Rendition of ABS-2A satellite. Photo: Boeing.

At a ceremony attended by Mongolian Prime Minister Erdenebat Jargaltulga and Parliament Chairman Enkhbold Miyegombo on April 19, Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS) announced it will co-brand its 12 by 27 MHz payload on the ABS 2A satellite as Mongolsat 1. ABS Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tom Choi presented a plaque to the two Mongolian leaders in honor of the event.

MongolSat 1 represents the country’s first co-branded satellite payload, and ABS will use its capacity exclusively for launching a free nationwide digital satellite TV service, telecommunications and broadband services. The new services will be available throughout the entirety of Mongolia.

Boeing manufactured the ABS 2A satellite, which entered into commercial service on January 21 and is equipped with 48 Ku-band transponders. It is the third and final satellite in ABS’ latest build investment, after ABS 2 launched in 2014 and ABS 3A launched in 2015. According to the company, ABS 2A is located at 75 degrees east and is optimized for video services for growing cable TV and Direct-to-Home (DTH) businesses.