Brazil to announce 15 satellite orbital slots
December 4, 2019
By Chris Forrester
Brazil’s National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) is extending for 20 days the decision on how to license access to 15 satellite orbital slots.
The new rules will be unveiled on December 23rd and are due to come into force from January 2021 and run for at least 5 years, and probably nearer to 15 years.
The two options currently under consideration – and open to comments – are for the orbital positions in space to come with associated frequency bands established by Anatel, or alternately that the orbital slots will have their frequencies specified by the winning bidders.
In the last such auction (in 2014) seven companies submitted their proposals for this bidding (Eutelsat do Brasil Ltda., Hispamar Satellites SA, Navigation Ventures Limited, SES DTH do Brasil Ltda., Star One S.A., Star Satellite Communications Company, Telesat Brasil Capacidade de Satélites Ltda.), which means that most of the world’s main satellite operators participated through their Brazilian affiliates.
Hispamar Satellites submitted the best offer for the first Brazilian Satellite Exploitation Right (R$65 million, about $25 million) and selected the 61 degrees West Orbital Position.
SES won the best offer for the second and third Brazilian Satellite Exploitation Rights (R$ 33 million and R$ 26,8 million, respectively), and subsequently selected the 48 degrees West Orbital Position, with the C, Ku and Ka bands, and the 64 degree West Orbital Position.
Eutelsat presented the best offer for the fourth Brazilian Satellite Landing Right, and selected the 69.45 degrees West Orbital Position.
The winning bidders had 4-6 years to bring their satellites into use.