Es’hailSat outlines future plans

Middle East satellite operator Es’hailSat plans to launch its Es’hail-2 bird by the end of this year, and discussions are underway with customers and stakeholders to define the requirements for a third satellite, Es’hail-3, according to the company.

The operator plans to place Es’hail-2 at the 26° East hotspot to enable it to continue to provide premium DTH television content across the Middle East and North Africa.

Exhibiting this week at Cabsat in Dubai, Es’hailSat has anlso unveiled plans to build its own teleport in Doha, scheduled for completion in the second half of next year.

The facility will provide satellite TT&C and capacity management together with a range of teleport services such as uplink, downlink, contribution, multiplexing, encoding, playout and broadcasting.  The high-tech teleport will also provide back-up studios for TV channels and serve as a disaster recovery facility for broadcasters, and will be linked with key media broadcasters by a redundant, dedicated fibre optic link.

At Cabsat, Es’hailSat is showcasing its first satellite, Es’hail-1, which broadcasts channels including Al Jazeera and beIN Sports from the 25.5°/26° East position.

“It is a pleasure to be exhibiting once again at Cabsat.  With Es’hail-2 and our new teleport coming online in 2016, we believe we have the optimum solution for broadcasters in the MENA region and beyond, not only in terms of technical capabilities and performance but also in terms of security of content,” said Ali Al Kuwari, president and CEO of Es’hailSat.

“Cabsat is an important occasion where Es’hailSat can confirm its position as key player for satellite communications in the region.  We see this exhibition as an important element in our strategy to attract customers who value broadcasting independence, quality of service and market penetration”.