Last October I reported the SES/Eutelsat Orbital Slot Battle Escalates over the orbital slot at 28.5 degrees east longitude. Eutelsat's Eurobird-1/Eutelsat 28A satellite is operating at the 28.5 degree EL slot under a 1999 agreement with Deutsche Telekom, AKG. Deutsche Telekom transferred its satellite activity to Media Broadcast, which reached an agreement to allow SES to use that orbital location.
A February 28 Statement from Eutelsat regarding a German filing at 28.5 degrees EL said Eutelsat and Deutsche Telekom AG “have reached a final settlement to the dispute regarding the duration of Eutelsat's right to use a German filing at the 28.5 degree East orbital position, without prejudice to the parties' respective positions concerning the subject of the dispute.”
The arbitration proceedings initiated in 2011 before the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce will be terminated. The statement said the exact terms of the settlement will remain confidential.
An article on DigitalTVEurope.net, Eutelsat reaches settlement on disputed 28.5° East slot said “According to Eutelsat, a deal between SES and broadcast services provider Media Broadcast, which was owned by Deutsche Telekom until sold to TDF in 2008, for the use of additional spectrum violated SES’s agreement with Eutelsat on the use of the frequencies.”
Website Rob's Satellite TV has updated overage on the status of the SES Astra 2E replacement satellite for 28.2 degree EL and the dispute between SES and Eutelsat. The Website said that the satellite will not be launched until early/mid June, 2013 and will not be “officially” operational at 28.2 degrees east until August 2013.” That news, released after Eutelsat's announcement of the agreement, would appear to indicate SES still intends to operate from that location.
