Member Article

SSW partners with BT to support government’s satellite broadband initiative

Global communications company, Satellite Solutions Worldwide Group plc (SSW) has signed a contract with BT to become one of the satellite broadband retail service providers, for the recently announced UK Government scheme, to offer subsidised satellite broadband to homes and businesses with internet connections of less than 2 Mb.

Based in Oxon, Bicester, SSW specialises in rural and last-mile satellite broadband and group CEO Andrew Walwyn has voiced his ‘delight’ to be working with BT.

This subsidised roll out of satellite broadband solutions is in addition to the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK (“BDUK”) initiative in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, focussed on delivering superfast broadband coverage to 95 per cent of the UK by 2017.

Under the satellite scheme, the UK Government will provide funding for the capital cost of the dish and modem equipment, connection fees and professional installation for qualified participants, which could be worth up to £350 per end user.

The scheme opened in December 2015, and SSW is offering a number of packages ranging from a basic service of up to 10 Mb download and 2 Mb upload with a usage allowance of 10 GB, to ‘super-fast’ satellite broadband services of up to 30 Mb download and 2 Mb upload connections.

Independently of its relationship with BT, SSW is involved in a similar scheme in Wales organised by the Welsh Government, where a variety of satellite tariffs are available and where any user thatopts for the Company’s 30 Mb service can claim subsidies of up to £800 to cover the cost of the equipment, installation and connection.

The Welsh Government estimates that up to 42,000 homes and businesses may qualify for the subsidy across Wales. The Department of Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) estimates up to 300,000 properties across the UK could benefit from the Government’s decision to subsidise satellite broadband as ameans of ensuring that ‘super-fast’ broadband is obtainable in remote locations.

Digital Economy Minister Ed Vaizey (pictured) said: “Our rollout of superfast broadband has already reached an additional 3.5 million homes and businesses who would otherwise have missed out. We are making tremendous progress, but it’s a massive engineering project and won’t happen overnight.

“This scheme offers immediate assistance to those homes and businesses in the most remote areas with the slowest speeds and is all part of our transformation of the UK’s digital landscape.”

SSW CEO Andrew Walwyn said: “We are delighted to be working with BT and a number of other satellite parties to extend the reach of high-speed broadband in the UK. The UK Government’s scheme both removes the barrier-to-entry cost for customer on the acquisition of the kit, and at the same times increases our addressable market in the UK.

“Furthermore, as a result of similar intervention schemes in Europe we are already seeing strong sales. We have positioned ourselves strategically in key territories via a number of acquisitions since coming to the AIMmarket, to generate significant shareholder value from the subsidised roll-out of satellite broadband.”