MultiChoice has commissioned capacity on a new satellite from Intelsat, less than two years after the company began using Intelsat 20, a high-capacity satellite launched in 2012.
Intelsat said on Wednesday that it has signed a 15-year service agreement with MultiChoice for Intelsat 36, a new satellite that is expected be launched in late 2016 and which will be co-located with Intelsat 20 in the 68,5˚E orbital slot.
MultiChoice has been the anchor customer at the 68,5˚E location since 1995. The launch of Intelsat 20 allowed the company to launch a range of new channels and to broadcast more channels in high-definition format.
The pay-TV operator, which owns DStv, intends using the additional satellite to provide more pay-television services across sub-Saharan Africa and expand its content offering, said group chief financial officer Tim Jacobs.
The Intelsat 36 design will feature Ku- and C-band services. The MultiChoice direct-to-home satellite services will use the Ku-band payload. The C-band payload will provide services to other customers. — © 2014 NewsCentral Media
