Intelsat expands into Middle East with Turksat deal

Website: Rapid TV News

Satellite giant Intelsat is lending Turksat a very old satellite.

In return Intelsat will gain access to the Turkish and Middle East market from 2013.

Turkey has the right to place a satellite near 55 deg East. But to maintain that right it must place a satellite at the position this year, or risk losing the slot for ever.

Intelsat has a spare satellite, now called Intelsat 26 but earlier known as JCSAT-R (and launched in Feb 1997) and purchased by Intelsat from JSAT Corp late last year.

The craft initially had a 12-year design life, and is currently operating in an inclined orbit over the Indian Ocean, and looking at Africa and the Middle East.

Intelsat will now re-locate the craft to 55 deg East, by June.

In return, Intelsat will gain an option to buy long-term access to transponders on Turksat’s replacement craft for its aging Turksat 4A or Turksat 4B satellites.

The ‘new’ Turksat 4B is likely to be launched around 2013.

The deal gives Intelsat similar access to that that which it already enjoys with Telenor, and Convergence Partners of South Africa, where it also has its own transponders.