Broadband TV News February 21, 2025 11.40 Europe/London By Julian Clover SES will keep its Luxembourg headquarters in Betzdorf following its planned redundancies and the upcoming merger with Intelsat In a series of interviews with local media in the Grand Duchy CEO Adel Al-Saleh said approximately 600 staff – out of a total of 2,000 – would remain in Luxembourg 68 employees are expected to lose their jobs in the redundancy round announced last December “We need talent everywhere to remain competitive And we cannot forget that Betzdorf is our headquarters and will always be important.” Assuming the planned merger with Intelsat goes ahead Al-Saleh confirmed several positions would be eliminated but said these were more likely to take place at management level than with engineers and technical staff “Our costs are too high in several areas One way to achieve this is to cut costs so that we can invest this money This has nothing to do with the acquisition of Intelsat or India Should the acquisition of the American operator Intelsat go through this issue will arise more at the management level than among engineers and technical staff SES was forced to issue a trading update saying it was anticipating “better than expected” revenues when its full-year 2024 results are published later this month The statement followed the decision by Moody’s Ratings to change its outlook on the satellite operator from “stable” to “negative” Filed Under: Newsline, Satellite Edited: 21 February 2025 15:06 Julian Clover is a Media and Technology journalist based in Cambridge, UK. He works in online and printed media. Julian is also a voice on local radio. You can talk to Julian on X @julianclover, or by email at jclover@broadbandtvnews.com Today, consumers are increasingly using bandwidth-intensive and latency-sensitive workloads, such as 4K and 8K streaming, online gaming, and AR/VR applications. As a result, Internet Service Providers must update their networks and by extension Wi-Fi experiences and performance. … [Download the White Paper ...] Copyright © 2025 Broadband TV News LLP · Log in Growing Construction of Tier 4 Data Centers Drives European Data Center Construction MarketA Tier 4 data center is the highest certification in the Uptime Institute's system of segmenting data center performance into four tiers This tier accounts for an expected uptime of 99.995% per year Tier 4 data centers provide the highest level of uptime and fault tolerance making them ideal for mission-critical applications such as financial services As these sectors grow and digitalization continues which boosts the number of new construction projects.Additionally Tier 4 data centers command premium pricing compared to lower tiers due to their advanced infrastructure and stringent operational requirements This leads to higher profits for construction companies and data center operators attracting significant investment for construction of new data centers The construction of Tier 4 data centers requires expertise from various industries including electrical and mechanical engineering This stimulates growth in these related industries creating additional employment opportunities and economic benefits.Furthermore companies such as EBRC comprise several tier 4 data centers named Resilience Centre West the growing construction of Tier 4 data centers is expected to present a promising opportunity for the Europe data center construction market growth during the forecast period.Europe Data Center Construction Market OverviewThe data center construction market is experiencing growth due to factors such as the strength of the European economy and the increased reliance on digital technologies The market encompasses various infrastructure types and offerings Several companies are actively involved in the data center construction market in Europe enlisted the services of Hill International to oversee the development of a new campus in San Agustin de Guadalix will span across a 6.5-hectare site and encompass four data centers with a combined capacity of 80 MW Data4 has emphasized that these new facilities will leverage their efficient and adaptable model to accommodate the growth of their customers an internationally recognized provider of colocation services declared the commencement of construction for a second data center at its TH3 Paris Magny location in France The data center will offer a substantial IT floor space measuring 12,000 square meters along with an electrical power capacity of 18 MW.The company's decision to expand its infrastructure in this manner aligns with its strategic objective of enhancing European and national digital independence by augmenting hosting and connectivity provisions at its existing regional facilities thereby attracting global internet traffic to the region Such developments are expected to boost the data center construction market growth in Europe during the forecast period.Europe Data Center Construction Market SegmentationEurope's data center construction market is segmented based on types of construction and Eaton Corp are some of the leading companies operating in the European data center construction market.Key Attributes: Executive Summary2.1 Key Insights2.2 Market Attractiveness3 Europe Data Center Construction Market Landscape4.1 Overview4.2 Ecosystem Analysis4.2.1 List of Vendors in the Value Chain5 Data Center Construction Market - Europe Market Analysis6.1 Europe Data Center Construction Market Revenue (US$ Million) 2022-20306.2 Europe Data Center Construction Market Forecast Analysis7 Europe Data Center Construction Market Analysis - by Type of Construction7.1 Electrical Construction7.2 General Construction7.3 Mechanical Construction8 Europe Data Center Construction Market Analysis - by Tier Standard8.1 Tier 38.2 Tier 48.3 Tier 1 and Tier 29 Europe Data Center Construction Market Analysis - by Industry Vertical9.1 IT and telecommunication9.2 BFSI9.3 Media and Entertainment9.4 Retail9.5 Manufacturing9.6 Government9.7 Transportation9.8 Others10 Competitive Landscape11.1 Heat Map Analysis by Key Players11.2 Company Positioning & Concentration12 Industry Landscape12.1 Overview12.2 Market Initiative13 About ResearchAndMarkets.comResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets Despite a redundancy plan for 68 employees signed in December 2024 SES will maintain its headquarters in Betzdorf declined to specify how the company's restructuring would impact staff here in the Grand Duchy "We need talent everywhere to remain competitive And we cannot forget that Betzdorf is our headquarters and will always be important." Al-Saleh underlined that there will always be a promising future for SES employees in Luxembourg and that approximately 600 jobs will remain in Betzdorf regardless of how distributions might change in the future SES has to cut costs to make room for investment funds Several significant contracts were signed last year One of the major projects SES is planning in the near future is the acquisition of the American operator Intelsat After a failed attempt in 2023 due to disagreements over the business model SES will acquire Intelsat for €2.8 billion SES submitted the necessary documents to obtain approval from the U.S Al-Saleh believes it is realistic to finalise the acquisition by June it would pose a challenge but would not be an existential threat to SES SES has other options and has also won several important tenders: One particularly significant contract for the next twelve years has put SES at the helm of "SpaceRISE," the consortium preparing and operating the "IRIS²" satellite constellation for the European Union which will be entirely under European control and secure communication network for both public and commercial clients SES will contribute 18 so-called "medium Earth orbit" satellites to the network Ninety percent of the capacity of these satellites will be sold to commercial clients while the remaining 10% will be reserved for governments "IRIS²" is expected to be operational by early 2030 Another project is the "MEO Global Services Agreement." This agreement allows NATO members to purchase capacity from SES's "mPower" satellites for observation missions The project originates from a partnership between Luxembourg and the United States the Luxembourg Chamber approved a budget of €190 million to finance the project "It is incredibly exciting to sign a major contract like MGS or IRIS² But the real work begins once the contract is signed There is currently a lot of work being done by the teams." These projects are crucial for changing the market narrative which is currently focused on the success of Starlink the satellite network by Elon Musk's SpaceX The CEO also hopes that a more positive discourse around SES could also help boost the company's stock price The financial results to be presented in about two weeks will show growth but stock prices are influenced by more than just figures When asked about the extent to which the new U.S administration—with Elon Musk as an adviser to President Donald Trump—could impact SES’s operations it is not particularly comfortable to see our biggest competitor so close to the U.S and European systems are robust enough to recognise and properly manage conflicts of interest He also pointed out that Donald Trump is one of the biggest supporters of the space sector security is becoming an increasingly important sector for SES it was reported that an SES satellite had been targeted by Russian interference "It is new in the sense that the media picked up on it not because it actually is a new occurrence" He emphasised that it is something the company must prepare for in its daily operations modern life as we know it would not be possible: Internet connections and telecommunications all depend on services like those provided by SES The most important factor for security is cooperation between various stakeholders There is constant information sharing about observed threats and potential countermeasures against external malicious interference Making the next generation of satellites more resilient to such attacks will also be a key focus Not many companies can call a castle estate their global HQ that more than 600 SES employees work day in day out to bring our groundbreaking products and solutions to life.    Château de Betzdorf was gifted to SES in the 1980’s by The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg the offer hoped to fuel the country’s ambitions to become a major player in space In the satellite and network operations centre at the heart of our main site we control and monitor our advanced fleet of geostationary and medium earth orbit satellites The sprawling campus also boasts a large antenna park that connects the operations centre to our multi-orbit fleet and service management centre these facilities ensure the seamless delivery of our broadcasting and data services worldwide What’s more, we recently opened a new facility on campus specially designed to test our latest ground equipment and software. This facility is already being used to co-create solutions with partners for our next generation satellite constellation O3b mPOWER GovSat – a public-private joint venture between the Luxembourg government and SES - is also situated at Betzdorf Castle where it continues to deliver a range of cutting-edge solutions to governmental Delivering connectivity and being connected to our roots is important to SES Together with another Betzdorf-based organisation Institut St Joseph (group elisabeth) and supported by the Municipality of Betzdorf we worked with a Luxembourg-based artist Alexandra McKell to create a mural art that brings across our joint beliefs of building a connected and inclusive world As you cruise pass the rue de la Grotte in Betzdorf you will see two Institut St Joseph’s walls painted jointly by the artist and the residents of Institut St Joseph The mural art reflects the story of an innovative satellite system from launch to operations in space to delivering connectivity on land Our history and achievements to date are closely linked to Luxembourg The negative effects of fireworks include the release of fine particles They pollute the environment and cause stress to birds This is why 76 of the Grand Duchy’s 100 communes have banned the use of fireworks The bans are generally based on existing police regulations which prohibit the use of firecrackers and rockets in public places without authorisation throughout the year Many municipalities justify their decisions on grounds of protecting the environment and animals relieving hospital overcrowding and keeping public spaces clean fireworks are permitted on New Year’s Eve in Bech fireworks can be set off for 20 minutes with the permission of the local authority Stadtbredimus and Tandel have not issued any specific bans but are appealing to the common sense of residents to refrain from using fireworks the Stadtbredimus rules will be amended so that fireworks will be banned once and for all Some local authorities have already changed their regulations Kopstal and Saeul on New Year’s Eve last year Even in those communes that do allow fireworks there are often restrictions on time or location fireworks may only be set off between 23:30 and 00:30 the duration of any fireworks is limited to 30 minutes It is even shorter in Wormeldange (15 minutes) and Betzdorf (ten minutes) fireworks may only be set off at a distance of at least 100 metres from residential areas Communes that allow fireworks are urging residents to use them responsibly waste must be disposed of in an environmentally-friendly manner (This article was first published by Luxemburger Wort. Translated and edited by Duncan Roberts) EvacuationWeapon used in Kirchberg scare was fakeMan armed with fake gun caused commotion at bank branch on Monday In courtCourt upholds suspended sentence for footballer Gerson RodriguesAppeals court finds Luxembourg professional footballer guilty of domestic violence and assault Financial crimeLuxembourg ranks 4th best in preventing financial crimeAnalysis by consultancy firm describes Luxembourg as well-governed, but at risk due to its vast financial sector and cross-border activity DefectsLuxembourg tyre manufacturer summoned for possible indictment in FranceGoodyear is suspected of concealing defects in some of its tyres used on trucks, leading to fatal accidents SecurityGovernment prepares bill to ban begging, loud music on public transportIncreased video surveillance and fines for obnoxious behaviour, begging and failure to control pets are featured in the draft law DrugsLuxembourg a key transit point in European drug tradeHowever, there is currently “no evidence of cartel presence within the country”, Home Affairs Minister Léon Gloden says EPPOPremiumEPPO seeks near 50% funding increase amid surge in fraud cases The EU’s Luxembourg-headquartered fraud fighting body has seen its requests for extra resources repeatedly ignored, despite growing workload Police watchdog reportPremiumSharp rise in criminal investigations against Luxembourg police officers Police watchdog’s annual report for 2024 showed record numbers of criminal, disciplinary and administrative probes against officers Advertiser contentTreat yourself to a stress-free holidayDreaming of a worry-free trip What if the secret to a smooth getaway was simply good preparation and the right protection Advertiser contentReal estate: Why should you take advantage of the start of 2025 to begin your real estate project?The main things we remember about the housing sector over the past 12 months are the rise in interest rates and the fall in property prices Advertiser contentProperty: I've decided to invest!The various forms of government support for investment Advertiser contentThe Luxembourg Times BusinessRun is happening again on 18th September!On Thursday 18th September with the starting gun of the 11th Luxembourg Times BusinessRun fired at the Coque at 7 pm Share this with instagramShare this with facebookShare this with linkedinSections Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information After decades of competing against each other two Luxembourg-based satellite rivals are weighing a merger to take on a space industry upstart — billionaire Elon Musk P&T Luxembourg subsidiary ebrc has opened a new Tier IV data center in Betzdorf The European Reliance Centre Luxembourg East is the group’s fifth data center and has been designed for cloud computing and IT managed services The data center uses free cooling for 90% of the year and has been built to meet values promoted as part of E.A.R.T.H the company’s environmental and sustainability values which call for all data centers to be optimized for energy efficiency P&T CEO Claude Strasser said the data center is well connected and not only through links to its other data centers “The location of Betzdorf is probably unique in Europe with this Tier IV Data Center the presence of the global satellite operator SES and our European high-speed data-network Teralink,” Strasser said “Betzdorf is a highly interesting location to attract multimedia companies and we are proud to contribute thus to the ‘Hub Multimedia Luxembourg." The data center has been certified for ISO 20000 for IT service management ISO27001 for data security and has PCI compliance Last year the company’s Resilience Centre Luxembourg West data center and Resilience Center Luxembourg South both received Tier IV certification The company also has two data centers in Luxembourg City Data Centre Dynamics Ltd (DCD), 32-38 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8FH Email. [email protected]DCD is a subsidiary of InfraXmedia we believe you should have the freedom to drive new opportunities in any direction you want them to go – unlimited by geography Creating your story in the satellite industry can take many shapes from Spacecraft Operations to Ground Systems Engineering Discover which of our open roles suits you the best View Job Opportunities we aim to do the extraordinary in space to deliver amazing experiences on earth With our fleet of Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) and Geostationary Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites we offer services to our customers in every part of the world provide unforgettable media experiences and support governmental bodies in helping their communities SES welcomes more than 100 interns each year in all our business areas around the world you will gather valuable hands-on experience and work on exciting real-life projects Explore our global internship programme and see how you can launch your career with us What does a day in the life of our employees look like and what inspires us Whether we’re crafting solutions for our customers or creating an environment where everyone gets the chance to shine we continuously strive to make a difference but you might still have some questions about starting your story with SES “SES management officially informed its staff that 80 jobs are at risk of being cut in Luxembourg as part of its outsourcing strategy to India,” the OGBL and LCGB labour unions said in a statement. The satellite company employs IT and other employees in Chennai, India, one of 18 offices around the world. The unions claim SES is cutting positions in Luxembourg to add more in India. SES did not confirm that jobs were to be outsourced to India but said in an email to the Luxembourg Times that up to “80 positions may be impacted in Luxembourg across different functions.” The company is in the midst of a persisting slide in value. Its share price dropped below €3.40 on Friday. It was worth €4.87 on 3 September and €6.06 at the start of the year. Luxembourg taxpayers and two state-owned banks own the biggest block of SES shares at 17%, while the remaining 83% is traded on the Luxembourg and Paris stock exchanges. SES announced last week that its profits slid by 91% so far this year to €77 million, down from €862 million in the first nine months of 2023, when the company collected the bulk of about €3 billion from the US government for allowing the Americans to deploy 5G internet more quickly. Revenue fell 1.3% to €1.47 billion in the first nine months of this year, SES said. SES is working to replace falling TV distribution revenues with military, government and transportation contracts. Meanwhile, the company hopes to complete by the second half of next year its planned buyout of Luxembourg-headquartered rival Intelsat for €2.8 billion in cash and debt. When the planned takeover was announced earlier this year, SES Chief Executive Officer Adel Al-Saleh told the Luxembourg Times that there was no guarantee the more than 600 Luxembourg jobs will go untouched. But about the same number of positions would be in place for years to come, he said. “I don’t see a scenario where we’ll be dramatically reducing employment in Luxembourg. There will be some overlaps [in the merged company], no question, but I believe the 600-level of employees will persist for a period of time. For years to come,” Al-Saleh said. (This story was updated at 18:00 on Friday, 15 November 2024, to add comment from SES spokesperson.) Space businessLuxembourg satellite giant SES sees profits tumble to start yearRevenues also down as legacy space company looks to Intelsat buyout ExclusivePremiumLuxembourg’s SES paid its new CEO €5.2 million last yearSatellite company boasts pay gap with average worker that’s less than that of other bigger European companies Europe in spacePremiumLuxembourg’s Iris2 satellite ambitions face roadblockThe government wants Luxembourg to participate in European satellite constellation but State Council says financing draft law is too vague Corporate diplomacyFrieden says Luxembourg will not surrender SES voting rightsUS investment fund is pushing for the Grand Duchy’s role at the company to be curtailed, calling the arrangement ‘antiquated’ Military spendingPremiumLuxembourg satellite giant SES seeks deeper ties to PentagonCompany’s board of directors rejects idea of cutting out Luxembourg state backing and influence Satellite allianceSES participates in replacement for Ukraine’s Starlink networkEurope is endeavouring to offer Ukraine alternatives to the Starlink broadband satellite network - Luxembourg’s SES is involved in the efforts SpacePremiumShareholder calls for smaller Luxembourg government role in SESAppaloosa, which owns just over 7% of satellite pioneer, submits proposals to alter relationship which has existed since firm’s foundation Space profitsPremiumUnder-pressure SES logged small profit last year, reversing 2023 lossLuxembourg’s satellite giant reported lower revenue and cash from operations is at the heart of a race to enhance customer service and technological advancements the company is undergoing significant changes that will also affect its Luxembourg operations CEO Adel Al-Saleh was brought in to modernise, expand, and restructure the company. While this transformation is essential for staying competitive, such changes can create concern for employees at one of Luxembourg’s most important companies. Al-Saleh acknowledged the challenges ahead but emphasised SES's strong local roots: “We are a Luxembourg company with our headquarters here and a highly talented workforce but our headquarters will remain in Luxembourg and we will continue to employ many people here.” SES employs around 600 people in Luxembourg Al-Saleh stressed the need for employees to adapt to the evolving landscape: "We need to improve our skills and our employees should focus on their professional development One possible relocation destination is India a topic that recently arose in a parliamentary question from LSAP representatives refrained from commenting on the company’s plans reiterated the company's commitment to responsible restructuring: “It’s too early to say exactly how Luxembourg jobs will be impacted We are in ongoing consultations with staff representatives and unions to find solutions SES has a history of acting in a socially responsible manner Companies like Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’s Kuiper have introduced innovative and cost-effective communication solutions as shown by its recent IntelSat acquisition SES’s satellite services are crucial for defense and security providing essential communication infrastructure for deterrence and protection Al-Saleh highlighted SES’s vital role with defense ministries worldwide although he clarified that the company does not work with nations subject to Western embargoes December 16, 2024 13.51 Europe/London By Julian Clover Luxembourg trade unions OGBL and LCGB and staff delegations from SES have signed a new social plan with the satellite group Management at SES had initially planned to cut 80 jobs in Luxembourg Following negotiations with management the figure was revised downwards to 68 The staff reductions will save SES around €4 million The unions said there had been a series of job retention plans between 2020 and 2024 that had cost the Luxembourg State €12 million SES has shown no loyalty or commitment to its staff or to the local economy in which it operates And the implementation of previous restructuring plans which should have been a turning point for the company has ultimately turned into a negative dynamic that leaves little hope for long-term recovery,” the unions said in a statement Unions also criticised a lack of action by the Luxembourg government Staff face more uncertainty following the upcoming merger between SES and Intelsat Together with Institut St Joseph (group elisabeth) the Municipality of Betzdorf and Luxembourg-based artist Alexandra McKell we created a mural art in Betzdorf that brings across our joint beliefs of building a connected and inclusive world Designed by the artist and painted jointly with the residents of Institut St Joseph, the mural art reflects the story of our upcoming satellite system – O3b mPOWER -- from its launch to operations in space to delivering connectivity on land McKell also worked with numerous residents of the Institut St Joseph through a dedicated art workshop to teach them how to create a mural The mural art comprises two walls of 24 and 45 meters long and can be seen as you drive by the Institut St Joseph on rue de la Grotte in Betzdorf The mural explores the theme of connectivity and inclusion and depicts how satellite can positively impact people and communities around the world Each side of the mural art includes handprints of the participants representing the organisations’ commitment to diversity and inclusion “We are proud to be part of this project from the very beginning - initiative which has enabled Institut St Joseph’s residents to express themselves and bring a new splash of colour to our municipality It is also an excellent example of collaboration of two Betzdorf-based organisations and the local artist community giving room for creativity and supporting inclusion,” said Jean-François Wirtz “Inclusion is an important topic for our organisation and residents This initiative of doing something creative together and telling our common story jointly with SES and Alex McKell It has given some of our residents confidence about their art capabilities and make them feel like they are part of something big and others the opportunity to acquire new useful skills of painting murals.” “I am grateful for the opportunity to work with the residents of Institut St Joseph and with SES and for the room for creativity that was given to me at design stage Space and satellites are inspiring and benefit us in ways that we are sometimes not even aware of and it’s truly a fascinating subject,” said Alexandra McKell we have also been able to raise public awareness of people with disabilities There is a bunch of incredible talent here and their dedication to this project was outstanding.” The first incident occurred around 5.40pm on Boulevard John F Kennedy in Esch-sur-Alzette Ambulances from Esch-sur-Alzette and Bettembourg were dispatched to the scene another accident on Route d'Arlon in Bertrange left two more people injured Emergency teams from Luxembourg City and Mamer responded a crash in the Wolser industrial zone in Dudelange was reported a collision between two vehicles between Olingen and Betzdorf resulted in one injury The final incident took place at approximately 1.30am between Olm and Capellen Emergency services from Mamer and Kehlen were despatched The European Commission (EC) has opened a new data center in Betzdorf The building replaces a data center in the old EC headquarters which was condemned because of asbestos contamination The data center is a collaboration between the Commission and the Luxembourg government and will house some 1400 systems supporting the European Single Market health and food safety and structural funds It will also hold the Commission’s internal administrative systems for payroll and the like It was opened on 12 December by Commissioner for the Digital Economy Günther H The new facility was precipitated when the old headquarters of the Commission in Luxembourg was condemned was demolished in 2015 after it was found to contain asbestos in 2014 The building is being replaced by a 23-story building while the data center has moved to new premises The opening comes while the Commission is engaged in a consolidation project. According to the EC press release the Commission will close more than 30 data rooms in Luxembourg moving the services into ”two professional Luxembourg-based Tier IV data centers.” A clarification from the Commission explains that the two data centers in queston are the new one in Betzdorf and one in Windhof owned by an un-named private company “Thanks to a fruitful collaboration with the Luxembourg authorities the Commission is today opening a world class data centrer to ensure its IT infrastructure which is operating EU and pan-European Information systems Data Centre Dynamics Ltd (DCD), 32-38 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8FH Email. [email protected]DCD is a subsidiary of InfraXmedia and have now recovered a large chunk of their dramatic losses from earlier in the month SES-led consortium will see leading European research and business organisations jointly develop next generation satellite-based cybersecurity system 7 June 2018 – Ten project partners comprising research organisations universities and leading industry representatives have joined the SES-led consortium to develop the Quantum Cryptography Telecommunication System (QUARTZ) The new members of the consortium will develop a system that will generate encryption keys in space and securely transmit those keys to users on Earth via laser In order to achieve delivery of a reliable globally available cybersecurity system and deliver next-generation encryption keys to networks in geographically dispersed areas the new platform will leverage the unique advantages of satellite including global reach and unlimited coverage The development of QUARTZ is supported by the European Space Agency (ESA) under a recently announced agreement with SES design and develop a satellite-based Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) system and service architecture which will include the future service and the core technologies QUARTZ applications will address the needs of users such as telecommunication operators institutions and governmental organisations Social Media Blog Media Library White Papers Satellite operator SES will this year celebrate its 40th Anniversary CEO Adel Al-Saleh has been doing the rounds with local Luxembourg press and TV to update citizens of progress at the company and to allay fears that a recent round of 68 redundancies at its Betzdorf headquarters will be followed by more Al-Saleh told RTL Today that its current plan to acquire rival Intelsat (for $2.8 billion) is progressing well and he was hopeful that the acquisition would wrap by June The merger would not mean a shift of the company’s HQ SES will unveil its year-end results on February 26th SES employs around 600 staff at Betzdorf amongst a global total of some 2,000 The acquisition of Intelsat will mean some rationalisation of overlapping positions in particular at ‘management’ levels saying: “Our costs are too high in several areas Intelsat is formally located in Luxembourg but its administrative HQ is in Washington DC Al-Saleh commented on Elon Musk’s importance to the new Trump administration and said that it was not particularly comfortable to see its biggest competitor so close to the US president He told the Luxembourg Times that he was confident that SES’s innovation and its upcoming merger with Intelsat will secure its future Some good news emerged in that SES O3b/mPOWER satellites are being used in the Asia-Pacific region in conjunction with Viasat’s Energy Services division “Offshore Energy mPOWERED was deployed in late October 2024 aboard a Floating Production Storage and Offloading Vessel (FPSO) delivering high-performance connectivity tailored to the specific needs of the offshore energy sector The O3b mPOWER connectivity will support both critical and non-critical communications onboard high-speed connectivity with guaranteed service level agreement (SLA) This deployment marks a significant step forward in enabling digitalisation and operational efficiency for offshore operations,” stated a joint press statement Categories: Articles, People, Satellite Tags: Adel Al-Saleh, luxembourg, SES, Trump Creative Media CentreHastingsEast SussexTN34 1HLTel: +44 7900 196870 The three houses have been built with a low-effort/high-quality approach PlanetPlus has delivered three single-family homes for social housing in Betzdorf The design and construction approach was to meet the economic imperatives set by the local authority while guaranteeing good quality In order to match the alignment of the neighbouring buildings The three houses are slightly offset to follow the curve of the street The concrete-and-timber structure and the use of a centralised heat pump rainwater harvesting and an innovative wastewater heat recovery system make these buildings energy-efficient The design of the interior spaces also allows for a degree of flexibility over time as certain areas such as bedrooms can easily become offices The sloping ground allows the living spaces to be on one level contains an orchard that is available to local associations Location: Rue de Roodt-sur-Syre in Betzdorf It has been translated and edited for Delano Luxembourg satellite operator SES has signed a contract with the US military to continue supplying satellite communications capacity for the country’s army SES’ US-based subsidiary SES Government Solutions--or SES GS--in 1998 first started supporting Trojan The US government has now awarded a follow-on contract to the company “It is a great privilege to continue serving their mission,” said the CEO of SES GS “We look forward to providing advanced satcom capabilities and delivering secure and reliable multi-band solutions in support of army intelligence missions  worldwide in the coming years.” SES will provide satellite services to the US army’s intelligence and security command (Inscom) delivering operational intelligence capabilities and enhancing combat readiness The announcement comes after SES last week said it had been to develop near-Earth satellite communications services for future Nasa missions SES GS works exclusively with US government clients it launched an built exclusively for the US government and military The so-called Hydra platform will provides situational awareness information The company previously signed a €14.5m contract to provide satellite services to Thule air base in north-western Greenland This came after the department of defence in May 2021 awarded a €35m contract to the satellite operator to support major combatant command SES in March acquired the satellite business of defence contractor Leonardo DRS which will be integrated into the SES GS 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BrexitPremiumEU set to make it easier for UK professionals to work in the blocBrussels due to propose legislation to enable the recognition of qualifications of British lawyers and others AcquisitionLuxembourg recruitment firm Cyberr acquires French firm in move to double growth Platform dedicated to recruiting cybersecurity experts added 14 employees through acquisition June 1, 2020 11.00 Europe/London By Julian Clover SES has announced plans to restructure its operations and will consolidate part of its European regional structure into the company’s global headquarters in Betzdorf Around 220 employees will be affected with the changes impacting between 10% and 15% of its global employee base There will be voluntary phased retirement package while other staff will be asked relocate or work remotely will be retrained or reassigned elsewhere in the company though the company says it wants to avoid these where possible Warsaw and Zurich will go with the responsibilities being redistributed to other locations in Kiev Stockley Park in London and The Hague as well as its headquarters in Luxembourg The move is part of the “Simplify & Amplify” which SES hopes to position itself for the future it is important that SES remains an agile business partner for our customers,” said Steve Collar “Simplify & Amplify is a transformational undertaking that will streamline our business we redeploy our talent within the company and minimise the impact to our global workforce while enhancing our ability to support and serve our global customer base.” Many of the job losses will be in Luxembourg and the company is currently discussing the implementation of a social plan for those impacted The video division continues to pull on the 35-year old company recently missing forecasts of € 1,225 to € 1,255 million with revenues of € 1,208 million announcing on Tuesday that it will spend nearly €410 million to take over another government communications company's American subsidiary The purchase by SES Government Solutions of the DRS Global Enterprise Solutions military and sensitive-communications network is expected to double the Luxembourg space giant's revenues from the US government The SES unit based near the Pentagon already provides a broad scope of communications capabilities "to the (US) Department of Defense and its warfighters,” said SES Government Solutions CEO Pete Hoene Assuming regulatory approvals and the deal's completion sometime after June "we look forward to continuing to provide critical elements to meet the DoD’s connectivity requirements and deliver assured communications,” Hoene said The business that Société Européennes des Satellites (SES) is buying is owned by US-based defence contractor Leonardo DRS a subsidiary of Italy's aerospace and security company Leonardo S.p.A DRS Global Enterprise Solutions operates land-based communications infrastructure and services The acquisition is expected to expand SES's customer base for the O3b mPOWER constellation of satellites the company expects to launch and make operational by the end of this year The satellites hovering at least 2,000 km above the Earth are designed to provide faster links between ground points than SES’s existing assets in geo-stationary orbit about 36,000 km high SES now operates about 50 satellites in the higher orbit and about 20 in mid-Earth orbit SES said its purchase is designed to increase revenue for its growing Networks business as income from video services fades. SES has increased revenue from government customers by around 30% since 2017 Independent satellite consultancy Northern Sky Research last year estimated that governments around the world will nearly quadruple spending on space communications services by 2030 due to demand for military intelligence and surveillance capabilities and for on-the-go communications The company also operates the GovSat military communications satellite which it owns alongside Luxembourg's government SES, based in Betzdorf, employed 580 people in Luxembourg at the start of 2021, according to government figures. It is doing its own restructuring, cutting staff and closing offices in Europe 16.5% of residents who were non-Luxembourg nationals over the age of 18 were registered to vote as of 30 March 2023 This rate varies from one municipality to another the municipality with the highest rate of non-Luxembourg nationals registered on the electoral roll Here’s how municipalities are encouraging their foreign residents to register and vote The deadline for registering to vote is approaching fast who are now able to vote in the local elections on 11 June  it was necessary to have lived in the grand duchy for at least five years in order to participate less than two out of ten foreign residents over the age of 18 (16.5% as of 30 March) are registered Some municipalities managed to gather more non-Luxembourg national voters Reisdorf and Betzdorf recorded the highest rates of foreigners on the lists This means two small municipalities (1,330 inhabitants on 8 November 2021 in Bech according to Statec 1,313 in Reisdorf) and one medium-sized municipality (4,126 inhabitants in Betzdorf) the registration rates vary: 23% for Bettembourg but 20% or less for the others We have always campaigned for the elections,” Alain Kring the town mailed out “pre-filled registration forms” to potential new voters “They hardly have to do anything else” to register “we checked who had not replied and contacted them again” in writing The foreign community in Bech is mainly made up of Portuguese residents which has “69 different nationalities,” the most numerous are “French He sees the high rate of foreign residents on the lists as a consequence of the integration policy conducted in recent years “We have always tried to show that everyone is welcome in the municipality He gives the example of the information meetings translated into French and English or the ‘new residents’ day organised every year A bus tour where “a colleague or I take the microphone to present the important places in the commune.” “we have released the data that was given to us by the supervisory ministry: newsletters posts on social networks…” The commune also organised a national registration day Are the municipalities with the highest proportion of non-Luxembourg residents the ones that mobilise them the most They represent 43% of the population of Reisdorf but 27.4% of that of Bech and 33.8% in Betzdorf which has the highest rate of non-Luxembourgers (70.6%) Seven of the ten towns with the highest rate of foreign residents (Mamer Strassen and Differdange) are still above the average registration rate of 16.5% Walferdange (51.6% non-Luxembourgers) is just below The rate drops to 14.3% in Esch-sur-Alzette (56.8% non-Luxembourgers) The 83.5% of foreign residents who are not registered have only a few days left to join the lists This story was first published in French on Satellite dishes at the SES headquarters in Betzdorf Photo: Romain Gamba / Maison Moderne Luxembourg satellite operator SES is integrating its medium-earth orbit satellites into a network used by government clients and set up in partnership with the European Space Agency SES and the ESA in 2017 agreed to set up the so-called Pacis-1 satellite communication platform for governments aiming to make secure satellite communications accessible and available to governments and institutions The company is now adding its non-geostationary medium-earth orbit (MEO) satellite network to the platform This network will soon be upgraded to the so-called O3b mPower constellation “As Europe and its key entities and institutions seek an increasingly resilient autonomous and quickly accessible satellite communications service we are working closely with the industry leaders to make this a reality,” said Elodie Viau The geo-stationary orbit (GEO) network will deliver satellite communications over large regions in the most cost-effective manner The MEO network on the other hand will offer higher performance for high-workload missions that require the transmission of a lot of data “Government and institutional users in Europe will be able to enjoy the benefits of a multi-orbit satellite network as they efficiently utilise the right type of satellite network for the right application,” said Philippe Glaesener The platform was designed for European governmental and institutional users requiring satellite communications services for safety The European Maritime Safety Agency (ESMA) recently awarded a contract to SES covering satcom services in multiple coastal regions in the EU Luxembourg-based SES has completed a €100 million buyback of its €625 million perpetual bonds. The notes surged as much as 4 cents on the euro to 92 cents on Friday, and have now recovered a large chunk of their dramatic losses from earlier in the month. SES’s bonds dropped sharply in mid-January after the credit desk at BNP Paribas SA published a note recommending investors sell the debt. Given Musk’s influence with US President Donald Trump, and with Jeff Bezos joining the satellite industry with financial firepower, competitors like SES and Intelsat face a tough outlook, BNP said in the note. That made the buyback “a smart move to limit the volatility in its notes, making use of its cash generation,” said ING Groep NV analyst Jan Frederik Slijkerman in a note on Friday. ING expects SES to maintain its investment-grade rating, which is currently at Baa3 from Moody’s Ratings and BBB from Fitch Ratings. SES’s senior bonds have also recovered, with a Jan 2029 note up to a cash price of 96 cents on the euro, slightly up on the day and about 2 cents above its mid-January lows. SES satellite dishes at the company’s headquarters in Betzdorf Photo: SES Satellite operator SES and the Interdisciplinary Centre for Security Reliability and Trust (SnT) at the University of Luxembourg are creating a joint research laboratory for next-generation networks technology The two entities have been collaborating on research in the area of satellite technology since 2010 including projects involving the European Space Agency and the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 programme “The past 11 years has seen us achieve great success in our research activities with SES spearheading new technologies with impact on standardisation 5G and more,” said SnT director Björn Ottersten “We are delighted to expand the collaboration and broaden into new areas that will benefit information and communication technologies both in Luxembourg and beyond.” The laboratory will specialise in high-throughput satellite systems and next-generation networks tackling areas such as quantum communications and cybersecurity The partnership will focus on studying the potential of next-generation satellite systems and capabilities such as SES’s medium Earth orbit (MEO) fleet SES is planning to launch the first three of its so-called O3b mPower satellites--its new medium Earth orbit system--in December Two further launches are scheduled for next year mobile network provider Orange and cruise operators such as Carnival and Virgin Voyages “This partnership extension comes at a very important time as we are putting in place next-generation space and ground systems to enable the growing connectivity demand in the high-performance networks,” said Ruy Pinto “Not only do the R&D activities with SnT benefit Luxembourg’s initiatives this will also set the path for scaling them on a global level leveraging SES’s multi-orbit capabilities and services delivered around the world.” The partners will have access to Luxembourg’s Meluxina supercomputer which offering high-performance computing power to companies and research institutions “In the framework of the joint SnT-SES lab the team will test algorithms for radio resource allocation for broadband satellite communications systems to maximise the system performance and to dynamically assign the resources based on user traffic demands,” the partners said in a press release Military spendingBusiness lobby presents roadmap to boost Luxembourg defence industryDefence investment should be a lever for growth, competitiveness and innovation says Chamber of Commerce CEO NatoSpain says it will boost defence spending to 2% of GDP this yearSpain’s prime minister says his country will reach the Nato budget target in 2025 UkraineDefence minister rules out sending Luxembourg troops to UkraineYuriko Backes attended the ‘Coalition of the Willing’ meeting of defence ministers in Brussels on Thursday US-Europe relationsTrump cabinet messaging breach confirms fears of European alliesExchange between JD Vance and Pete Hegseth highlighted how they believe European allies were “free-loading” off US efforts in Yemen Army missions abroadA look back at the foreign missions of Luxembourg’s armyLuxembourg's armed forces may be small, but they have been taking part in international missions for almost 35 years TurkeyErdogan bets world will turn a blind eye to turmoil in TurkeyCommander of NATO’s second-biggest army is banking on the world needing him more than it needs to join a fight over the country’s democracy German election 2025German fringe parties’ gains impede path to debt-brake reformA requirement of two-thirds of votes in parliament to revise strict limits could leave the future government struggling to increase defence spending Defence and securityPremiumEuropean defence shares surge as investors bet on higher spendingTrump has called on European governments to boost their defence budgets a wholly-owned subsidiary based outside of Washington DC has changed its name to SES Space & Defense the pioneering satellite company said in a press release The change comes after SES's purchase of another military contractor managing and supporting the most advanced satellite network solutions for the U.S government and Department of Defense," said the company based in the sleepy village of Betzdorf The subsidiary performs cybersecurity work for the Pentagon as well as connectivity through SES's satellites operating at differing altitudes above the Earth It is projected to contribute up to $90 million (€85.4 million) in revenue over the last five months of this year to what SES estimates will be group income of about €1.8 billion for all of 2022 The acquisition was expected to double the Luxembourg space giant's revenues from the US government, SES said when it announced in March it was buying military contractor DRS for $450 million, a deal that was then worth nearly €410 million. ©2025 Mediahuis Group. All rights reserved ShareLuxembourg-based SES will spend $17 million (€14 million) for a new US facility in a sign that the satellite giant is strengthening its relationship with the country and its government clients. ShareLuxembourg satellite pioneer SES is set to release its 2020 financial results on Thursday morning, after a year that saw revenues drop in the company's less profitable video arm. News roundupTop five stories you may have missed this weekKeeping abreast of the latest news is a real challenge in these uncertain times, so ‘Luxembourg Times’ has selected its best stories from the last seven days The project was formally launched on Monday in participation with the Luxembourg Defence and Economy Ministries. Economy Minister Etienne Schneider and NATO's Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) General Manager Mike Lyden signed a five-year Supplementary Arrangement under which Luxembourg will implement a Tier IV data centre. “The project is the culmination of extensive consultation with Host Nation Luxembourg since early 2015. From project conception, we have been honoured to be able to work closely with Luxembourg Centre Des Technologies de l'Information de l'Etat (CTIE) and Ministry of Defence to scope the requirement for this data centre,“ explained General Manager Mike Lyden. Over the coming months, the Betzdorf site will be prepared to be followed by a testing phase in autumn and completion by the end of the year. Hemingway will join the company's senior leadership team and will be in charge of driving SES’s growth strategy. He will translate SES's corporate vision into strategic action for the company's networks and video markets – including its target applications, strategic partnerships, portfolio of solutions, and the space and network assets required to deliver them. To post appointments at your company or organisation here, email a short statement to info@luxtimes.lu. Make sure to include a high-resolution photo. The content of this column is under the sole responsibility of the editorial team. People movesSimmons & Simmons appoints new Luxembourg country head Thierry Somma took office on 1 May, succeeding Louis-Maël Cogis People movesFrançoise Schlink named Post Group chairLuxembourg’s cabinet has formally approved Françoise Schlink’s nomination as chair of Post Group People movesLinklaters appoints new partner and associates Range of promotions announced effective 1 May Hëllef um TerrainFormer ombudsman Claudia Monti named chair of Caritas successor HUTOrganisation gets well-known permanent chair after turbulent start People movesOlivier Guillon named CEO of Luxembourg Institute of Science and TechnologyThe professor will take on his role 1 September 2025 People MovesClifford Chance appoints five counsel in LuxembourgThe appointments span law firm’s global financial markets and investment funds practices in the Grand Duchy People MovesPaul Heuschling named president of Luxembourg’s young scientist foundation Heuschling replaces Carlo Hansen as head of the Fondation Jeunes Scientifiques Luxembourg People Moves Moventum appoints new managing director and head of asset management Thorsten Fischer will take up his new role on 1 May ShareLuxembourg satellite group SES turned in a €86 million loss in 2020, hit by restructuring costs and impairment expenses, posting a much worse result than market analysts had predicted. Last December a study published in Science found four “large carnivores” were making a comeback in Europe “Sustainable populations of” predators including the brown bear Eurasian lynx and wolverine “persist in one-third of mainland Europe” that has the potential to create the biggest stir in the Grand Duchy When I asked why the wolf population in Europe is recovering Schley answered: “First you have to know why they went extinct” when “rabid wolves bit people and livestock Also back then the food supply depended more on hunting so wolves were simply seen as a “dangerous” and a competitor for dinner Things started changing with the passage of Italy’s 1976 protection act (when that country had a wolf population of around 100) followed by the Bern Convention in 1979 and European Habitats Directive in 1992 In 1992 wolves crossed over from Italy into France who earned a doctorate in biology from the University of Sussex Since then the total European population has grown to between 12,000 and 18,000 although none apparently yet have settled in the Benelux region That is likely to change and “we could expect wolves to show up in Luxembourg” tomorrow or in 10 years’ time [Because] when it happens there can be conflict.” Biologists can take samples of the wounds and DNA in saliva often can identify the culprit “Not every sheep is taken by a wolf; quite a few sheep are taken by dogs.” Schley’s department is setting up a wolf attack compensation programme based on Luxembourg’s existing system for damage caused by protected species. Sceptical the payments will cover their losses, over the summer Convis, a farmers trade group, called for “effective wolf management in Luxembourg” and questioned the animal’s benefit to biodiversity. But the hunters group FSHCL said it “welcomes this natural return” Partly to bridge this gap and partly to educate the public that there are “no wolves looking for children” out there, Schley is holding a series of open seminars on the animal’s return. One in English takes place Monday 9 November, 7:30 p.m., in the Bâtiment des Sciences at the University of Luxembourg’s Limpertsberg campus From the October print edition Reducing collision riskStartup focusing on space and AI sets up in LuxembourgNeuraspace of Portugal aims to automate space traffic in order to reduce collisions involving satellites and space debris Europe in spaceAnalysisPremium‘No substitute’: Europe’s battle to break Elon Musk’s stranglehold on the skiesBrussels wants to create a homegrown alternative to Starlink with satellite groups such as Eutelsat Space travelNasa astronauts stuck in space back on Earth after 286 daysPair arrived at the ISS last June on a Boeing spacecraft with plans to spend a week in space, but that turned into nine months UkrainePremiumEuropean rival to Musk’s Starlink in talks to boost satellite services to UkraineDiscussions come as investors bet that Eutelsat could replace US competitor Luxembourg’s space investment as measured as a percentage of total government spending represents an even bigger 0.281% - a metric where it also leads the curve ahead of the average 0.12% government spend across ESA member states. Globally, Luxembourg’s investment in space is third, behind the USA (0.262% of GDP) and Russia (0.169%). Europe has a combined 11% share of the global space industry and its spending remained almost stable (+1%) between 2022 and 2023. Global spending on space increased 11% in the same year, however. While public spending has been stable or increasing, private investment has fallen in the past three years, both in Europe and internationally. Military spending on space in 2023 exceeded civilian space budgets globally for the first time in the 21st century. Space is among the priority sectors for Luxembourg’s coalition government. “The space economy is the full range of activities and the use of resources that create value and benefits to human beings in the course of exploring, researching, understanding, managing, and utilising space,” the ESA report explains. Rising above?PremiumSES works to dissuade doubts in face of new competitorsLuxembourg satellite company CEO Adel Al-Saleh vows to turn around doubts about SES’s prospects SpaceLuxembourg astronaut Raphaël Liégois set for space station missionDual Belgian-Luxembourg national, who graduated from the European Space Agency programme this spring, to join mission to International Space Station SES's announcement on Tuesday that it was taking over its rival IntelSat did not arouse any particular enthusiasm on the stock markets did not generate significant market excitement SES's management expresses pride in the acquisition and remains optimistic about its prospects for success SES CEO Adel Al-Saleh highlights the competitive nature of the industry and views the acquisition as a strategic move positioning SES as a robust player "across multiple orbits." While trade unions voice concerns over potential job losses resulting from the merger the company's leadership acknowledges the possibility of workforce adjustments Al-Saleh emphasises the potential for synergies between the two entities suggesting that while uncertainties regarding staffing levels may arise the overall outlook is "very exciting" for employees Prime Minister Luc Frieden confirmed on Thursday during a session of questions and answers in the Chamber of Deputies that the headquarters of satellite operator SES will continue to be based in Luxembourg Frieden assured that the majority of jobs will remain in Betzdorf "Those who are currently employed there will remain there in the future." Frieden clarified that the fact that SES is acquiring IntelSat means that there will be no changes to the shareholder landscape with the Luxembourg State retaining all voting rights and a blocking minority as stipulated in SES's articles of association Frieden acknowledged the potential for future changes particularly in an industry undergoing transition due to evolving market dynamics He highlighted the increasing competition from new providers such as Starlink which Frieden described as "thousands of small satellites […] sent around the world mainly by US entities like Amazon and Space X and which therefore also offer services at different price points." SES is contemplating reorganisation efforts aimed at ensuring long-term viability and enhancing competitiveness Frieden emphasised potential opportunities in the military sector resulting from the acquisition noting IntelSat's expertise in Internet communications with aircraft and ships The integration of SES's existing presence in the defence sector with IntelSat's capabilities opens new avenues not only for Luxembourg's defence but also for European and NATO defence initiatives Full report by RTL Télé (in Luxembourgish) SES-Sëtz bleift zu Lëtzebuerg / Reportage: Maxime Gillen European leaders have decided to improve communication security across the continent and Luxembourg will play a key role in the strategy In cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA), the Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES has launched Project Eagle-1 which involves transmitting data via satellite Part of the project will be based in Betzdorf which allow two or more parties to communicate without outside interference or snooping are currently handled on the basis of mathematical formulas The drawback of this method is that it only works over a distance of up to 150 kilometres before the signal breaks down and can be hacked using quantum computers. Project Eagle-1 would provide secure data transmission over longer distances via satellites in the form of Qubits describes Luxembourg's role in the project as that of "architect of the entire system." The Grand Duchy will develop and build the satellite SES announced last week that it had purchased a rocket to launch the satellite in 2024 Kayser explains that after the satellite is in orbit The satellite will be operated from ground control in Betzdorf The testing phase is expected to last at least three years the satellite will be used exclusively by states and their respective militaries which we all know is becoming increasingly important in light of the Ukraine crisis and other geopolitical tensions." The goal is to operate "secure communication networks in Europe on an independent and sovereign basis," according to the SES strategic advisor Eagle-1 can help Luxembourg to position itself to potentially play a role in the IRIS² project which the Commission unveiled on Friday The EU budget has earmarked €2.4 billion towards the development of secure communication based on satellites.The full report by RTL Télé (in Luxembourgish): Eagle One / Rep. Marc Hoscheid Diana had come to the Grand Duchy to take part in the inauguration of an exhibition "Britain in Luxembourg" in Kirchberg at the trade fair, near to where Luxexpo now stands. The first stop for the princess though, was the British Embassy where she was greeted as the guest of honour. She sat down to have lunch there together with Prince Henri at the time, now the Grand Duke. It was then on to Kirchberg where the exhibition was declared open by Diana and Henri before the handshakes began. One of them was with the City's Mayor, Lydie Polfer, the first time she held the post. "She really had a lot of presence," she recalled, in an interview with Wort back in 1993."Everyone was jostling to try to see the princess, but she was very relaxed.” The "Queen of Hearts" as Diana became known, continued the busy day's programme with a visit to the St. Joseph Institute in Betzdorf, where people with disabilities lived, and then to Syrdall Castle, a therapeutic rehabilitation centre for addicts near Manternach. In the evening, Princess Diana was invited to dinner at Senningen Castle by Prime Minister Jacques Santer. Well-known Luxembourg chef Lea Linster prepared the big meal. "It was a great honour for me to cook for her," recalls the Michelin-starred chef. "She had a rather good appetite, although she was rather thin." Princess Diana then returned to Britain just after dinner. Her plane took off from Findel airport bound for London at 9:50pm. (Adam Walder, adam.walder@wort.lu, +352 49939721)