[Satellite TODAY 01-18-13] Spacecom, operator of the AMOS satellite fleet, has been selected to provide broadcast capacity for the 29th Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to be held in South Africa from Jan. 19 through Feb. 10, 2013, the company announced.

    The AMOS-5 satellite at 17 degrees East will be used to transmit every game of the AFCON from all five South African stadiums in high-definition (HD) via its pan-African C-band. Since beginning operations a year ago, the AMOS-5 has transmitted both the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games from London to Africa, and the recent South African Super Rugby Games. It provides HD transmission of sporting events on both ad hoc and occasional use bases.

    "Sports entertainment is spectacularly popular and a growing sector in the broadcast field, especially in South Africa. Spacecom is excited to have AMOS-5 at 17°E bring its high-quality HD transmission to all of Africa," Eyal Copitt, Spacecom’s senior vice president of sales for Africa and Asia said in a statement.

    AMOS-5 serves Africa with a high power pan-African C-band and three Ku-band beams that together cover the entire continent with connectivity to Europe and the Middle East.