OTTAWA – Last week, Industry Canada announced that three companies had submitted a total of 29 applications for new satellite orbital positions across several frequencies to serve Canadians.
Telesat and Canadian Satellite Radio (operators of XM Canada) submitted 10 each while Ciel Satellite submitted nine.
The government ministry called for the applications this summer and will announce its decision in the spring of 2007.
Applicants who are awarded licenses will have the opportunity to build and launch satellites to bring new spectrum into use for DTH, high definition and broadband services.
The Government of Canada has been highly supportive of a dynamic and competitive marketplace for satellite services, said a press release from Ciel, which already has an orbital position at 129 degrees W and has since commissioned Alcatel Alenia Space to build Ciel-2, a Spacebus 4000 C4, the largest Spacebus class satellite ever built, says the company.
The Ciel-2 satellite is scheduled to launch in late 2008 and to operate for at least 15 years. With Ciel’s initial investment and with awards from the current Call, the company will be positioned to contribute significantly to a more innovative and competitive industry for Canada, which has seen Telesat dominate the market for years.
"This is a key event in Ciel’s history and, at the same time, a defining moment in the history of Canadian telecommunications," said David Lewis, president and CEO of Ciel, in a press release.
Ciel intends to take competition in the market to a new level, offering wholesale satellite capacity to broadcasters, direct-to-home programmers, telecommunications service providers, enterprise networks, educational and distance learning networks, as well as consumers, cultural and community organizations seeking broadband connections.
Ciel is a Canadian-owned and controlled organization that is supported by a combination of partners, including BPC Telecommunications Corp, a company controlled by Borealis Infrastructure which is part of the OMERS Pension Plan’s group of companies; Canadian satellite pioneer Brian Neill; and SES AMERICOM, an SES GLOBAL Company (Luxembourg and Paris Stock Exchanges: SESG), a global leader in the satellite industry.
