17 YEARS OF GENEROUS PUBLICATIONS
Australia has agreed to boost its Intelsat IS22 UHF communications payload and will share capacity with the United States. The two announcements mean the Australian government is spending another $175 million to buy the full Intelsat IS-22 UHF payload to improve the military’s communication within the Middle East and Afghanistan regions. The Intelsat Corporation will launch the satellite in 2012. Under Intelsat’s agreement with Australia, the company is expected to operate the Australian military payload and provide related services for 15 years following the launch. The Australian Department of Defense had been negotiating to purchase part of the satellite’s payload since April 2009 under the Defense
AROUND THE SATELLITE WORLD aim of enhancing Eutelsat’s 3D channel, which is broadcast by the Eurobird 9A satellite at 9° East. Under the agreement, Euro1080 and its TV production company Alfacam will bring to the 3D channel their experience in producing and recording sports events and concerts in 3D, as well as technical resources. They will also offer a directory of over 100 hours of 3D content including football, tennis, boxing, cricket, documentaries and concerts. Eutelsat said the aim of its 3D channel is to showcase the effectiveness of satellite for the delivery of 3D TV and to provide various players across the 3D video sector with a platform for testing and promoting 3D formats and solutions.
814,000 FOR BELGACOM TV Belgacom TV has passed the 800,000 customer milestone and the total number of customers buying into its packs increased to 653,000, the company has announced. In the first quarter, Belgacom added 62,000 new Belgacom TV customers, resulting in a total customer base of 814,000 customers. During the first quarter, an additional 92,000 customers subscribed to a convergent pack, increasing the total number of customers to 653,000. “We see
EUTELSAT SIGNS 3D AGREEMENT WITH EURO1080 Satellite operator Eutelsat has signed a deal with HD TV specialist Euro1080 with the
the success of our multi-play products continued,” said Didier Bellens, CEO of the Belgacom Group, in a statement. “Over the first quarter, an additional 92,000 customers subscribed to one of our convergent packs, increasing the total number of customers enjoying the advantages of our packs to 653,000. Especially our unique market positioning with “Free TV” is a success beyond our expectations. Over the first three months of 2010, an additional 62,000 customers swapped their cable connection for Belgacom TV.
JUNE
61
The Highly Circulated Satellite Magazine
2010