Qatar-based satellite operator Es’hailSat says its new teleport, now under construction, will be open for business later this year. This means that locally-based services such as the Al Jazeera family of channels as well as the beIN Sport channel bouquet can be independently uplinked from Qatar to the region’s satellites.

Qatar is embroiled in a diplomatic stand-off with most other Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

Es’hailSat’s first satellite is already operational at the 25.5/26 degrees East ‘hot spot’ (which it shares with Arabsat), but its new Es’hail-2 craft, complete with sophisticated anti-jamming technology, will launch later this year to 26 degrees East, and add considerable DTH capacity to the region.

Es’hailSat’s President and CEO Ali Al Kuwari, in a statement released at the Arab Radio & TV Festival, which opens in Tunis on April 26th, said that this year is “exciting” for the operator. “The Arab Radio and TV Festival gives us the right platform to engage with customers and partners, and showcase our capabilities and future plans. We see this festival as an important element in our strategy to attract customers from across the region who value broadcasting independence and high quality of service”.

Categories: Articles, DTH/Satellite