The new satellite, scheduled to launch in late March 2012, will provide Etisalat alternate infrastructure to expand the reach of its broadband and GSM backhaul services. The agreement will extend to Etisalat’s customers in Middle East, Africa, Europe and central Asia.
Jean Gillet, Intelsat’s regional VP of sales for Europe and the Middle East said the company is keen to establish similar partnerships for its Intelsat 22 system. “We want to continue to work closely with premier telecommunications providers like Etisalat to help them expand their global footprint,” he said. “Intelsat is the first of five satellites expected to launch in 2012 that will provide additional capacity over key regions like the Middle East, Africa and Asia.”
Etisalat’s partnership with Intelsat will run as a multi-transponder agreement, and the new satellite will carry two Ku-band mobility beams to provide coverage across the Indian Ocean region. Its coverage extends to cover the Middle East, eastern Africa, Europe and eastern Asia.
Intelsat 22 will replace the dated Intelsat 709.
