ABS & ArabSat Sign Agreement for
Multi-Transponder Deal on ABS-3A at 3°West
15 July 2014
ABS and Arab Satellite
Communication Organization (ARABSAT) announced
today that they have signed a strategic
commercial agreement for a multi-transponder
lifetime Ku-band payload on the new ABS-3A
satellite planned for launch in late 2014/
early2015. This Ku-band payload deal will
provide ARABSAT with additional growth
opportunities to serve their customers over the
Middle East and North Africa regions.
The ABS-3A satellite
will be one of the world’s first all-electric
propulsion satellites (a Boeing 702SP platform
satellite) with nearly 8 kilowatts of EOL
payload power and up to a total of 48 C and
Ku-band transponders. It will be located
at 3° West and will offer expanded capacity
connecting the Americas, Europe, the Middle East
and Africa regions. Its wide C and Ku-band
coverage will serve both sides of the Atlantic
for trans-Atlantic as well as regional
connectivity and services.
Khalid Balkheyour, President and CEO of ARABSAT
said “We are very pleased with this payload
agreement with ABS, and we hope it is the
beginning of a long term successful
partnership.” “ARABSAT has put in the
market a Request for Proposals for 4 new
satellites at different orbital locations, and
yet, we continue to see rapid increase in
customers’ demand on telecommunication and
broadcasting services across the region, this
agreement leverages ARABSAT capabilities to
harness more growth opportunities over the
coming three years,” Balkhyour added.
“ABS is very excited
to collaborate with ARABSAT on this strategic
transaction. The MENA beam of ABS-3A is the
first time ABS has been able to provide a
complete coverage of all of Middle East and
North Africa. We are proud to announce ARABSAT
as our strategic partner on this capacity which
will serve the growing needs of their MENA
customer base,”
said Tom Choi, CEO of ABS.