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In the video distribution market, Hispasat renewed practically the entirety of the contracts that ended in 2022 and managed to add additional channels for distribution platforms in the 30º West position with coverage in Europe and in America. Furthermore, the company reinforced the Group’s offering in this segment by marketing turnkey distribution service aimed at European broadcasters and channels through the operation managed by Hispasat in the Lurín teleport (Peru).
In the maritime mobility sector, the demand for connectivity on board cruise ships allowed Hispasat to lease a large part of its capacity over the Mediterranean to some of the main global service providers for this type of business, as well as capacity in the Caribbean to European providers.
In the security and emergency market the capacity leasing agreements were renewed for global connectivity services.
In Spain and Portugal, Hispasat continued to work on providing a wholesale satellite internet service that allows retail operators to provide every home and business, no matter where they are located, internet access with speeds of up to 100 Mbps, thus contributing to the European strategy to bridge the digital divide in 2025. As part of this initiative launched in 2021, Hispasat has signed wholesale contracts with 11 retail operators and this service now boasts thousands of users.
Lastly, Hispasat has started a new business line focused on teleport services (housing of platforms, uplink services, etc), which constitutes a new line of activity for the company. In 2022, the company reached the first agreements that will use the teleports in Arganda del Rey (Madrid) and Maspalomas (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria).
Central and North America
In the United States, Hispasat signed an important agreement to extend the leasing of the capacity on the new Amazonas Nexus satellite with Intelsat, a leading company in the aerial mobility market. Additionally, Hispasat sealed multiyear agreements for teleport services in the Amazonas Nexus gateways.
Hispasat signed several agreements with American integrators and global service providers based in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.
In Mexico, the company continued to roll out satellite backhaul projects for rural LTE radio base stations through a turnkey service model, in which the company has positioned itself as a benchmark provider. Rural Wi-Fi projects were also completely implemented. These projects were promoted by the government with Hispasat participating by providing connectivity to some of the integrators who were awarded the contract.
The company continued to promote marketing managed connectivity in the Ka band of the Amazonas 5 satellite for the business market in Mexico with both the renewal and expansion of existing agreements and also entering into new contracts.
Lastly, in 2022 the company continued to provide services to the pilot digital classroom projects implemented in Honduras and Panama.
South America
In 2022, Hispasat sealed the multiyear renewal of contracts for managed DTH services with all its clients in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
Furthermore, the company formalised several new channel distribution contracts, some of which with a complete service that includes not only spacial capacity, but also the uplink service from Hispasat’s teleport in Lurín (Peru).
In the mobility segment, Hispasat closed new agreements in Brazil using the capacity of the H36W-1 satellite, whose occupancy has experienced rapid growth. The provision of real time monitoring services for car and truck fleets was also renewed with a Brazilian operator.
Hispasat continued to develop connectivity projects for rural schools together with some of the leading telecommunications operators in the region. In Brazil, more than 1,500 connected schools have been set up, out of a total of 2,778 schools included in the agreement. In Colombia the company has provided connectivity to nearly 400 schools with the help of the country’s leading telecommunications operator in the framework of the “Digital Centres” project sponsored by the Ministry of Information and Communications Technologies. In Chile, Hispasat has also connected more than 400 schools, while collaborating with another leading operator in the region. All these cases have used capacity in the Ka band of the Amazonas 5 satellite.
Furthermore, the company rolled out pilot remote education and telemedicine projects as part of an agreement with the government of Ecuador at the end of 2021, which have been continuously monitored by the country’s administration.
As happened in the EMEA, in 2022 the first agreements were also sealed to provide teleport services by means of the Group’s facilities in Lurín (Peru) and Río de Janeiro (Brazil).
Lastly, the company has started to activate new networks of Axess Networks in South America and to migrate some of the existing networks to the capacities of Hispasat’s fleet, thus capitalising on synergies after the acquisition of this operator.
Ongoing satellite programmes
Hispasat has continued with the manufacturing of its new satellite, the Amazonas Nexus, the most efficient and flexible satellite in its fleet, due to its advanced design, its HTS (High Throughput Satellite) capacity and its versatility.
The Amazonas Nexus represents a technological advance that reinforces Hispasat’s position at the forefront of the satellite industry. Manufactured based on the Spacebus NEO platform by Thales Alenia Space, the Amazonas Nexus boasts a latest generation digital transparent processor (DTP), which makes it possible to establish one-hop communications throughout its area of coverage and provides maximum flexibility to adapt to changes in the demand for services throughout its more than 15 years of useful life.
Due to its multipoint architecture, the Amazonas Nexus can reuse the broadcast frequency and, therefore, increase its throughput in orbit. Furthermore, this satellite boasts electrical propulsion. As a result, the satellite is lighter (4.1 tonnes of mass at launch) and reduces the cost of putting it into orbit, although due to the propulsion system, its arrival into geostationary orbit is expected to be delayed until July 2023. After performing the latest trials in orbit, the satellite will be placed in its definitive position in 61º West and as of that moment it will enter into service.
The Amazonas Nexus has been manufactured at the facilities of Thales Alenia Space in Cannes (France) and features notable participation from the Spanish aerospace industry, through companies such as Thales Alenia Space Spain, Sener, GMV and Aicox, among others.
Economic feasibility
The Amazonas Nexus project has been carried out with an investment of approximately 300 million euros, which the company will start to recoup starting from its entry into service. Prior to its launch, Hispasat reached several business agreements for the long-term leasing of 60% of the capacity of the Amazonas Nexus with operators and service providers in the governmental field, as well as in the sphere of connectivity for the aviation sector and in remote environments.
On board the Nexus is the Greensat payload for Tusass, the national communications company of Greenland. This way it will provide internet access services in all the cities and remote towns in the north and east of Greenland which today rely on this satellite service, as well as corporate solutions for mining companies and support services to restore communications services in the case of emergency.
This new satellite also includes for Artel the Pathfinder 2 mission of the United States Space Force. This mission includes rigorous protection levels that comply with the high security levels required by the Department of Defense. For greater assurance, the Amazonas Nexus is also equipped with the advanced CNSSP-12 encryption system for telemetry and telecontrol, making it more secure and suitable for critical missions.
Additionally, Hispasat will provide Intelsat various gigahertz of capacity in the Ku band on board the Amazonas Nexus to provide aerial connectivity services in America and over the north Atlantic corridor.
Innovation
- IRIS2: The new space programme of the European Commission, IRIS2, was defined in 2022. The project is oriented at deploying dedicated infrastructure in order to provide secure institutional communications and to bridge the digital divide in member countries. Hispasat is the only Spanish company that has worked on defining this system through a study commissioned by the Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DEFIS), which finished in mid 2022. After this study, the company started working with the leading players in the sector to participate in the concessions processes that may be implemented in connection with this new programme.
- GOVSATCOM HUB: As part of the IRIS2 global architecture, a pool and share system will be developed which will act to orchestrate between user needs and existing satellite capacities in Europe for governmental services. Hispasat is working on defining this system as part of a European consortium. In parallel, as part of the preparation activities, the company is participating in a project sponsored by the ESA (European Space Agency) dedicated to defining the necessary interfaces with the existing capacities.
- 5G continues to be one of the pillars of innovative activities in Hispasat. In the development of the new 5G infrastructure, satellites are called upon to play a vital role as a complement and accelerator in the roll out of terrestrial networks. Therefore, Hispasat is working to ensure satellite integration, both at the standardisation level (3GPP) as well as participating in projects in which integration pilot projects are conducted. In 2022, 3GPP published Release 17 which for the first time includes satellites as NTN (Non-Terrestrial Networks). The company continued with the construction of the 5GMED project to deploy services on a mixed 5G network (terrestrial-satellite) in the Mediterranean transport corridor and finalised the PN5G project of RED.es, focused on monitoring critical infrastructures with drones connected to 5G by satellite. Lastly, in 2022, the company worked on proposals for different innovation projects for 2023, of which it was awarded two within the European Commission’s framework. As a result, Hispasat will continue moving forward in the integration of the radio standard with satellites.
- Solutions for rural/remote environments: in 2022 the company worked on searching for and incorporating satellite connectivity-based solutions that make it possible to provide added value to rural and remote environments, such as the digitalisation of primary sectors and emergency solutions. The development of several pilot projects stand out along these lines which made it possible to validate the different solutions in real environments. Among these, the pilot project for the shelter at Artiga de Lin in Val d’Aran (Lleida) stands out, where emergency and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions have been developed to manage high mountain shelters and monitor accidents. The pilot project carried out with the Red Cross in Teide is also notable as it tests devices that monitor the conditions of workers through satellite technology. (Videos of the pilot projects)
- Open Innovation / Innovation Ecosystem: Hispasat participated in relevant innovation events, such as Start-up OLE and the Mobile World Congress, as well as in accelerator programmes that enable fast and flexible proof-of-concept testing. These activities include accelerating start-ups such as Tesselo, Pyro and Earth Pulse.
- Green Engine: In 2022, Hispasat became the technological partner for the Green Engine initiative, which aims to reforest natural spaces that have experienced forest fires in the past and create rights for carbon credits. Hispasat is participating in the initiative by providing innovative solutions, such as forest fire prevention, perimeter protection and monitoring and certification of carbon credits. These solutions are successfully being deployed in Las Hurdes (Cáceres). (Video)
- Cybersecurity: Communications security is an increasing in-demand and relevant value. The future of the encryption is based on quantum technology and satellites have a significant role in this field as satellites make it possible to distribute encryption keys over long distances. In 2022, Hispasat worked on the Caramuel project to define what would become the first quantum key distribution system through a geostationary satellite in the world.
- Lunar Communications: In upcoming years it is estimated that there will be an exponential increase in the number of commercial and governmental missions to the Moon. Hispasat is promoting the launch of Moonlight with other European partners. This ESA project aims to develop a communications system that makes it possible to provide coverage to all these missions.
Sustainability
In 2022, the company worked on Hispasat’s Strategic Sustainability Plan for 2023-2025, included within Redeia’s plan, which identifies the goals and actions to carry out the company’s activity in a sustainable fashion, thereby promoting ongoing improvement in the organisation and, at the same time, providing value to Redeia’s sustainability commitments for 2030. For that reason, in 2022 Hispasat performed a materiality analysis to know the priorities of its stakeholders, resulting in the following material subjects:
Within Redeia’s Sustainability Plan for 2023-2025, comprised of 14 lines of action, Hispasat has identified the ones in which the company contributes greater value, with the goal of ensuring responsible business management and moving forward in the Group’s sustainability objectives and priorities, thus providing a response to the main stakeholders’ main expectations and demands. These commitments take shape in four sustainability priorities to address the challenges that the organisation is facing and to realize the existing opportunities, in order to occupy a benchmark position in the global business context.
Value creation through
Hispasat’s activity and services
Driving the Spanish aerospace industry
Hispasat provides Spanish industry with access to international telecommunications satellite markets, includes components manufactured in Spain in all its missions and allows Spanish companies to validate their new satellite equipment by hosting them on its satellites. Furthermore, the company promotes an industrial return programme that commits its manufacturers to continue investing in Spanish technology in the years after each of its satellites has been built. This has generated over €1 billion in investment by the large international construction companies in Spain.
Broadcasting and promoting Spanish content distribution in Latin America
Hispasat took over the signal management and transport business from Media Networks Latin America. Thanks to this agreement, Hispasat strengthens its position as a benchmark operator in South America for services related to satellite television and this will help the company evolve from an infrastructure operator to a satellite services and solutions company.
Bridging the digital divide and access to the Information Society in areas with no connection
Hispasat satellite services make it possible to extend connectivity to rural or remote areas where terrestrial networks do not reach or do not achieve 21st century quality levels. This allows for greater economic and social development in those places that can now access the Internet to carry out any economic, educational or cultural activities thanks to a satellite connection.
Improvements in information and communication technologies (ICT) bring with them responses to key social challenges. However, their unequal distribution runs the risk that the people and communities that cannot access them will lag even further behind, thus creating a digital divide.
Hispasat manages a key technology regarding this issue. Satellites make it possible for Internet to reach anywhere on Earth, even those places where terrestrial networks do not reach. Accordingly, they have become a unique tool to bring the opportunities offered by ICTs anywhere in the world, reducing inequality and paving the way to social progress where infrastructure is lacking, making widespread, quality access to telecommunications services possible.
Hispasat aspires to make its satellite service available to everyone. To the extent permitted by its activity, the company seeks to contribute to universal access to ICTs. Moreover, Hispasat aims to support initiatives and causes targeting the creation of social value.
Last year, Hispasat carried out
the following projects:
Agreement with the Association of Local Telecommunications Operators (AOTEC) to promote 100 Mbps connectivity via satellite in the rural world
Hispasat will promote satellite connectivity services in rural areas and strengthen the digital economy of small- and medium-sized towns.
Agreement with the Mexican communications agency CFE TEIT
Hispasat was selected to promote information and communications technologies in rural Mexican towns. Thanks to this agreement, more than 60 communities located in remote areas of Mexico will feature a mobile phone and internet service, thanks to the extension via satellite of the rural LTE network promoted by CFE TEIT.
Agreement with GlobalSat to offer broadband satellite internet access in rural communities in Mexico
Hispasat has collaborated with this internet service provider in the roll out of satellite connectivity hotspots in 500 remote towns in Mexico, such as Durango, San Luis Potosí, Guerrero, Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas and Sinaloa
Agreement with Mobile World Capital, Conselh Generau d’Aran and Arantec to provide satellite connectivity in mountainous remote areas of the Val d’Aran (Spain)
This agreement also establishes promoting solutions focused on issues such as emergency and natural disaster management, tourism and wildlife control. This is the first step for the roll out of broadband satellite connectivity which will directly affect the provision of services such as livestock monitoring in the area, weather and avalanche monitoring, the management of tourist itineraries and actions by emergency services.
HISPASAT’s social action in projects
to help the community
Collaboration with the Panamanian government
Hispasat developed a pilot project for remote education that has been implemented in the Plan de Chorcha Educational Centre, located in Ngäbe-Buglé (Panama), one of the country’s most mountainous regions. Hispasat is providing this school with an internet service via satellite that includes a remote education system that makes it possible to send and locally store educational content provided by the Ministry of Education. Hispasat has also enabled a Wi-Fi connectivity service for the community.
Agreement with Open Arms
Hispasat is providing satellite communications free of charge to the ships of the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Proactiva Open Arms. The satellite operator hands over managed space capacity so that the NGO’s boats, the Open Arms and the Astral, can have satellite Internet access when carrying out lifesaving work in the Mediterranean, helping people who are trying to reach Europe to escape war or hardships in their countries of origin. The service is provided via the satellites Hispasat 30W-5 and Hispasat 30W-6, located at 30° West, whose coverage over the Mediterranean is ideal for this type of scenario.
Agreement with the UN
Hispasat has had an agreement with the United Nations since 2015 to provide satellite capacity and terminals to restore communications in natural disasters and emergencies, thereby assisting in the rescue and reconstruction tasks carried out by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the United Nations agency in charge of coordinating humanitarian aid. The agreement, promoted by the EMEA Satellite Operator’s Association (ESOA) and Global VSAT Forum (GVF), guarantees that Hispasat and the other participating operators will provide full operational capacity by means of their satellite networks to the point of reception. The solution also includes ground equipment and reception terminals and the requisite training to those in charge of first intervention actions in natural disasters, so they are able to deploy the communication solutions successfully.
Fundación Estudiantes (Student Foundation):
Hispasat sponsors “EstuCamp”, the bilingual training camp for young wheelchair basketball players, and works with the foundation and the Madrid Spina Bifida Association to promote the EstuAMEB wheelchair basketball school. This school makes it possible for young disabled boys and girls to play basketball and encourages their integration and normalisation. It helps to develop their game and psychomotor abilities as well as their social and educational skills.
Food Bank
Hispasat participated in the Kilo Operation of the Food Bank collecting 1,416.6 kg
The environment
The environmental impact of Hispasat’s activities on the surroundings is limited. Its main assets – the satellites – are located in space, 36,786 km from Earth and basically work using solar energy. The satellites only use chemical fuels to reach their definitive orbital position from the transfer orbit (except in the case of satellites with fully electric propulsion) and, once there, to make manoeuvres to correct their position that are necessary to keep the satellites in place. Also, when the useful life of the satellite reaches its end, the company follows the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee recommendations for properly maintaining the geostationary orbit, it is sent to the “graveyard orbit”, located 300 km above the geostationary orbit.
Even so, Hispasat has implemented steps to improve its environmental performance and reduce its carbon footprint. During 2021, Hispasat worked on obtaining licences to install a photovoltaic plant at its Arganda del Rey (Madrid) satellite control centre. This is expected to provide 26% of the energy needed for the centre to operate. It will provide an annual output of around 782,000 kW and accumulated savings of 1.5 million euros throughout the plant’s life, along with an important reduction in the environmental impact generated by the company’s activity.
In this field we have to highlight the agreement with Repsol Foundation for the development of satellite technologies to monitor reforestation and CO2 offset efforts. Hispasat has signed a strategic partnership for the development of new technological solutions that will be applied to the Green Engine project by Repsol Foundation, the largest reforestation programme to offset emissions in Spain, which expects to reforest 70,000 hectares of land in the next 5-7 years while sequestering 16 million tonnes of CO₂.
Forums and associations
Spanish Secretariat of State for the Information Society and Digital Agenda
Hispasat collaborates bilaterally and by participating in preparatory multilateral meetings for international conferences and forums that affect the company.
Spanish National Telecommunications Agency (ANATEL)
In Brazil, the company participates in sessions of the Rapporteur group on Radiocommunications 2 – Satellite services (GRR2), organised by the Agency and the work related with rolling out new mobile services and how these affect satellites.
International Telecommunications Union (ITU)
Hispasat took part in the ITU Council, the highest body of the organisation, as a guest of the Spanish government and as a member of the radiocommunications sector and a satellite operator governed by Spanish law, and in working groups organised by the body.
Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL)
Hispasat participates in the Radiocommunications Committee (including radio broadcasting) PCC-II.
European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT)
Hispasat participates in the Electronic Communications Committee (ECC) and in the Conference Preparatory Group (CPG) as well as its working groups.
Inter-American Association of Telecommunication (ASIET)
As an associate member of the Council, Hispasat participates primarily in the General Assembly, the Governing Board, Regulatory Commission and operators’ meetings.
EMEA Satellite Operators Association (ESOA)
The company collaborates in Council activities and in the association’s working groups, as well as at meetings with the European Commission.
National Union of Satellite Communication Companies of Brazil (SINDISAT)
Through Hispamar, Hispasat actively participates in the working groups that establish joint commentary on ANATEL’s public consultations, among other activities.
Brazilian Association of Satellite Companies (ABRASAT)
Hispamar is part of the Association’s management and participates in its activities.
Global VSAT Forum (GVF)
This forum comprises the main members of the satellite communications industry.
Madrid Aerospace Cluster
Hispasat is a partner of this cluster, which features more than 50 innovative companies in the sector.
European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI)
Hispasat attends the meetings of this institute, which is responsible for drawing up global standards related to information and communication technology.
Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB)
The company participates in order to promote internationally accepted TV standards.
Space Data Association
Hispasat is a member of this association that controls the safety and integrity of the space environment and the radio frequency spectrum.
Spanish Defence, Aeronautical and Space Association (TEDAE)
Hispasat is an association member and forms part of the Space Commission.
UHD ALLIANCE
Hispasat participates in the Association’s activities.
Official School of Telecommunications Engineers (COIT)
Hispasat participated in the awards ceremony for young engineers that the Official School of Telecommunications Engineers gives to the best doctoral and bachelor’s theses, while also sponsoring two of the awards.
AMETIC
Hispasat is a member of the Electronic, information technologies, telecommunications and digital content companies Association.
National Federation of Telecommunications Facilities and Integrators (FENITEL)
Hispasat took part in the Assembly that the Federation organises on an annual basis.
Brazilian Telecommunications Association (TELEBRASIL)
Hispamar is a member of the association, which brings together operators and service providers in the communications and information industry to defend their rights and growth.
Spanish aerospace Technological Platform
Hispasat participates in the working groups and in the forums that the platform organises.
DigitalES
Hispasat is a member of DigitalES, an association that helps Spanish companies during the digital transformation process, thanks to the experience of the leading companies that offer these services.
CEAPI
Hispasat is a member of CEAPI, a business council made up of 140 CEOs of the largest Ibero-American companies that are committed to strengthening the network of relationships and the business space.
WOMEN IN AEROESPACE
HISPASAT joined the Women in Aerospace (WIA) association which is dedicated to improving the leadership skills and visibility of women in the aerospace community.
World Teleport Association
Hispasat is a member of the teleport association
POWER TO CODE
HISPASAT signed a collaboration agreement with this non-profit organisation which aims to provide greater access to STEM fields to young girls, teenagers and women in order to bridge the gender gap in these fields.
