Vodafone Cook Islands will extend its 4G coverage across the island following an agreement to launch new SES O3b mPOWER satellites.

The operator has signed a recent agreement with SES to launch its second-generation medium earth orbit (MEO) system.

Commercial services are expected to go live in the third quarter of next year, with the new agreement building on the existing partnership between Vodafone Cook Islands and SES.

The operator, which has a licensing agreement with Vodafone Fiji and the Vodafone Group, was the first customer in the region to use SES’s current-generation O3b satellite system at medium earth orbit (MEO) back in 2014 to provide 3G/4G services to the remote nation.

“The new agreement with Vodafone Cook Islands is our latest win in bridging the digital divide for remote communities across the world,” said John Turnbull, fixed data director for Pacific at SES.

“With this agreement, residents on the Cook Islands, including those in some of the most remote locations like the outer islands, will be able to enjoy access connectivity that is comparable to anywhere else in the world."

On December 16, SES confirmed that the first two of the new generation O3b mPower satellites were successfully launched into space by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 5:48pm ET.