SES (Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG) announced today that it has entered into an agreement with the European Space Agency (ESA) to support innovation in satellite broadband communication. As part of the agreement, SES’ 100% owned satellite broadband affiliate, SES Broadband Services, is offering a range of broadband services at special conditions to industrial players participating in the ARTES Applications Projects led by ESA.

The ARTES (Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems) initiative led by ESA seeks to enhance the competitiveness of European industry by promoting the use of satellites in such functions as broadcasting, multimedia and mobile communications, data relay, search and rescue, and aviation services.

With this initiative, SES Broadband Services encourages industrial players to develop new satellite broadband applications and services. Companies participating in the ARTES Applications Programme (ARTES 3-4 and ARTES 20) can benefit from preferential rates for SES Broadband services on the Pan-European and Middle East beams of the ASTRA-3B satellite located at 23.5 degrees East and the Sub-Saharan African beam of the ASTRA-4A satellite located at 5 degrees East.

“We continuously foster product innovation to achieve and sustain market leadership. We are delighted to expand our cooperation with the European Space Agency to support innovation in the European satellite industry,” said Patrick Biewer, Managing Director at SES Broadband Services. “We see this initiative as a catalyst for new ideas, facilitating the design and launch of new applications for satellite broadband in Europe, Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa.”

"ESA is very pleased about the joint initiative with SES Broadband Services to support ARTES Applications projects. The special conditions offered by an operator like SES provide an important asset in the development stages of new space based applications and services. It will help to stimulate good ideas and to build relationships right from the beginning of a project, and prepare for the launch of operational services at the project's conclusion," said Amnon Ginati, Head of ESA's Integrated and Telecom-related Applications Department.

The agreement is valid until September 15, 2014. Interested parties can apply until December 31, 2013 via esa.applications@ses.com. For further information, please visit: http://iap.esa.int/opportunities/satcom-apps/operator-opportunity-ses

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About SES

SES is a world-leading satellite operator with a fleet of 52 geostationary satellites. The company provides satellite communications services to broadcasters, content and internet service providers, mobile and fixed network operators and business and governmental organisations worldwide.

SES stands for long-lasting business relationships, high-quality service and excellence in the broadcasting industry. The culturally diverse regional teams of SES are located around the globe and work closely with customers to meet their specific satellite bandwidth and service requirements.

SES (Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG) holds participations in Ciel in Canada and QuetzSat in Mexico, as well as a strategic participation in satellite infrastructure start-up O3b Networks. Further information under: www.ses.com.

About the European Space Agency

The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space.

ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.

ESA has 19 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, of whom 17 are Member States of the EU. ESA has Cooperation Agreements with nine other Member States of the EU and is negotiating an Agreement with the one remaining (Bulgaria). Poland is in the process of becoming ESA’s 20th Member State. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.

By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country.

ESA develops the launchers, spacecraft and ground facilities needed to keep Europe at the forefront of global space activities. Today it launches satellites for Earth observation, navigation, telecommunications and astronomy, sends probes to the far reaches of the Solar System and cooperates in the human exploration of space.