Loral Skynet do Brasil announced Monday it has signed a contract with ENTEL Chile, the country's second largest telecommunications company, to provide nationwide fixed communications services aboard Loral Skynet's Estrela do Sul 1 and Telstar 14 satellite.
ENTEL will lease one full Ku-band transponder, which will provide comprehensive coverage throughout Chile. The contract was awarded as part of an open and competitive RFP process by ENTEL.
Located at 63 degrees west longitude, Estrela do Sul 1/Telstar 14 reaches all parts of the 1,800-mile-long South American nation, including the city of Arica in the far north, the previously hard-to-reach cities of Puerto Montt and Coihaique, and Punta Arenas in the south, which is one of the southernmost cities in the world.
ENTEL plans to use the satellite capability to provide video distribution, Internet access and data transmission services to broadcasters, financial institutions and businesses throughout the country.
Additional Loral Skynet satellite assets available to the South American region enable the company to offer coverage options in both C- and Ku-band.
"ENTEL joins many other Latin American telecommunications service providers and major international corporations on the Estrela do Sul 1/Telstar 14 satellite, which encompasses the entire Southern Cone of Latin America and reaches to portions of Antarctica," said Patrick Brant, president of Loral Skynet.
"Loral Skynet's robust satellite coverage, its engineering team and customer service capabilities were key deciding factors in the competitive evaluation," said Ricardo Buchi, chief executive officer of ENTEL.
