Artist rendering of an SES C-band satellite.

SES selected Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) to further the plans to provide 5G services in the United States. This will be accomplished by Northrop Grumman building two C-band satellites that will operate in the upper portion of the spectrum.

“This award demonstrates SES’s continued confidence in our GEOStar satellite platform and the excellent relationship that has been developed over the years between our two companies,” said Amer Khouri, vice president, communication missions, Northrop Grumman. “These will be the 8th and 9th GEO communications satellites built for SES by Northrop Grumman, and will continue our legacy of delivering quality spacecraft that support our customer’s most critical needs.”

“The timeline to build and launch these C-band satellites is ambitious, and we are fully committed and proud to be working with our long-time American partner Northrop Grumman to build these two satellites in the United States for the millions of cable TV households across the country, while clearing spectrum as quickly as possible for 5G use,” said Steve Collar, CEO of SES. 

The C-band satellites are set to launch in 2022.