Bermuda Secure Orbital Space Spot
The Bermuda Government has secured an orbital slot over the Caribbean following a last-minute agreement with satellite fleet operators EchoStar Corp. of the United States and SES of Luxembourg, according to a report by SpaceNews.com.
With an International Telecommunication Union [ITU] deadline on using the slot expiring by mid-year, Bermuda struck a deal in which SES will create a Bermuda subsidiary to operate Colorado-based EchoStar’s EchoStar 6 satellite [artist's impression pictured left] at 96.2 degrees west.
“Bermuda and the Isle of Man had been competing to build their own satellite communications infrastructures,” SpaceNews reported. “Both had secured orbital slots, but the positions were too close together to permit interference-free broadcasts without extensive frequency coordination.
The Isle of Man was unable to find a satellite to place into its 95.5 degrees west orbital slot before its deadline expired in 2011.
“That left the road clear for Bermuda. In the past couple of years, the maritime market for satellite operators has grown rapidly and opened up for once-landlocked service providers like SES,” said the SpaceNews report.
“The Bermudasat-1 coverage area as described to the US Federal Communications Commission [FCC] includes the southeast quadrant of the continental United States, the Gulf of Mexico and a large swath of the Atlantic Ocean east of the Caribbean.
In their FCC filing, EchoStar and SES say they intend to use the aging EchoStar 6 “to evaluate and develop new market opportunities in the Caribbean, Latin American and North Atlantic maritime markets” for video and maritime services broadcasts.”
The full report can be read here on SpaceNews.com.
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Whats the income to the Bermuda Government for renting this slot to EchoStar/SES? What’s the length of the contract, is it based on profits of these companies using this slot? Can it be renegotiated based on this? How often do Bermuda have to renew the ITU license?
Hey BERNEWS – fancy doing some investigative reporting based on this?