The various ‘minor’ operators in Europe are not admitting to any intention of forming any alliances with SES or Eutelsat. However, most of them have expansion plans, which may prove optimistic. In particular, they are examining means of moving into interactive broadband services of some sort; but these are areas where they look likely to be left behind by the more advanced plans of the two larger operators.

Spain’s Hispasat acquired a third satellite in early February; effectively this was only its second one, given the beam-aiming deficiencies of the first Hispasat. This capacity was needed, since the first satellites have been fully occupied since 1997. The latest -1C craft does not carry an X-band payload for government and military communications. Hispasat admits to studying the possibilities of a fourth satellite, this time with a Ka-band payload. It is hinted that this might employ spotbeams for improved transatlantic coverage, particularly with Brazil.

The two Scandinavian operators Telenor and Nordiska Satellit AB (NSAB) escaped a radical reshaping when the planned merger between Norway’s Telenor and Sweden’s Telia failed to be consummated late last year. According to NSAB, “Telenor would probably have had to sell its satellite operations to an independent player in order to preserve competition.” Telenor does not necessarily endorse this view, but admits “that its plans would have been different ” if the merger had happened. Still obstinately state-controlled, Telenor admits the possibility of a partial privatisation prior to any capital increase.

While launch of a Thor IV is still on the cards, Telenor acknowledges that it is “re-evaluating” its utilisation of the existing Thors (plus its leased Intelsat Ku-band capacity, soon to transfer from Intelsat 707). The company admits that its coverage of Central and Eastern Europe has taken longer to develop than originally thought. Regarding future broadband plans, Telenor is looking at the total spectrum of possible new services with which it might ally. The only one mentioned by name is Hughes’ Spaceway, which is set to launch initially as a North American service only: any global coverage will require partners, says Hughes. Naturally Telenor will not say whether it proposes to offer itself as a European partner. “Any [new] relationship has to give us something we don’t have”, said a spokeswoman. The company is also investigating terrestrial broadband services.

NSAB, operator of the three Sirius satellites (Sirius 1 is merely a reserve), has not yet booked all the capacity on its latest bird, says Per Zetterqvist, satcoms director with Swedish Space Corp, which holds 37.5 per cent of NSAB. He acknowledged that the partnership had engaged Donaldson, Lufkin and Jeanrette to “help us find a strategic partner; this could be from the financial or media sectors, but an existing satellite operator is not excluded”. NSAB wants to spread its wings both geographically and in terms of new services, but sounds lukewarm on the possibility of two-way Ka-band services.

GE Americom, which shares Sirius capacity with NSAB under the part-satellite name of GE-1E, refuses to release its current capacity and service data via its US office; no one else will talk. While saying that at present “there are no plans for a follow-on satellite”, it hints that some announcement might be expected in Q3 of this year. Since its share of the satellite(s) is American-owned, FCC approval is needed for any new acquisitions.

On the periphery of Europe, Spacecom, the Israeli operator of the Amos spacecraft, appears to have abandoned its plans to share in the procurement of a second ‘Magyarsat’ satellite to cover the Central European market. The existing Amos-1 should remain working in orbit until 2008, says Spacecom’s Jacob Keret. It still has two transponders supplying the Central European beam with analogue programming, but generally this is not seen as a promising market any longer. Digital programming for the Middle East is now seen as a much more promising market area and is set for a major upgrade, but probably not until 2002. By then, operator Spacecom hopes to launch a new Amos-2 satellite, but Keret admits that it has not yet been ordered nor its manufacturer selected. Plans are for it to be co-located at the present 4 degrees E slot, where it will serve more as a successor to Amos-1 than a complement to it. In addition to the two present Mid-East and Central Europe beams, Amos -2 will have a spotbeam able to pick up material from the North East United States .

The Spacecom website suggests that CBN programming for Lebanon is currently being transmitted under the label Middle East TV, in addition to five Israeli programmes.

Eurasiasat, the Franco-Turkish partnership originally between Turk Telekom and Aerospatiale (following the sale of the latter’s satellite-manufacturing assets to Alcatel, its shares are now held by Alcatel Spacecom) is now expecting the launch of its first satellite in mid-August this year. The formal name for the 3.4-tonne Spacebus 3000B3 craft will be Turksat-2A, says Monte Carlo-based CEO Ilhami Aygun.

At present, half the satellite’s capacity has been taken by two large Turkish media/communications groups, and a total of 51 sets of negotiations are in progress for the 32- transponder payload. Of these, 60 per cent are Turkish-based, says Aygun.

He adds that up to 30 per cent of the satellite’s capacity will be devoted to Internet/IP material. The Internet is making big strides throughout the coverage area – which extends well into Central Asia; within Turkey itself, Internet access is already 10 per cent and growing. Plans are already being developed for another Turksat-2 satellite, to be co-located with Turksat-2A at 42 degrees East. There is no intention of inviting any new shareholders to come aboard, says Aygun. He does not foresee ant troublesome competition developing with Eutelsat: European coverage is not considered all that important for Eurasiasat.