Loral Skynet do Brasil, a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications, today announced that it has signed a contract with Chile's Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones S.A. (ENTEL), the country's second largest telecommunications company, to provide nationwide fixed satellite communications services aboard Loral Skynet's Estrela do Sul 1/Telstar 14 satellite.
"We are very happy to be selected by ENTEL to provide essential satellite-based telecommunications services. ENTEL joins many other Latin American telecommunications service providers and major international corporations on the Estrela do Sul 1/Telstar 14 satellite, which encompasses the entire Southern Cone of Latin America and reaches to portions of Antarctica" - Patrick Brant, president of Loral Skynet.
ENTEL will lease one full Ku-band transponder, which will provide comprehensive coverage throughout Chile. The contract was awarded as part of an open and competitive RFP process by ENTEL.
"This agreement with Loral Skynet-Brazil enables ENTEL to provide high quality satellite-based telecommunications services throughout Chile, even our country's most remote and difficult-to-reach areas. Loral Skynet's robust satellite coverage, its engineering team and customer service capabilities were key deciding factors in the competitive evaluation" - Ricardo Buchi, CEO of ENTEL.
Strategically located at 63 degrees West longitude, the Estrela do Sul 1/Telstar 14 satellite reaches all parts of the 1,800-mile-long South American nation, including the city of Arica in the far north, the previously hard-to-reach cities of Puerto Montt and Coihaique, and Punta Arenas in the south, which is one of the southernmost cities in the world. ENTEL plans to use the satellite capability to provide video distribution, Internet access and data transmission services to broadcasters, financial institutions and businesses throughout the country. Additional Loral Skynet satellite assets available to the South American region enable the company to offer coverage options in both C- and Ku-band.
Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones S.A. is the largest listed Telecommunication Company in Chile, providing mobile, data, Internet, local telephony, long distance and integration services. The company also has operations in Peru. Entel is listed on the Chilean Stock Exchange (Bolsa de Comercio de Santiago) under the ticker symbol ENTEL and its headquarters are based in Santiago, Chile.
