Etisalat to beam TV channels to Abu Dhabi-owned satellite



Etisalat will be able to beam high-definition TV signals to an Abu Dhabi-owned satellite under a deal signed with YahLive.

The UAE telecommunications firm will establish uplink services to the Yahsat Y1A satellite, which blasted into orbit last April.

Mohamed Youssif, the chief executive of the UAE satellite-broadcasting company YahLive, said Etisalat will be able to beam high-definition (HD) signals to the satellite on behalf of national TV broadcasters in the UAE and, potentially, those based elsewhere in the region.

"The national channels in HD are the key attracting element to our satellite, so it was extremely important that we could offer an uplink service to those," said Mr Youssif.

The deal follows a similar partnership, announced in November, under which Etisalat's rival du will also provide uplink services to the Y1A satellite.

YahLive's satellite-TV signals can be picked up in more than two dozen countries in the Middle East, North Africa, South West Asia and Europe.

It has recently signed deals to start carrying channels owned by regional broadcasters including MBC, Dubai Media Incorporated and the Abu Dhabi TV Network. Abu Dhabi TV is part of Abu Dhabi Media, which also owns and publishes The National.

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