Arabsat and Rival Es'hailSat Forge Strategic Partnership

摘要

Startup commercial satellite fleet operator Es'hailSat of Qatar and its prospective rival, the Arabsat consortium of Saudi Arabia, on Aug. 19 announced a strategic partnership under which Es'hailSat will acquire rights to 500 megahertz of Ku-band frequency at 26 degrees east for its Es'hail 2 satellite. The agreement, signed in Qatar's capital of Doha by the two companies' chief executives, comes on the eve of the launch of Es'hail 1/Eutelsat 25B aboard a European Ariane 5 rocket. The launch is scheduled for Aug. 29, and the satellite is to operate at 25.5 degrees east, just half a degree away from Arabsat's key 26 degrees east direct-broadcast television slot. Paris-based Eutelsat teamed with Es'hailSat for Es'hailSat 1, which the Qatari company has said is just the start of an ambitious satellite development program using the Doha-based Al Jazeera television network as an anchor customer.