Malaysian operator Measat expects to secure a manufacturer in Q4 2012 to build a satellite to replace its aging Measat-2 bird at Asia’s 148.0E, according to CEO Paul Brown-Kenyon.
In an interview with SatelliteFinance, Brown-Kenyon said the operator…
Malaysian operator Measat expects to secure a manufacturer in Q4 2012 to build a satellite to replace its aging Measat-2 bird at Asia’s 148.0E, according to CEO Paul Brown-Kenyon.
In an interview with SatelliteFinance, Brown-Kenyon said the operator was gearing up to issue an RfP for the spacecraft later this year.
The company is currently evaluating two satellite projects in Asia and two in Africa, but replacing Measat-2 was “at the top of this list”, he said.
Asia still remains a core region for Measat, particularly Malaysia, but the operator continues to eye further growth opportunities in Africa, where it aims to provide additional capacity over the next three years through the two new projects it is evaluating.
“We have a strong belief in the long term potential of the African market and are actively looking to extend our exposure to the market over the next few years with the plan to be a key supplier of satellite services within the next five years,” added Brown-Kenyon.
Measat’s is set to gain a batch of African capacity from Azerbaijan’s first telecoms satellite, which is due to be launched towards the end of this year. This satellite, called Azerspace-1/Africasat-1a, will be placed at 46E, an orbital slot held by Measat that the two groups are jointly developing. The Asian operator is also securing capacity from the SES-5 satellite that was launched earlier this year to cover Africa, as well as Europe.
In Asia, the company has contracted with Astrium to procure a satellite called Measat-3b for a launch next year to 91.5E, where it will join Measat-3 and Measat-3a to provide DTH services across Malaysia, India and Indonesia. In January, Measat also entered an agreement with NewSat for a further spacecraft at 91.5E. This agreement will see NewSat procure the spacecraft, which will carry a Measat payload, for a 2014 launch.
Brown-Kenyon said its future projects will continue to be a mix of joint satellites and self builds. Although the operator is currently focused on opportunities in Asia and Africa, he added that it would also consider opportunities in other emerging markets.
“Whilst our current focus is the Asian and African markets, we see ourselves as an emerging market satellite operator and are actively looking for opportunities beyond our current markets,” he said.
“With filings across 16 orbital slots around the globe, we are uniquely positioned to expand our reach in a pragmatic manner. At this time, we see ample opportunities in Asia and Africa and will be focused on these regions.”
The full interview with Measat CEO Paul Brown-Kenyon will be in SatelliteFinance 160 later this month.
