Deutsche Telekom has signed an agreement with Eutelsat that ends its part in the dispute surrounding the use of satellite frequencies at 28.5 degrees East.
Eutelsat initiated official talks with Telekom in 2011 through the International Chamber of Commerce. The Paris-based operator was seeking clarification on the period of time it could use the orbital position that it shares with rival SES to broadcast programme services largely into the UK and Ireland. Eutelsat was also seeking payment relating to the term of the agreement it had previously signed with Telekom.
A settlement was signed on February 7, 2013, though the full terms of the agreement have not been revealed.
A spokesperson for Eutelsat said: “We believe it to be a satisfactory outcome”. SES declined to comment.
Separate discussions that seek to restore clarity as to which frequencies SES and Eutelsat have the rights to use is ongoing.
SES has previously asserted it had been granted the rights to use the German orbital frequencies at 28.5 degrees East from October 4, 2013 under a 2005 agreement with German media services provider Media Broadcast, the TDF-owned business that acquired Telekom’s T-Services division. Media Broadcast holds the licence for the frequencies issued by the Bundesnetzagentur under the auspices of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).
Eutelsat negotiated its frequency rights through Deutsche Telekom, which once operated part of its own Kopernikus fleet at that position, while SES has used the French-owned transmission company TDF owners of the German Media Broadcast that has inherited frequencies from Telekom.
