[Satellite TODAY Insider 04-27-11] MTN Satellite Communications has partnered with Spanish maritime VSAT provider Erzia to operate a joint venture teleport that will serve as a centralized gateway for MTN’s VSAT communications coverage over the Americas, Europe and Asia, MTN announced April 26.
    MTN CTO Richard Hadsall hopes the new facility, located in Santander, Spain, will stand out as it provides C- and Ku-band commercial service and secure, government X-band service from a single location.
    “The combined resources of MTN and Erzia within the Santander teleport offer efficient and innovative managed networking technologies from a new and far reaching international satellite gateway,” Hadsall said. “Our intent is that this new facility will lift the whole industry to a far more competitive position by creating attractive opportunities for not only MTN but for Spanish and European service providers, enterprise and even consumer subscribers.”
    The Santander teleport is in view of satellites located between the GEO orbits of 60 degrees West and 65 degrees East. The location allows the joint venture to cover a region from Western Australia to North America, Mediterranean Sea, Indian and Atlantic Oceans. “Importantly, the new teleport is strategically located in the intersection of the coverage of Xtar satellites, therefore able to uplink and downlink from both X-band satellites,” said Hadsall.
    The addition of Xtar coverage will be critical for MTN Government Services (MTNGS) following its addition to the Future Commercial Satellite Communications Services Acquisition (FCSA) contract under the U.S. General Services Administration‘s (GSA) federal supply Schedule 70 vehicle in March.
    The $5 billion, 10-year GSA and U.S. Defense Information Services Agency (DISA) joint-contract vehicle was developed to simplify the process of establishing U.S. government contracts with the commercial satellite industry. The company’s addition to the contract vehicle allows government organizations to access MTNGS’ range of communications solutions to meet communications requirements.
    “As an ISO-9000 certified organization, customers can be confident that MTNGS solutions meet the government’s stringent quality, reliability, as well as information assurance and protection requirements. Through this FCSA contract we look forward to working with government organizations that want to invest in cost-effective satellite solutions to support their ongoing missions,” MTNGS President Jim Ramsey said in a statement following the FCSA addition.

Related Stories-

MTNGS Added to FCSA Schedule 70 Contract Vehicle   Satellite Today   March 29, 2011
[Satellite TODAY 03-29-11] MTN Government Services (MTNGS) has been added to the Future Commercial Satellite Communications Services Acquisition (FCSA) contract under the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) federal supply Schedule 70…

Boeing Captures $1 Billion Mexsat Contract; Awards Satellite Subcontract to Orbital    Satellite Today   December 21, 2010
[Satellite TODAY 12-21-10] The Mexican Government issued a $1 billion contract to Boeing for the development and delivery of the Mexsat end-to-end communications system, Boeing announced Dec. 20. The system will consist of three satellites…

MTNGS President: Government Sector Needs Supply-Side Specialists    Satellite News   November 23, 2010
[Satellite News 11-23-10] In coming years, the U.S. Department of Defense and other agencies of the federal government are expected to increase their dependence on commercial satellite services to augment and complement dedicated space-based…