Artist’s rendition of Optus D3 satellite. Photo: Optus

[Via Satellite 10-28-2014] Foxtel has entered a new five-year agreement with Australia-based Optus Satellite for capacity on the Optus D3 satellite. The company will broadcast nine new High Definition (HD) channels, accessible by customers with an IQ2 or MyStarHD Set Top Box (STB) service and an HD subscription.

Optus D3 is the only satellite in the company’s fleet fully dedicated to Broadcast Satellite Services (BSS). The newest satellite, Optus 10, carries a BSS and Fixed Satellite Services (FSS) payload. Optus 10 was launched in September and completed in-orbit testing this month.

Foxtel has been an Optus customer for more than 15 years. The new agreement ups the number of Foxtel HD channels to 36, with new content in areas such as sports, news and history.