Ciel Satellite

Ciel Satellite Group is a privately-owned Canadian satellite operator established in 2004 as a partnership between the financial institution Borealis Infrastructure and the global satellite operator SES. Headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, Ciel was founded to develop Canadian spectrum opportunities and address the demand for competitive domestic satellite services. SES holds a 70% interest in the company.

The company's primary asset was the Ciel-2 satellite, manufactured by Thales Alenia Space and launched on December 10, 2008, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Ciel-2 was designed to provide Direct-To-Home (DTH) broadcasting, including high-definition television services, to television and radio networks across North America. It operated from the 129° West geostationary orbit position with 32 Ku-band transponders and the capability to deliver multiple independent spot beams. Before the launch of its own satellite, Ciel leased capacity on the EchoStar-5 satellite, branding it as Ciel-1, which reached its end-of-life in 2009. The Ciel-2 satellite was retired in November 2022.

Ciel's business model revolves around providing satellite capacity and communication platforms to a range of commercial and government customers. The company is required to operate on a non-discriminatory basis for users and service providers in Canada and coordinate its network with other Canadian satellite and terrestrial services. Its operations are coordinated with SES's global fleet.

Keywords: satellite operator, DTH broadcasting, satellite communications, Ku-band transponders, North America, Canadian satellite services, geostationary orbit, Borealis Infrastructure, SES, Ciel-2, spectrum development, television networks, radio networks, broadcast distribution, telecommunications, direct-to-home, high-definition television, satellite capacity, communications platform