Eutelsat has teamed up with an investment vehicle in Russia to launch a subsidiary that will market a recently expanded satellite capacity deal in the country, SatelliteFinance has learnt.
Viacheslav Kamnev, managing partner of Russian DTH solutions…
Eutelsat has teamed up with an investment vehicle in Russia to launch a subsidiary that will market a recently expanded satellite capacity deal in the country, SatelliteFinance has learnt.
Viacheslav Kamnev, managing partner of Russian DTH solutions firm New Media Legend, has taken a minority stake in the French satellite operator’s fully consolidated unit, called Eutelsat International.
The venture will offer broadcast and broadband services across three orbital slots in Russia. It will use capacity deals Eutelsat has secured with three of Russian Satellite Communications Company’s (RSCC) upcoming satellites.
The first of these leasing deals was signed in November 2012, when it secured capacity on Express-AT2 and Eutelsat 36C/Express AMU1, to be launched to 140E in 2013 and 36E in 2015, respectively.
The French company yesterday announced an additional 15-year lease with RSCC for 19- Ku-band transponders on Express-AT1, which is due to be launched at the end of this year to 56E, as well as extra capacity on Eutelsat 36C/Express AMU1.
With all three orbital slots, Eutelsat International will be able to cover the whole of the Russia – from the Baltic to the Pacific Ocean.
The operator also announced that Russian DTH operator TricolorTV has effectively become Eutelsat International’s first customer after it signed a multi-year lease.
TricolorTV, which notably uses New Media Legend’s technical services for DTH broadcasting, secured capacity for a total of 16 transponders at 56E and 140E, where it will be able to reach homes in Siberia and the Far East from Q1 2014.
The DTH firm already covers more than 11 million homes across the European part of Russia through it being an anchor tenant at the 36E position.
Eutelsat declined to discuss financial details about its new subsidiary, adding that the size of its ownership will be disclosed in its full-year results.
Nikolay Orlov, who is the company’s regional vice-president for Russia and Ukraine, has been appointed CEO of Eutelsat International.
