mu Space, SES Networks and Hughes to Provide Broadband Access to Rural Thailand

Satellite-based broadband access will help to bridge digital divide among the rural and underserved communities of Thailand

Germantown, Md./ Luxembourg/ Bangkok, Thailand,  12 March 2018 — Rural communities of Thailand will soon be able to enjoy reliable satellite-based broadband services delivered by mu Space Corp using SES Networks’ satellite capacity and the JUPITER™ System from  Hughes Network Systems (Hughes). mu Space is a Thai space technology startup which aims to provide satellite services that are affordable, easy-to-install and offer widespread coverage. By contracting capacity on SES satellites – SES-8 and eventually SES-12 when it is launched -- and using the Hughes JUPITER System, mu Space will be improving quality of life for Thailand’s citizens by providing reliable and affordable satellite-based broadband for telecom providers and businesses in Thailand.

According to Thailand’s telecom industry database, only 12% or about 8.3 million of the country’s 69 million population currently has access to broadband. Recognizing its importance in social and economic development, the Thai government has launched several initiatives, including a National Broadband Policy and a new economic model, Thailand 4.0,with the goals to increase broadband penetration to 95% of the Thai population by 2020, and to transform the country into an innovation-driven economy.

“At mu Space, our mission is to deliver nationwide and reliable connectivity to everyone in Thailand, to improve the quality of life of the local people,” said James Yenbamroong, founder and CEO at mu Space. “As such, we have been searching for the ideal partners to ensure that we can deliver reliable broadband services at the right price point. Together with the global experience of SES Networks and Hughes, we are confident of the high service quality that we will jointly deliver in Thailand.”

“In rural and underserved areas, satellite is the best solution for broadband access, as it’s much more affordable and faster to deploy compared to land-based internet infrastructure,” said Imran Malik, Vice President, Fixed Data, Asia-Pacific at SES Networks.  “We are honoured that mu Space has selected SES Networks as their partner of choice in bridging the digital divide in Thailand and are thrilled at the opportunity of empowering Thai citizens with  opportunities of the digital economy to improve their lives.”

“In ex-urban and rural communities, terrestrial networks are difficult to  roll out and costly, contrasted by the new generation of satellites and access technologies which bring affordable access to people anywhere cross continent-wide coverage areas,’,” said Ramesh Ramaswamy, senior vice president and general manager, International at Hughes. “We are excited that mu Space has chosen our JUPITER System and look forward to working with them and SES Networks to deliver on their mission of bringing broadband to everyone in Thailand.”