Africa/Middle East News

RRsat Global Communications Partners with 21st Century Fox for Africa Distribution

RRsat’s Emek HaEla Teleport features more than 80 satellite dishes. Credit: RRSat

Israel-based RRsat Global Communications Network has signed a long-term agreement with Fox International Channels (FIC), 21st Century Fox’s international multi-media business. Under the contract, RRSat will support broadcast of FIC’s French channels throughout Africa.

FIC, which operates more than 300 channels globally reaching more than 1.6 billion viewers worldwide, is now expanding its scope to the African continent with the Measat Satellite Systems’ Africasat 1a satellite.

SES Signs 15-year Contract with Platco Digital

SES has signed a 15-year contract with Platco Digital, a sister company of the South African independent broadcaster e.tv. Under the contract, Platco will use SES capacity to broadcast a new free-to-air service in South Africa, with future expansion plans.

The contract for two transponders, with an option for additional capacity in 2014, will allow the Direct-to-Home (DTH) transmission of a new TV channel platform by Platco Digital to audiences in South Africaâ??s urban and remote areas. SES will provide the satellite capacity on the SES 5 satellite at 5 degrees east, one of the companyâ??s flagship orbital slots, which supports customers developing the Digital DTH TV markets in Africa.

Platco Digital and e.tv are owned by Sabido Investments (Pty) Limited, a South African media group with holdings in a variety of broadcasting, content, production and distribution businesses.

Spidersat Enters Long-Term Agreement with BIA

BIA Overseas provides construction machines for industrial activities in Africa. Credit: BIA Overseas

Spidersat, a wholly owned subsidiary of ITC Global, has entered into a long-term agreement with BIA Overseas, a wholly owned subsidiary of BIA Group.

Under the contract, Spidersat will provide and support a fully managed, custom designed and built network to BIA’s Outils de Gestion et Societes Africaines mining project, which will entail network connectivity for 17 sites in 13 countries throughout Africa. As a result of Spidersat’s custom network design, the African mining sites of BIA will enjoy carrier-grade Internet, email, and voice connectivity and be able to access corporate Enterprise Resource Systems (ERP) and other key business applications physically located at a central corporate location in Europe.

C-Com Partners with South African Telco

C-Com Satellite Systems, a global provider of mobile auto-deploying satellite antenna systems has started supplying South Africa’s largest independent telecommunications firm Vox Telecom with iNetVu Mobile antennas.

The C-Com manufactured antennas will be used by Vox Telecom on the YahClick Go broadband satellite service. YahClick offers Ka-band satellite connection across Africa.

The products have already been deployed at several high-profile events in South Africa, such as the ANC Mangaung conference in Bloemfontein, the opening game of the AFCON in Soweto, etc.

Yahsat Appoints New CEO

Yahsat has appointed Masood Sharif Mahmood as its new CEO; he served as the company’s deputy CEO since June 2012. Tareq Abdel Raheem Al Hosani, the previous CEO will join the Yahsat Board of Directors and will continue to play a vital role in the organizations strategic direction, according to a written statement from the company.

Previously, Mahmood’s roles have involved investment management and business development for a number of government and semi-government entities such as Dubai Holding, the executive office of HH Sheikh Mohamad bin Rashid Al Maktoum.