MOSCOW. May 12 (Interfax-AVN) - The Space Communications federal state unitary enterprise and Eutelsat have agreed to build a new telecom satellite, which will add to the Space Communications orbiting cluster in 2015, an Interfax-AVN correspondent reported from the SvyazExpoComm 2011 show at which the agreement was signed.
Space Communications General Director Yuri Prokhorov and Eutelsat General Director Michel de Rosen signed the agreement in the attendance of Russian Communications and Mass Media Minister Igor Shchyogolev.
"The new satellite will create additional possibilities for broadcasting in European Russia and the orbiting reserve. Space Communications gives much attention to the strengthening of the strategic partnership with the leading satellite communications operator in Europe," Prokhorov said.
The agreement says that the satellite will be put into orbit in 2015 for optimizing the capacity of Russian communication satellites and to present broadcasting and multimedia services to users in European Russia, up to the Urals. It will also cover the African continent south of the Sahara.
Eutelsat will fund the project, and the satellite will be launched within the Russian federal space program. Space Communications will control the satellite from its Dubna center.