Yahsat confirms DTH satellite deal at NAB

Yahsat and SES Astra will be joint-venture partners in YahLive.

Abu Dhabi-based satellite services provider Yahsat has signed a landmark partnership deal with SES Astra, which will see the creation of a new company offering direct-to-home (DTH) satellite services to broadcast partners in the Middle East, North Africa and South-west Asia.

Announced at NAB 2009, the creation of the new company, branded Yahlive, will provide the Luxembourg-based SES Astra with a vital foothold in each market.

YahLive will offer DTH satellite services to free-to-air and pay-TV broadcasters. 

It will own and commercialise 23 BSS-transponders on the Yahsat 1A spacecraft to be positioned at the 52.5 degrees East orbital position and operating in the Ku-band frequency. 

The satellite, procured from a consortium of EADS Astrium and Thales Alenia Space, is currently under construction and is scheduled to be launched by the fourth quarter of 2010.

“This partnership will establish a major business hub for SES Astra in the Middle East, and will add a new dimension to the existing strong regional presence of SES through the satellite operator SES New Skies and the system integrator ND SatCom,” said Ferdinand Kayser, CEO of SES Astra.

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“The region is a market with significant growth potential as the fill rate of the Ku-band capacity is estimated at 90 percent, while demand is expected to grow faster than supply.

Yahsat CEO Jassem Al Zaabi said the agreement would enable the company to fast-track its plan to “create a new TV hotspot over the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region”.

 “As a new player in the broadcasting sector, we believe this partnership will enable Yahsat to make a very strong entry into the market,” he said.