NTT flies with SES for satellite-based enterprise edge and private 5G network

NTT has struck a multi-year partnership to use SES satellites to deliver edge-based networking services to enterprise customers.

This further indicates the types of partnerships that will increasingly be struck as space-based communications continue to flourish where there is demand for reliable connectivity that can meet surges in demand, and from firms based beyond the reach of fixed terrestrial networks.

The collaboration is said to bring together NTT’s expertise in networking and enterprise managed services with SES’s satellite capabilities – combining NTT’s fully managed private 5G and edge compute Edge as a Service solution with SES’s second-generation medium earth orbit communications system, O3b mPOWER, to provide expanded and reliable connectivity.

The combined solution is intended for companies operating in regions where terrestrial networks are lacking and those wanting to leverage high-performance connectivity to increase their efficiency and grow revenue. Through what is described as the combined versatility of private 5G networks and satellite technology, the end-to-end solution is expected to propel industries – such as energy, mining, maritime, manufacturing and industrial – that have otherwise been limited by connectivity and need to ramp up their digital transformation plans and increase revenue streams.

Looking to put control and ownership back into the hands of the customer, the joint solution will deliver coverage to over 190 countries with public-private roaming. In addition to NTT’s private 5G and edge compute capabilities, NTT will also provide use-case consulting and design, application development, systems integration, implementation and managed services, while SES will provide end-to-end satellite networks via O3b mPOWER that will be integrated with NTT’s offering.

NTT’s Edge as a Service includes internet of things (IoT), edge compute and private 5G connectivity delivered by NTT across its global footprint. The service is attributed with being able to accelerate business process automation, enabling enterprises to quickly deploy their applications more securely and monitor them closer to the edge, thereby reducing downtime, improving user experience and so optimising costs.

Assessing the potential of the partnership, Alejandro Cadenas, associate vice-president of EMEA telco mobility research at analyst firm IDC, regarded the collaboration an industry-first milestone at the whole industry level.

“[This combines] massive amounts of expertise that both companies are bringing in each field, and the joint value proposition is ahead of the curve in terms of added value to customers. This will also open great opportunities in countries where 5G spectrum is not yet ready, enabling the transformation of companies at a global scale.”

For its part, NTT noted that as organisations grapple with the challenges of a rapidly changing world, it was more important than ever to leverage the power of technology to drive growth and innovation.

“Private 5G is a transformative power that enables enterprises to build upon existing network infrastructure and deliver reliable, high-bandwidth and low-latency connections for multiple use cases operating on a single private 5G network,” remarked Olivier Posty, country managing director Luxembourg, at NTT.

“As our customers continue to innovate, network partners with the right skills and expertise will be critical to success in today’s competitive market. NTT’s robust private 5G network-as-a-service full stack solution, delivered on-premises, at the edge, or as a cloud service, is complemented by NTT’s 24/7 remote monitoring services and a CIO self-service portal, ensuring that NTT’s full stack of managed edge compute services delivers real-time actionable intelligence to drive processing efficiency and accelerate business performance.”

To SES chief strategy officer John-Paul Hemingway, the partnership is “one of its kind”, as both companies jointly provide comprehensive and resilient connectivity solutions for customers around the world.

“In addition to its predictable low-latency capabilities, O3b mPOWER’s best throughput and full flexibility on asymmetric or symmetric services will result in the seamless integration and extension of terrestrial and satellite networks, enabling our customers to unlock the full potential of emerging technologies like 5G, IoT and cloud computing, and drive digital transformation across industries.”