(Oslo December 15, 2009) Telenor Satellite Broadcasting AS (TSBc) today announced that THOR 6 has completed all necessary in orbit and ground related testing for the THOR 6 spacecraft and will commence commercial service in late December.
Following the hand over from the manufacturer, Telenor Satellite Broadcasting has taken formal ownership of THOR 6 and will now control the satellite from its in-house space control centre, located in Oslo, Norway.
Fitted with 36 Ku transponders, THOR 6 will provide high power direct-to-home (DTH) television broadcasting services from the orbital location, 1 degree west. The new satellite is equipped with 16 transponders providing coverage of the Nordic countries offering direct replacement capacity for services currently residing on Thor III, as well as essential expansion capacity to support organic growth requirements. Transition of traffic from Thor III to THOR 6 will start as soon as possible with completion expected early Q2, 2010.
A further 20 transponders will be positioned to serve the growing broadcasting demands within Central and Eastern Europe and build on the success of 1 degree west in the region.
“With THOR 6 now ready to commence service, Telenor Satellite Broadcasting has effectively doubled its capacity availability from 1 degree west, one of the fastest growing orbital locations in Central and Eastern Europe, said Cato Halsaa, Vice President and CEO of Telenor Satellite Broadcasting AS. “ The capacity is essential for continued delivery of quality broadcasting services and expansion in the Nordic countries and throughout Europe, specifically Central and Eastern Europe.”
About 1 degree west
The 1 degree west orbital location, operated by Telenor Satellite Broadcasting and Intelsat, offers one of the fastest growing platforms for video distribution serving more than 15 million TV households in the Nordic region and throughout Central and Eastern Europe.