PARIS — Satellite fleet operators Intelsat and Hispasat have agreed to coordinate their use of Brazil-aimed Ku-band satellite capacity at the 55.5 degrees west orbital slot, both companies said.
As part of the agreement, Madrid-based Hispasat has purchased a large, but still minority, share of the Ku-band capacity on Intelsat 34, scheduled for launch to 55.5 degrees in late 2015.
In the meantime, Luxembourg- and Bethesda, Maryland-based Intelsat has been leasing capacity on Hispasat’s Amazonas 1 satellite, which was launched in 2004 but has an onboard anomaly expected to reduce its life to less than 15 years. Hispasat moved Amazonas 1 to 55.5 degrees in June, where it was co-located with Intelsat’s Galaxy 11 satellite.
Intelsat 34 will replace Galaxy 11, already at the orbital slot, for longer-term bandwidth assurance for both companies.
Intelsat President Stephen Spengler, in an Oct. 20 statement, said Hispasat’s arrival at 55.5 degrees — both companies had regulatory rights their, but Intelsat’s regulatory position appeared stronger — has enhanced both of our positions in the region.”
Hispasat Chief Executive Carlos Espinos said the capacity exchange agreement “allows each company to optimize the use of our respective assets and expand our business opportunities.”
