[Satellite News 09-12-11] Spacecom will return from the 2011 IBC convention in Amsterdam with a longer Eastern Europe customer list for capacity on its Amos satellite fleet. The operator signed a long-term contract with Hungary’s Magyar Telekom Sept. 12 to supply its DTH service, branded T-Home SatTV, with more bandwidth via the Amos satellite fleet at the 4 degrees West orbital position.

   The agreement is worth up to $7 million, bringing T-Home SatTV’s 2011 total potential Amos expansion contract value to nearly $14 million. The additional Amos bandwidth aims to allow the Hungarian DTH provider to expand the number of channels it broadcasts and create new bouquets to increase its customer base.

   Magyar Telekom currently has over 260,000 T-Home SatTV subscribers, which accounts for approximately 30 percent of the local audience, according to Hungary’s National Media and Info-communications Authority.

   “Signing a new long-term agreement with Magyar Telekom is a strong vote of confidence in the Amos brand in Hungary and across Central and Eastern Europe. Hungary is a strong and important market for Amos and as the market continues to expand, we will be there, providing our powerful solutions,” said Spacecom Vice President of Sales Eyal Altshuler.

   Spacecom also leased capacity to Croatia’s KLasik TV for video distribution on the Amos fleet. Spacecom said it is working with the Croatian government-owned OiV Transmitters and Communications center to bring the new channel to Croatia and the rest of the Balkan region. KLasik TV is a privately owned channel broadcasting 24 hours daily featuring programming for the cable and direct-to-home (DTH) markets. Its entertainment line-up includes local productions such as movies, documentaries, cartoons and television series from the past five decades.

   “The Amos satellites are enabling KLasik TV to reach new audiences in Croatia and the other countries of former Yugoslavia and removing the obstacles of bringing our classic programming to viewers around the region. AMOS’ superior signal strength and neighborhood are advantages as we begin to penetrate the market,” KLasik TV CEO Maja Jelisic Cooper said in a statement.

   The Amos communications satellite will receive a boost when it launches its new Amos 5 satellite, which is currently under construction by prime contractor ISS Reshetnev and scheduled for delivery by the end of the 2011 third quarter. ISS Reshetnev recently notified Spacecom that it repaired a flaw that was discovered on the Amos 5 satellite during its construction. Spacecom said the repair would allow the satellite to be launched on schedule in December.

   Spacecom initially announced in July that a fault in one of the units of the Amos 5 satellite would cause a delay in the timetable for the satellite’s launch. That announcement followed its expansion of an existing Amos 5 contract it signed in June with an African Internet solutions provider. Amos-5 will provide additional satellite communications services for the African customer for a period of five years. Spacecom said the expanded contract is now worth $12.5 million.