The conclusion is of companies representatives operators of satellite who act in the region and who took part in Rio de Janeiro in VII Latin-American Congress of Satellites 2007.

"The perspectives are very positive. The moment is very healthy both for operators and for the clients. That's why the fact was that we decide to invest in a new satellite that will double our capacity", said Rubén Levcopvitz, sales manager of Hispamar Satélites, operator in whom the Spaniard Hispasat has a participation of 80,9 %.

The increase of the use of the connections for optical fibre, both terrestrial and marine, and the emergence of new technologies they provoked a fall in the satellites demand in Latin America between 2000 and 2005, according to analysts who took part in the seminar.

During this idle capacity period, the operators were forced to reduce the prices of his services, what made unviable the throwing of new satellites directed to the region.

But the sector began to react in 2006, when the market increased in close to 8 % only in Brazil, and for this year a new growth is foreseen.

The demand re-arose with the beginning of activities of new operators of television for subscription (DTH) and even of open television (HDTV), as well as of the projects of several countries for universalizar the access to Internet for wide band in isolated regions.

Both Hispasat and Star One, Brazilian operator controlled by the Mexican Telmex, foresee the throwing of new satellites in the next months to meet the regional demand.

"From 2000 we had not done throwings, but in next September we will throw the C1 and in February the C2", affirmed Gustavo Silbert, representative of Star One.

The first one will meet the demand especially in the Mercosur and the second one in Brazil, Mexico and Central America, Silbert explained.

Levcovitz for his part, said that Hispasat foresees for 2009 the throwing of the satellite the Amazon 2, which will join to the Amazon 1 and will duplicate the spatial capacity of the company in the whole America.

In addition to these regional operators and of the big ones on a global scale, some Latin-American countries also have plans to throw satellites that serve to his needs.


(Agencies, 21/09/07)