US-based satellite operator EchoStar has snapped up European MSS joint venture Solaris Mobile for an undisclosed sum. Previously owned jointly by SES and Eutelsat, Solaris was awarded S-band spectrum in 2009 to provide services across Europe under…
US-based satellite operator EchoStar has snapped up European MSS joint venture Solaris Mobile for an undisclosed sum.
Previously owned jointly by SES and Eutelsat, Solaris was awarded S-band spectrum in 2009 to provide services across Europe under strict roll out commitments.
However, the JV’s ability to meet its milestone requirements has been impacted by regulatory uncertainty, and its S-band payload suffering a malfunction soon after its launch on Eutelsat’s W2A satellite in April 2009. Prior to the sale to EchoStar, Solaris had been looking to raise financing to launch a second S-band payload, which was needed to meet a requirement to cover 60% of the landmass and 50% of the population of each EU state in 2016.
In a brief statement, EchoStar said it has agreed to provide Solaris with MSS capacity on a new next generation MSS satellite as part of its deal.
Anders Johnson, president of EchoStar Satellite Services, said: “Through this acquisition and our mobile satellite infrastructure expertise, we look forward to accelerating advanced mobile services throughout the European Union.
“We are excited to build upon the groundwork laid by Solaris Mobile by most immediately bringing with us access to a next generation MSS satellite which will support a wide range of innovative services across the European Union.”
EchoStar, the sister company of US DTH firm Dish Network which acquired Solaris’ S-band counterparts Terrestar and ICO North America in the US, declined to comment.
The company’s statement added that it had also agreed to buy ‘one of the EU licensees of MSS with a complementary ground component (S band)’.
Inmarsat, which was awarded European S-band frequencies at the same time as Solaris, has yet to reveal the progress it has been making towards its roll out commitments.
SES and Eutelsat declined to comment on the deal.
Unlike its US peers, who are targeting LTE services across North America, Solaris Mobile has been working towards providing pan-European satellite radio services.
Its first commercial contract was secured with Italian media publishing firm Class Editori to provide these services across Italy. As previously reported, it also holds a similar agreement with Dutch radio station Radio 100% NL in the Netherlands.
