Satellite Earth Station (SES)

A Satellite Earth Station (SES) is the ground-based or shipboard terminal that transmits to and receives from a satellite, comprising the antenna, the radio-frequency front end, and the modem. In maritime use the shipborne SES, often called a Ship Earth Station, is the stabilized above-deck antenna plus the below-deck unit, while the network side has the land earth station or gateway and the coast earth station for GMDSS traffic. ITU Radio Regulations define mobile earth stations and the maritime mobile-satellite service in which they operate.