyacht customers who require robust communication networks with higher speeds and dedicated lower latency for their business operations in the most remote locations.

O3b mPOWER is built on the proven commercial success of SES’s first-generation O3b MEO constellation and is scheduled for launch in the coming months.

When operational by end of 2022, O3b mPOWER will provide unprecedented flexibility, performance coverage, and scale to extend new, bandwidth-intensive network services and applications.

The software-driven O3b mPOWER communications system is capable of delivering intelligent connectivity services from tens of megabits to multiple gigabits per second which will augment Marlink’s Smart Network solutions for its most demanding customers.

Marlink and SES have been partners for more than two decades, jointly delivering connectivity solutions to maritime users, humanitarian agencies, energy and mining companies, as well as enterprise, mobility and government customers around the world leveraging SES’s widebeam and high-throughput GEO satellites, O3b constellation and teleport infrastructure.

Marlink operates a global industry leading VSAT network and has unrivalled market access to the remote communications industries.

The new agreement will enable Marlink to further enhance the capabilities of its hybrid network solutions and offer its customers with truly differentiated, flexible, reliable and secure connectivity solutions, optimized for every application, especially the ones requiring high-throughputs and low-latency.

Erik Ceuppens, CEO of Marlink Group, commented, “At Marlink we are driven by technology progress and committed to bring the full power of a connected and digital world to our customers’ remote workplaces. This is why we are so excited to extend our long-term partnership with SES and to bring the game changing high-throughput low-latency capabilities of O3b mPOWER as part of Marlink’s Smart Network solutions to our most demanding customers in all our market verticals.”

Steve Collar, CEO of SES, commented, “Fast, flexible connectivity represents an opportunity for all businesses – especially those operating in remote locations. Marlink’s customers understand the strategic need for excellent connectivity, and the value of digitalisation. SES’s high-throughput, low-latency data connectivity represents a future-proof solution for these operators.”