UPC Broadband has centralised its Central European DTH business through a new SARL company based in Luxembourg.
The consolidation also sees the signing of a new agreement with SES Astra Techcom, transferring its uplink from SES Astra itself, as the agreement to broadcast the UPC Direct channels from 19 degrees East comes to a conclusion.
The M7-owned trio of platforms serving the Benelux region also use SES facilities to uplink their signals, while Virgin Media created a Luxembourg SARL last June.
As previously reported in Broadband TV News, UPC Direct is moving its DTH platform for Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to Telenor’s Thor 5 and Thor 6 satellites at one degree West.
A spokesman for UPC Broadband confirmed to Broadband TV News that the process would commence in the Czech Republic and Slovakia and run between May and October this year.
Existing customers will have their dishes repointed from 19 degrees East to One West. The additional transponders will enable the launch of more channels including HD services. Customers are expected to launch in the near future.
