July 27, 2016
- The satellite operator has started building new facilities for its Brazilian affiliate, HISPAMAR, which will open next year.
- This centre will be home to the new ground station, which will control the Amazonas 5 satellite, scheduled to launch in 2017.
Rio de Janeiro, 27 July 2016. Spanish satellite and telecommunications operator HISPASAT has started building new facilities in Brazil for the operation of its satellite fleet. This will be the new satellite control centre for its Brazilian affiliate, HISPAMAR, which is also partly owned by Oi.
The growth of HISPASAT Group and its satellite fleet in Latin America has led to a need for more space to house all of the necessary control equipment. Thus, the Brazilian operator has acquired land in Serviente, Río de Janeiro, to which it will transfer the services currently provided at HISPAMAR’s satellite control centre in Flamengo and Guaratiba. In addition, this centre will also be the location of the new ground station, which will control the future Amazonas 5 satellite, scheduled to launch in 2017.
The new Serviente centre will allow for further expansion in the coming years. The Amazonas satellites, located at 61° West, and the future satellites set to be located at 74° West, an orbital position acquired in 2015, will operate from here.
Construction of the new centre is expected to be completed within nine months. The new project involves an investment of approximately 40 million Brazilian reais, which includes the purchase of the land, licensing costs, construction, and expenses associated with relocation to the new centre. The new HISPAMAR facilities will have 20 antennas and state-of-the-art equipment.
In 2017, once construction is completed and services have been transferred to Serviente, the Guaratiba centre will continue to operate as a back-up. According to HISPAMAR technical director Edio Gomes, “in addition to HISPAMAR’s 30 professionals who will be working in this new station with 24/7 availability, Serviente will create approximately 40 indirect jobs”.
Furthermore, in the framework of HISPASAT’s Corporate Social Responsibility policy and in relation to is commitment to respecting the environment, the new station will adopt sustainable practices, such as the implementation of a rainwater usage system, where water will be collected and stored for later use, and, in the future, the istallation of a solar panel.
Amazonas 5
The Amazonas 5 satellite will provide Ka band capacity in order to offer new broadband services to Brazil and the rest of Latin America. The new satellite will also provide Ku band capacity to offer audiovisual services, corporate networks and other telecommunications solutions.
About HISPASAT Group
HISPASAT Group is comprised of companies that have a presence in Spain as well as in Latin America, where its Brazilian affiliate HISPAMAR is based. The Group is a world leader in the distribution and broadcasting of Spanish and Portuguese content, and its satellite fleet is used by important direct-to-home television (DTH) and high-definition television (HDTV) digital platforms. HISPASAT also provides satellite broadband services and other added value solutions to governments, corporations and telecommunication operators in America, Europe and North Africa. HISPASAT is one of the world's largest companies in its sector in terms of revenue, and the main communications bridge between Europe and the Americas.
