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MUMBAI: Leading satellite operator SES has said its new Astra 2F satellite has been successfully launched on 28 September, on board an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana. This is SES’ 36th successful launch on Ariane.
Astra 2F was built by Astrium in Toulouse using a Eurostar E3000 platform and carries Ku- and Ka-band payloads for the delivery of high-performance Direct-to-Home (DTH) and next generation broadband services. It is the first of a three satellite investment programme (Astra 2E, 2F and 2G), that provides replacement and growth capacity for the UK and Ireland at the 28.2/28.5 degrees East neighbourhood. |
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The new satellites in this neighbourhood will, as of October 2013, also use additional frequency spectrum for which the right of use was granted to SES by Media Broadcast pursuant to an agreement entered into in 2005. The new Astra 2F spacecraft also provides Ku-band capacity for pan-European services and for Sub-Saharan Africa. Its Ka-band payload will allow SES Broadband Services to support download speeds of up to 20 Mps.
“The successful launch of Astra 2F is part of our fleet replacement and expansion programme,” said SES CEO Romain Bausch. “Astra 2F will provide seamless replacement capacity for our UK customers like BSkyB, the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, and will allow us to operate additional capacity at 28.2/28.5 degrees East on SES satellites. This orbital neighbourhood today serves close to 13 million DTH homes in the UK and Ireland. We would like to thank our long-standing partners Astrium and Arianespace for this mission success.” |
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Astra 2F had a launch mass of 6 tons, generates 13 kW of power, and has a design life of 15 years. It is the fifth Eurostar satellite in the SES fleet. The new spacecraft will be brought into commercial service in the next few weeks following the completion of the extensive in-orbit testing programme. |
Category: Satellites
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SES launches Astra 2F Satellite
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Eutelsat acquires GE-23 satellite from GE Capital
MUMBAI: Eutelsat Communications, one of the world’s leading satellite operators, on Thursday announced closure of the transaction to acquire GE-23 satellite, associated customer contracts and orbital rights from GE Capital, having obtained all required regulatory approvals.
The satellite, renamed Eutelsat 172A, is now part of Eutelsat’s fleet, with technical and commercial teams working to ensure a smooth transition for existing customers.
Commenting on the acquisition, Eutelsat Communications CEO Michel de Rosen said, “We are delighted to announce finalisation of this acquisition that brings three key assets to Eutelsat: first, a high-quality satellite equipped with a flexible payload of C and Ku-band capacity in great demand over the Asia-Pacific region. Secondly, the transaction includes orbital rights at 172° East, giving us an exceptional platform to serve dynamic markets in the region as well as headroom for further expansion.
“Thirdly, we are acquiring a portfolio of quality customer relationships that we are excited to serve. This satellite adds further ballast to Eutelsat’s organic growth initiatives, notably our Eutelsat 70B satellite which is equipped with a dedicated Asian beam and on track for launch later this year.”
Built by Thales Alenia Space, the satellite was launched in December 2005 with expected performance for 15 years. From geostationary orbit at 172° East, it offers unique coverage over the Asia-Pacific region via a payload of 20 Ku-band transponders accessing five interconnecting beams and 18 C-band transponders connected to a trans-Pacific beam.
Leveraging its comprehensive coverage and high-bandwidth capability, Eutelsat 172A already offers a broad range of telecom services to a diverse base of blue chip customers.
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SES-5 satellite launched, to boost capacity across EMEA
MUMBAI: Leading satellite operator SES has said that the SES-5 satellite has been successfully launched into space on board an ILS Proton Breeze M booster.
After a 9-hour, 12-minute mission, the Breeze M upper stage of the Proton rocket released the SES-5 satellite directly into geostationary transfer orbit.
The SES-5 satellite was designed and built for SES by Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), a leading manufacturer of commercial satellites.
The spacecraft, to be positioned at the orbital slot of 5 degrees East, features 36 active Ku-band transponders and up to 24 active C-band transponders.
SES-5 has two Ku-band beams, one serving customers in the Nordic and Baltic countries and one serving Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as two C-band beams, one with global coverage and one with hemispheric coverage over Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The satellite provides Ku-band uplink capability, allowing for flexible operations between Europe and Africa.
SES-5 is designed to deliver high performance and extensive coverage for direct-to-home (DTH) services, broadband, maritime communications, GSM backhaul, and VSAT applications in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
The satellite also features the L-band payload for the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS). The EGNOS payload, which was developed for the European Commission (EC), will help verify, improve, and report on the reliability and accuracy of navigation positioning signals in Europe.
SES President and CEO Romain Bausch declared, “SES-5 marks the second successful ILS-Proton launch in 2012 for SES and the third SES satellite delivered by Space Systems/Loral in the last ten months. SES-5 furthermore hosts the EGNOS payload for the European Commission. The powerful new satellite enters the global SES fleet as Number 51.
“We would like to thank the launch teams of Space Systems/Loral, ILS, Khrunichev and SES for their dedicated work that ultimately ensured total mission success. We would also like to thank the European Commission for entrusting SES with the EGNOS hosted payload. After thorough in-orbit testing, SES and its customers can now look forward to SES-5 providing new, state-of-the-art satellite capacity across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.”
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Eutelsat enhances Tooway satellite service
MUMBAI: Eutelsat Communications has announced major improvements to its Tooway satellite service with the aim to enhance the speed and affordability of consumer satellite broadband across Europe and the Mediterranean Basin.
Offering higher bitrates, increased consumption profiles and lower entry costs, the latest generation of Tooway broadband services is now available and is being commercialised by distributors integrating the new offers into their service portfolio.
The Tooway portfolio of services delivered via Eutelsat’s KA-SAT High Throughput Satellite now offers download speeds of up to 18 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 6Mbps, with consumption profiles of up to 50 Gigabytes per month, the company stated.
This move towards a faster, higher volume service has been facilitated by an upgrade of the digital modulation scheme of the KA-SAT infrastructure, from 8PSK2 to 16APSK, generating a significant increase in the system’s total throughput.
In order to lower entry costs, Eutelsat’s broadband affiliate, Skylogic, is also rolling out an attractive hardware rental programme in certain countries to enable distributors to opt to rent user equipment to new customers.
“Today’s announcement shows our commitment to further enhancing the performance of the Tooway service which is fundamentally about connecting people – both those in areas unserved and underserved by ADSL,” said Eutelsat CEO Michel de Rosen.
The update last month of the EU’s Digital Scorecard shows that as many as 10 million homes in the EU27 are still not broadband-equipped. This means there is still work to be done to meet the objectives of the Digital Agenda in Europe and at a broader level across the full KA-SAT footprint.
“We believe that the enhanced Tooway service and the improved user equipment programme will forward the move to satellite broadband for those still struggling with mediocre Internet access, depriving them of the social and economic benefits of broadband,” added Rosen.
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Eutelsat acquires GE-23 satellite for $228 mn
MUMBAI: Satellite operator Eutelsat has concluded negotiations to acquire from GE Capital the GE-23 satellite, associated customer contracts and orbital rights.
The deal for $228 million is expected to close in the second half of the year, subject to regulatory approvals.
Built by Thales Alenia Space, GE-23 was launched in December 2005 and has an expected life of 15 years. From its location in geostationary orbit at 172°E, the satellite offers unique coverage over the Asia-Pacific region via a payload of 20 Ku-band transponders accessing five interconnecting beams and 18 C-band transponders connected to a trans-Pacific beam.
Leveraging its coverage and high-bandwidth capability, GE-23 offers a broad range of telecom services to a diverse base of blue chip customers.
GE-23 will be integrated into the Eutelsat’s fleet, with a smooth transition for existing customers. It will be renamed Eutelsat 172A.
The opportunity was assessed consistently with the Group’s disciplined approach to both organic and external growth opportunities. The transaction is expected to be accretive to EBITDA margin and to EPS in year 1.
It will be financed through Eutelsat’s existing liquidity. From a leverage standpoint, it will lead to a moderate increase in the Net Debt / EBITDA ratio, and will, therefore, have no material impact on Eutelsat’s financial flexibility.
Expanding Eutelsat’s reach and commercial offering in Asia
The acquisition of GE-23 fits with Eutelsat’s strategy to expand its presence in the most dynamic geographic regions. The satellite brings coverage of the Asia-Pacific markets where growth is driven by a broad range of applications. It will complement Eutelsat’s organic initiatives, notably the Eutelsat 70B satellite, equipped with a dedicated Asian beam, which is scheduled to launch in the fourth quarter of 2012.
With GE-23, Eutelsat is also acquiring a quality customer portfolio with a strong track record of contract renewals. The extended coverage also opens the way for Eutelsat to broaden its offering to its existing clients and to develop new business.
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SES, Samsung unveil Africa’s first TV with integrated FTA satellite receiver
MUMBAI: SES is collaborating with Samsung to drive digital broadcasting via satellite in sub-Saharan Africa.
Samsung will introduce LED television with an integrated free-to-air satellite receiver, the Samsung LED TV Free Satellite, that will be distributed in Nigeria, Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire, Senegal, Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon in August 2012. Distribution to additional countries will follow.
The integrated satellite receiver will allow consumers to receive free-to-air television channels without the need for an additional set top box as the LED TV will be directly connected with the satellite dish. In preparation for the launch, SES and Samsung will jointly arrange training sessions with distribution partners and installers to ensure the proper connection of the TV device to the satellite dish. Both partners will also run a joint marketing campaign in June 2012.
As a leader in the free-to-air digital TV market, SES delivers more than 60 free-to-air channels in more than 40 African countries. The launch of the new Samsung LED TV Free Satellite coincides with more channels becoming available in Africa.
SES senior director of marketing development and Marketing in Africa Christoph Limmer said, “This collaboration is the first of its kind and will drive digitalisation in Africa .Today, one out of three households in Africa has a TV set but less than 10 million homes receive content in digital format. Our cooperation will not only help to improve access to digital content for African consumers but it will also encourage African broadcasters to launch more content. In servicing more than 40 African countries, we are well aware of the huge demand for more and higher quality TV services. The opportunity lies in providing an increasingly sophisticated African viewership with a significantly increased number of TV channels – a first for many African countries.”
Samsung Africa Regional Product Manager Dae Hee Kim said, “The Samsung LED TV Free Satellite is our contribution to the continent’s efforts to ’go digital’, providing African consumers with greater choice and broadcasters with the opportunity to grow the region’s media industry.”
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Eutelsat, Es’hailSat select Arianespace for satellite
MUMBAI: Global satellite operator Eutelsat and Es’hailSat, the Qatar Satellite Company, have selected Arianespace to launch their Eutelsat 25B[1] / Es’hail 1 satellite in the second quarter of 2013 on board an Ariane 5 launcher.
The contract signed with Arianespace to deliver Eutelsat 25B / Es’hail 1 into orbit marks a further step forward in Eutelsat and Es’hailSat’s joint programme to operate a high-performance satellite at 25.5° East, a longstanding orbital position serving expanding markets in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia.
The new satellite will provide superior coverage and power to follow on from Eutelsat’s Eutelsat 25A satellite. In addition to securing Ku-band continuity for Eutelsat and Ku-band resources for Es’hailSat, it will initiate a Ka-band capability to open business opportunities for both parties.
The satellite, weighing over six tonnes, is under construction by Space Systems/Loral (SS/L).
Eutelsat CEO Michel de Rosen said, “Together with our partner, Es’hailSat, we are delighted to entrust the launch of our satellite to Arianespace that has delivered Eutelsat with reliability, flexibility and on-time performance over almost 30 years. This mission for 2013 is a new marker in a solid and longstanding relationship, enabling Eutelsat to pursue our objective to renew and expand the resources and quality of service we provide our customers.”
Es’hailSat CEO Ali Ahmed Al Kuwari said, “We are delighted that, together with Eutelsat, we have been able to select Arianespace to launch our first satellite. Es’hail 1 is just the start of our mission to provide high quality, independent satellite services to meet Qatar’s national stakeholder’s interests and serve customers throughout the Middle East and North Africa”.
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Asiasat to launch 2 satellites, expand fleet to 6 in 2014
MUMBAI: Space launch company Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) and AsiaSat has inked an agreement to launch in 2014 two communications satellites using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.
The regional satellite operator in Asia will, thus, expand its fleet from four to six satellites in 2014.
Asiasat president, CEO William Wade said, “We are pleased to have SpaceX as our launch partner for the two upcoming missions. We look forward to the timely and successful launches of AsiaSat 6 and AsiaSat 8, thereby expanding our fleet from four to six satellites in 2014 to provide more high quality and comprehensive satellite services in the Asia-Pacific region”.
AsiaSat 6 and AsiaSat 8 are scheduled to launch in the first half of 2014 from SpaceX’s launch complex at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, USA.
Asiasat 6 will have 28 high-powered C-band transponders while Asiasat 8 will have 24 Ku-band transponders and a Ka-band beam. The high-powered transponders on the satellite will enable the use of small antennas on the ground. The two SS/L 1300 satellites will serve Asia, the Middle East and Australasia.
SpaceX CEO, CTO Elon Musk said, “SpaceX is proud to be the choice of AsiaSat, a pioneer in advancing satellite communications in Asia. We are producing the most advanced launch vehicles in the world, and the international launch market has responded–commercial launches now represent over 60 per cent of our upcoming missions.”
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Thailand may buy Shinsat from Temasek
MUMBAI: Thailand is putting pressure on Singapore to return satellites it acquired as part of a $3.8 billion purchase of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s telecom empire.
Media reports state that Thais are going to the polls to vote if the country’s military-led government should buy back the nation’s satellite operator Shinsat.
The five satellites are operated by Shin Satellite a unit of Shin which was sold to Singapore’s state investment firm Temasek last year.
The Shin sale reports state led to street protests that led to Thaksin’s downfall and coup leader Sonthi Boonyaratglin has promised to get the assets back.
Meanwhile nformation and Communications Technology Minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom ghas been quoted in reports saying that Shin Satellite’s concessions with the country could be revoked if Temasek is found to have used illegal nominees to buy Shin Corp last year.
Bangkok is also said to be looking at legal options. Temasek executed the Shin deal through a complicated web of Thai holding companies, one of which, Kularb Kaew, may have broken rules against foreign companies using local ‘nominees’ to skirt a 49 per cent limit on foreign ownership.
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Measat-3 enters commercial service
MUMBAI: Measat Satellite Systems has announced that Measat-3 has successfully completed in orbit testing and had entered commercial service.
At a ceremony held Thursday at the Measat Teleport and Broadcast Centre, located just outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the satellite was officially handed over by Boeing Satellite Systems International Inc and the first customer, Radio Television Malaysia One (RTM-1), up-linked onto the satellite.
“Thanks to the hard efforts of the Boeing and Measat teams, the deployment and extensive in orbit testing of the Measat-3 satellite has been completed ahead of schedule with the satellite now ready for commercial use” said Paul Brown-Kenyon, Chief Operating Officer, Measat. “We are focused on managing the migration of our lead DTH, Broadcasting and Telecom customers onto the new platform as they expand their services”.
Designed to work co-located with Measat-1, the deployment of Measat-3 at the 91.5°E orbital location will boosts Measat satellite capacity at its key orbital location by some 300 per cent. The satellite will also extend the network reach to over 100 countries across Asia, Australia, The Middle East, Eastern Africa and Eastern Europe representing 70 per cent of the world’s population.