Rendering of SES O3b Constellation. Photo: SES

Comtech Telecommunications’ defense-grade SLM-5650B modem has been certified to operate with SES’s O3b mPOWER Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO) constellation, Comtech announced Wednesday. The modem can be used to provide hybrid communications services to Department of Defense (DoD) and coalition customers, with the MEO constellation. 

Comtech said it is the first “sovereign-certified modem” to receive Government Terminal Certification to operate on O3b mPOWER. This comes after last year, SES placed an order for the software-defined SLM-5650B and other next-generation modems to operate on the O3b mPOWER constellation. 

Comtech’s SLM-5650B is a software-defined modem that is certified for the DoD’s Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) system. It supports multiple DoD and NATO waveforms including STANAG 4486 Ed3, Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS), and DVB-S2X, with the ability to add more waveforms.

“Over 10,000 Comtech defense-grade modems are currently fielded-providing critical connectivity services to DoD and NATO customers today. As one of the leading U.S. manufacturers of sovereign modem technologies, we are thrilled to partner with SES to deliver new capabilities that will help U.S. DoD and coalition warfighters maintain an information advantage across all domains,” commented Daniel Gizinski, president of Comtech’s Satellite and Space Communications Segment.