Europe*Star to Provide Ethnic Programming Distribution Via Satellite From Sri Lanka to Europe
Europe*Star, a joint
venture between Alcatel Spacecom of France and Loral Space &
Communications, has agreed to provide Ku-band satellite
capacity for Electroteks, an international telecom carrier and
broadcasting company based in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to carry ethnic Sri
Lankan TV direct from Sri Lanka to Europe.
“One of our main target markets is the Indian subcontinent”,
noted Alain Roger, president and CEO of Europe*Star, “and this
contract demonstrates our ability to help broadcasters from this
region to easily transmit regional and ethnic content to communities
elsewhere within our five coverage regions: Europe, southern Africa,
the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. In addition, through our
membership with the Loral Global Alliance, Europe*Star can help
customers such as Electroteks reach even further to the Americas and
the rest of Asia.”
Electroteks is expanding its services beyond Europe to include
the Middle East, the United States and Australia. “Europe*Star
provides us with the opportunity of realizing our goals,” stated
B.A.C. Abeywardena, chairman and managing director of Electroteks
Network Services (Pte) Limited. “It is encouraging to know that
Europe*Star has clear visions of the future needs of broadcast
operators. Its services will greatly enhance our customer base. With
the Europe*Star 1 satellite, our customers in Europe can now receive
Sinhalese TV programs directly in their homes through small antennae.”
Europe*Star will provide Ku-band satellite capacity on the
recently-launched Europe*Star 1 satellite for Electroteks to
distribute two television channels directly from Sri Lanka to
Sinhalese speaking communities in Europe. Electroteks is presently
broadcasting in C-band to its customers in Germany, United Kingdom,
Australia, the Middle East and the United States, and it is further
developing its distribution network through the use of Ku-band
satellite capacity.
“The Europe*Star 1 satellite provides connectivity from the
Indian subcontinent to the four coverage regions, enabling greater
access to non- resident Indian markets (NRI),” stated Ravi Sharma,
Europe*Star regional director, South Asia. “These new growth markets
will warrant the power and connectivity that only Europe*Star 1 can
provide.”
Electroteks has agreements with all major telecom carriers
landing in Sri Lanka, and has an international telecom operator
license in the UK. To further develop the direct-to-home (DTH) market,
specifically targeted for ethnic Sri Lankan communities, Electroteks
also plans to add more channels for European and Middle Eastern
markets and later to make their entry into the US market.
Europe*Star 1 is scheduled to enter service in January 2001.
About Europe*Star
Europe*Star is a new satellite owner-operator headquartered in
London. It provides local support and presence within its diverse
regions through operating offices in New Delhi, India, and in Cape
Town, South Africa. A satellite control center is in Toulouse, France,
with backup facilities in Rambouillet, France and Hawley, Pa.
Europe*Star is also a member of the Loral Global Alliance. For more
information, visit www.europestar.com
About Alcatel Space
An affiliate of Alcatel (51%) and Thomson-CSF (49%), Alcatel
Space generated a 1999 turnover of 9.3 billion francs (1.4 billion
Euros) and employs 5,500 people. Alcatel Space has partners around the
world, subsidiaries throughout Europe, and a strong commitment to R&D.
Alcatel Space plays an important role – as prime contractor, operator,
investor, or service provider – in many ongoing space programs for
telecommunications, navigations, optical and radar observation,
meteorology, and sciences. For more information visit
www.alcatel.com/space
About Loral Space & Communications
Loral Space & Communications is a high technology company that
concentrates primarily on satellite manufacturing and satellite-based
services, including transponder leasing and value-added services,
domestic and international corporate data networks, global wireless
telephony, broadband data transmission and content services, Internet
services, and international direct-to-home satellite services. For
more information, visit Loral’s web site at www.loral.com.
