Intelsat has entered into a strategic agreement with Azercosmos, the national satellite operator of Azerbaijan, at the 45 degrees East orbital position.
As a result, the two companies will collaborate on the design of the Azerspace-2/Intelsat 38 satellite.
Besides providing continuity of service for Intelsat 12 at 45 degrees East, which hosts DTH platforms and provides connectivity for corporate network services across Africa, the new satellite, which is scheduled to launch in 2017, will also provide services across CEE, Asia and Africa.
Commenting on the partnership, Rashad Nabiyev, chairman and CEO, Azercosmos, said: “The demand for satellite capacity in our coverage markets, which include CIS, African and Asian countries, continues to grow and with Azerspace-2, it further underscores our commitment to deliver satellite services to the region.
“With our second telecommunications satellite, we will be in a stronger position to meet the increasing demand for broadband and media applications. Our partnership with Intelsat will further strengthen both of our positions in the region and provide the necessary capacity to efficiently expand our services geographically.”
Stephen Spengler, deputy CEO, Intelsat, added: “Our partnership with Azercosmos is a great example of the value of collaborating with other satellite operators. Our collaboration will enable us to create additional capacity by leveraging our existing assets and maximizing the value of our orbital rights. As a result, Intelsat 38 will be strongly positioned to support the growth objectives of our customers at this orbital location, including leading DTH platforms in the fast growing Central Eastern Europe and Asia Pacific regions and connectivity for corporate network services in Africa.”
