In a constantly shrinking market affected by the economic crisis, in the European region HISPASAT Group has been able to renew contracts with current clients to give continuity and growth to the operational services at 30º West in the audiovisual market, as well as to telecommunications and corporate operators. Different television channels platforms have been created to distribute signals to Europe and America.
The increase in broadband services offered by HISPASAT has been especially relevant for end users as well as corporate users, in a fixed or mobile setting and increasingly in the maritime sector.
In Spain, HISPASAT has actively contributed in the domestic sphere, reducing the digital divide and facilitating quality access to the Information Society for any user, regardless of their location. In 2014, an agreement was reached with Euskatel, the main operator in the Basque Country, to provide internet access to rural areas, allowing Euskatel to extend their service to remote areas that their own networks cannot reach.
In Portugal, a broadband voice service on HISPASAT’s platform was created to provide universal access of the DTH NOS platform.
Moreover, throughout 2014, the company intensified its conversations with current clients and many of the already-existing telecommunications operators within HISPASAT’s coverage area, in order to develop and plan future Ka-band services.
Traditional and occasional services have increased their revenue by 70%. During this year the company reached an agreement for a new occasional IP service, allowing clients to market their products on HISPASAT’s capacity and infrastructure.
The strategy for Eastern Europe, Middle East and North Africa has been reshaped, focusing commercial action on countries on the Adriatic coast and in the Maghreb, with trade missions in Serbia, Albania, Slovenia and Morocco, and establishing contacts with the main actors in the audiovisual and data communications sector in these countries.
In the Moroccan market, the first seminar on satellites as communication technology in Morocco was held in Rabat, with the collaboration of the Commercial Office of the Spanish Embassy in Morocco.
The contract signed with the top telecommunications operator in the country, Maroc Telecom, was truly important, providing trunk links between strategic points on the internal space-communications network.
Also, a new shared digital platform for audiovisual services with DVB-S2 technology has been put into operation in the Middle East in order to facilitate the distribution of TV and radio channels on HISPASAT’s European coverage.
In Central and North America, corporate and mobility networks, which are directed mainly at ships and petroleum platforms, have grown substantially, especially in the Gulf of Mexico. Moreover, there has been an increase in contract renewals with governmental networks of diverse bodies of the Mexican Government.
HISPASAT also continues to provide space capacity to social insertion projects in the region, within the program “México Conectado”.
In the audiovisual sector, HISPASAT have expanded and consolidated the distribution network for movies in Mexican cinemas, and during the FIFA World Cup in Brazil all of the matches were shown live at various cinemas throughout Mexico, drawing large crowds and boosting the business of broadcasting live events. Throughout 2014, they worked on extending this service to other countries throughout Latin America in the near future.
Also in Mexico, they extended cellular phone networks, which has led to significant growth in cellular backhaul links.
In the United States, HISPASAT provided service to the Defense Department through the Amazonas 2 satellite and expanded capacity of corporate networks through strategic agreements with selected partners, allowing an expansion of their networks in the region. The Group has extended important O&G networks with remote stations located in US territory, mainly in the Gulf of Mexico.
With the goal of creating new video broadcasting standards in the audiovisual sector, the Group launched an ultra-high definition channel, Hispasat 4k, in North America.
Latin America continues to be an important strategic market for the Group’s growth. In 2014, HISPASAT renewed their broadband contract with Oi. HISPASAT, which began providing this service in 2008, participates in the government project PGMU – Plan General de Metas y Universalización (General Plan for Goals and Universalisation) – facilitating voice and data services to small and remote cities.
One of the milestones reached during the year was the broadcasting of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Thanks to HISPASAT, the entire American continent could follow this major sporting event.
Also, in 2014 they signed the first Amazonas 4A satellite contract with Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN) –Chile’s main public channel– to facilitate social DTH services. Led by TVN, it is foreseen that the project will reach the 8% of the Chilean population that previously did not have access to public content.
One of HISPASAT’s major achievements of 2014 was being awarded the contract to install, operate and administer 648 digital kiosks in Colombia in the second phase of the Kioscos Vive Digital plan.
In this way HISPASAT and NEC reduce the digital divide in remote areas in eight departments of the country. The Kioscos Vive Digital plan, which constitutes the largest investment in technology that the Colombian government has made in rural areas of the country, seeks to boost supply and demand of digital services and digital kiosks. Its objective is to provide at least one community internet access point to 100% of communities with over 100 inhabitants. By doing so they will facilitate the social inclusion of more than two million Colombians living in remote areas, using information technology.
Kiosks are spaces located in educational establishments and venues in remote rural areas of the country that lack connectivity, where inhabitants will be able to benefit from telecommunications services, such as satellite internet access, domestic and international calling, digital literacy, e-government and more. HISPASAT and NEC Colombia will provide this service in the following departments: Amazonas, Boyacá, Caldas, Cundinamarca, Guainía, Quindío, Risaralda and Vaupés.
