Gulfsat, Palsat renew TV broadcast cooperation pact
Agreement reaffirms its vital role in TV broadcast domain
Gulfsat Communications Co (Gulfsat), a leading specialist in providing telecommunications services, TV broadcast and satellite rebroadcast company, announced the renewal of the cooperation agreement for a two-year term with Palsat, a subsidiary of the Palestinian TV & Radio Broadcasting Corporation in charge of the Palestinian TV cable channels. This step comes within the framework of renewing trust and partnership between the two sides, which began two years ago. It is also reaffirms the essential role played by Gulfsat as the thirdlargest satellite operator and the leading specialized provider of broadcasting and re-broadcasting services in the region.
The agreement was signed by Public Authority for Radio and Television General Supervisor and Palsat’s Acting Board Chairman, Ahmed Assaf, and Gulfsat Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mohammed AlHaj. The ceremony was attended by top executives from both sides.
New confidence in Gulfsat
After signing the agreement, Ahmed Assaf said: “We are delighted to announce this renewed cooperation, which began two years ago Palsat, owned by the General Authority for Radio & TV, and Gulfsat.” Assaf pointed out that the agreement and cooperation renewal between the two sides serves as a confirmation of the Palestinian National Authority institutions’ confidence in Gulfsat and the quality of its services. This has enabled Palsat to annex most of the Palestinian satellite channels, provide TV cable services to 11 Palestinian channels, in addition to a group of radio stations via a uniform frequency for the Palestinian bouquet (Palsat). Assaf added that the renewed agreement, designed to enhance cooperation, represents a future outlook and convenient opportunity to examine the latest services offered by Gulfsat. This includes the secured communications services that featured an unprecedented interest in the past few years, and can be used between the Palestinian Authority’s institutions and embassies of the Palestine State abroad. Mr. Assaf praised the advanced infrastructure owned by Gulfsat, and the wide broadcasting package services and communications offered across the region and worldwide, which will open great prospects of cooperation between the two sides in the future.
Strategic partnership
On his part, Gulfsat Chairman and CEO, Mohammed Al-Haj said: “The agreement referred to, which came into effect two years ago in favor of Palsat, aimed to provide a specialized bouquet in all Palestinian TV channels, both of the government and the private sectors.” Al-Haj outlined some technical and functional advantages related to this package provided by Gulfsat, including free jamming, as well as media content transmission over fiberoptics from Ramallah to the assembly plant (Aggregation Point) of Gulfsat, based in London, then to Rambouillet station in Paris in order to rebroadcast to the Middle East and North Africa, over an orbit course of 7 and 8 degrees neighboring to the Nilesat.
Al-Haj added that the agreement renewal is of great importance, reaffirming the strategic partnership that links Gulfsat to the Palestinian National Authority and its affiliates in both public and private sectors. It opens a wider range of possibilities in providing other parallel services added to the satellite broadcast and media, including secured communications services, while supporting the company’s operational activities and enhancing future revenues at the same time.
Keeping abreast of latest services
The signing of the agreement represented an opportunity for Gulfsat to shed light on its strategy, aimed at providing the latest technology and services, which enjoy a high level of safety. In this context, Gulfsat Chairman Mohammed Al-Haj pointed out that the secured communications maintain great importance and interest to the company. He noted that Gulfsat had already launched services in this field four years ago, aiming to provide the highest levels of protection both for the provider and the viewer in facing deliberate obfuscation, explaining that such services have opened the door to several TV organizations to cooperate with Gulfsat and take advantage of packages with safe capacities.
Al-Haj added that the company is keen to keep up with the field’s latest communications and satellite broadcasting services, in line with qualitative developments promoted in this area. This has recently been translated through launching a Cloud Content Delivery Service for TV broadcast (CloudBro) based on providing TV broadcasting channel services relying on Gulfsat’s advanced infrastructure, and provided by the Cloud Content Delivery Service.
With regard to the geographic trends that the management focuses on, Al-Haj explained that Gulfsat is currently concentrating on promoting services in North Africa and African countries in general, given the fact that these markets offer great opportunities of growth with regard to TV broadcasting services. He stressed the importance of the central role played by the company, through its five broadcast stations where the main station is located in Umm Al-Haiman (Kuwait), and the others in Cyprus, Slovenia and New York, in addition to their centre stations in London, not to mention cooperation with more than 37 countries around the world and being the third largest satellite operator in the region.
In addition to Ahmed Assaf, the meeting was attended on the Palestinian side, by Ambassador Rami Tahboub, Palsat ViceChairman Mazen Hamarsheh, Palsat Board Member Mahmoud Salama, Ahmed Al-Sabah, Khaled Sukar and Ahmed Barahmeh. Representing Gulfsat was the Chairman and CEO Mohammed Al-Haj, Commercial and Sales Director Dr Reyad Doughlas, Alaa AlBanna, Rabih Salim, Sabah Al-Sultan and Antoine Bechara.
At the end of the ceremony, the two sides exchanged commemorative plaques to mark the occasion.