Yahsat planning third satellite
September 9, 2014
Abu Dhabi-based Yahsat says it wants a third satellite, and wants to operate it for the Brazilian market. Its 3rd satellite will cover some 95 percent of Brazil, and Yahsat says that some 31 percent of Brazil’s population are not served by a fixed broadband infrastructure which it will help provide, and this translates into 18.7 million homes.
Yahsat’s first satellite was launched in 2011 and has two components, one is supplying DTH capacity (YahLive) over the MENA region and as a j-v with SES. Its other mission was to provide VSAT and broadband-type capacity as well as backhaul connectivity over a much wider area including Africa and South-West Asia. Yahsat 1A is located at 52.5 deg East.
Its second satellite Y1B was launched in April 2012 and operates from 47.5 deg East, and is an all Ka-band craft which includes a military payload for the UAE’s armed forces.