SES have announced that JSC VimpelCom (TM Beeline), one of Russia's leading mobile operators, has signed a three-year capacity deal for additional capacity on SES' NSS-9 satellite to deliver high-quality data services in the Russian Far East.

The additional capacity on the NSS-9 satellite will be used to provide data services to VimpelCom's corporate clients based in the Kamchatka, Magadan and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky regions, and also enable VimpelCom to optimise the use of satellite capacity for their 3G network in the Russian Far East and East Siberia region. In total, VimpelCom now contracts multiple transponders on the NSS-9 satellite.

"VimpelCom uses satellite capacity to connect the nodes of its transmission network in the absence of ground infrastructure. Thanks to satellites, the company can deploy 3G networks and provide high-quality services to users in remote regions of the Russian Far East. We are happy to have such a reliable partner as SES," said Igor Parfenov, Vice-President of Technical Services, at VimpelCom.

"VimpelCom operates in some of the harshest areas of Russia, which are best served by satellites. The high-powered NSS-9 satellite and its comprehensive coverage over Russia has enabled SES to support VimpelCom as it continues to roll out 3G networks and provide data services in the eastern regions of Russia," said Deepak Mathur, Senior Vice President for Asia who is also responsible for data and mobility services, at SES.