SCARSDALE, NY – American satellite operator Hunter Communications has launched in Canada with an aim to provide coverage – and competition – in Canada’s north.
Hunter said that it is selling satellite space segment now on its hosted payload, first using the Satmex 5 satellite that will then be supplemented with additional capacity on Satmex 7 in approximately two years. The Satmex 5 satellite has been positioned to serve all of North America, with an emphasis on northern Canada, and the company said Satmex 7 will have an even more tailored coverage of northern Canada. With an orbital position of 114.9 WL, the footprints of the two satellites cover the entire Canadian land mass.
President Brent Perrott said that the company welcomes Industry Canada’s decision to “create a more level playing field for satellite services between foreign and Canadian satellite operators”.
“As satellite markets and service providers have become increasingly international, it is important that Canadian national licensees have a level playing field with all other operators”, Perrott said in the news release. “Hunter fully supports the new framework that reduces these burdens on Canadian satellite operators, as well as opening any remaining barriers to NAFTA and other foreign-flagged operators.”
