Nordic satellite operator Telenor Satellite Broadcasting (TSB) has announced plans to build a third satellite for the 1W orbital slot to expand capabilities across Central and Eastern Europe.
Called THOR 7, the new Ku- and Ka-band satellite has a…
Nordic satellite operator Telenor Satellite Broadcasting (TSB) has announced plans to build a third satellite for the 1W orbital slot to expand capabilities across Central and Eastern Europe.
Called THOR 7, the new Ku- and Ka-band satellite has a similar budget to previous birds THOR 6 and THOR 5, a TSB spokeswoman said.
Back in 24 April 2007, when it was announcing a contract on with Thales Alenia Space to build and deliver THOR 6, TSB said at that the spacecraft, its launch and insurance would cost approximately NKr1.3bn (E164m at current exchange rates).
TSB expects to award a manufacturing contract for THOR 7, which will have a lifespan of 15-20 years, in the second quarter of this year. A launch for the new bird is being planned for towards the end of 2013.
THOR 7 will then join the group’s existing fleet at 1W, where the operator already serves almost 17 million cable and satellite households across Europe.
The company stated that it is seeing huge demand for HD and 3D TV in Western Europe, and there are indications of this trend spreading across Central and Eastern Europe, the spokeswoman continued.
She described the 1W orbital position as serving one of the world’s fastest growing markets, highlighting the success of its major regional DTH providers UPC Direct and Digi TV.
“At the moment we have enough capacity, but over the long-term there is a need to invest,” she said.
The extra capacity on the upcoming spacecraft will also boost TSB’s maritime unit, which provides data communication services to areas including the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean.
TSB declined to reveal how the new satellite will be funded, but it is thought the company is not seeking external financing.
Announcing plans for THOR 7 on 10 February, Cato Halsaa, VP and CEO of TSB, said the move represents both an expansion to meet rising demand for capacity and a commitment to the satellite sector.
“I am confident that the role of satellites will continue to play an important function as a distributor of content and can only be strengthened as communication applications expand the digital revolution,” said Halsaa.
In addition to TSB’s THOR 5 and THOR 6 satellites, the group partly owns transponders on the Intelsat 10-02 satellite, which is also located at 1W. At 4W, TSB owns and operates the THOR 3 satellite, which offers inclined services throughout the Middle East.
