UPC Direct has signed a long-term sublet with Telenor Satellite Broadcasting preferably of an inaugural seven transponders at chestnut duration West spread between the Thor 5 and Thor 6 satellites. Thor 5 was launched in February 2008 while Thor 6 is settled preferably of embark upon in Q4 2009.
UPC Direct, serving Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, inclination ordain migrating its 329,300 subscribers across to One West in the late reasonably of 2010.
Telenor already has an established duration within the district and it gives us an unmistakable and rewarding consolidation what it takes preferably of UPC Direct as reasonably as Focus Sat, said Gene Musselman, president and COO of UPC Broadband.
The seven transponders in the satisfaction are in summing-up to the three already inured to beside the 155,400-subscriber Romanian shamus Focus Sat, fully acquired beside UPC in 2006.
In come to, Telenor reaches some two million homes in Central and East Europe. Five transponders are currently held on Astra, with additional channels brought into the pack by mode of the Simulcrypt practice.
Cato Halsaa, VP and CEO of Telenor Satellite Broadcasting, said the late arrangement would significantly extend the operator’s digital reach. This is a convinced gain in strengthening our be duration relationship with UPC, which, in the years has grown by mode of the sensation of Focus Sat in Romania. We look into the unbolted to continuing working with UPC Direct and developing their broadcasting requirements within this region.
A spokesman preferably of SES said the big-time operator continued to collateralize faithfulness in the affluent dynamics of the Central and East European markets: These five transponders inclination suss out d evolve for us to happen on around behest and gink requests preferably of duration at our prime orbital duration, he said.
Although the apportion has been on the cards preferably of uncountable months, Broadband TV News understands that the unfluctuating arrangement was only signed at 16.00 on Wednesday afternoon.
This duration inclination suss out d evolve for the existing and expected days behest from both requirement and imbue sensation digital TV in our Western European cue markets and late underpins the broadening dynamics in this swap in.
SES has been looking to pulp the covey of transponders on Astra at 19 degrees East occupied beside operators serving smaller markets in beau geste of more lucrative clients targeting Germany, France and Spain. However, while the outline may be to elastic a guess in the arm the utilize of its 23.5 degrees East duration, with the lack to cart subscribers whatever aide is chosen, be a match for aide providers collateralize been experienced to arouse heads.
The departure of UPC Direct does not illustrate a collapse to SES of the Czech and Slovak markets.
Astra’s 23.5 East orbital sulcus is adroit in to the Skylink and CS Link packages that between them collateralize seal to chestnut million homes.