Eutelsat to move Eurobird 4 in deal with ABS

Satellite operators Eutelsat and Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS) have struck a strategic partnership whereby Eutelsat will move its Eurobird 4 satellite to 75° East, co-located with ABS’s ABS-1 and ABS-1A craft.

The move will boost the 75° East position by eight Ku-band transponders to address markets in the Middle East, central Asia and Russia. The satellite, to be renamed W75/ABS-1B, will provide back-up capacity for customers ahead of the launch of ABS-2 in 2012.

Fast-expanding Hong Kong-based ABS, backed by Citigroup Venture Capital International, recently acquired Koreasat-2 and Mabuhay Satellite’s Agila-2 satellites (renamed aBS-1A and Agila-2/ABS-5) and completed the procurement process for the forthcoming ABS-2.

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