Hispasat

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Hispasat is a Spanish satellite communications company based in Madrid, founded in 1989. It operates a fleet of satellites that cover the Americas, Europe and North Africa from two orbital positions: 30.0° West and 61.0° West. The company provides services to both commercial and government customers, including corporate networks, advanced telecommunications, telephony and videoconferencing.

Its satellites broadcast more than 1,250 television channels and radio stations to over 30 million homes, and they also deliver broadband to mobile phones and landlines.

The first Hispasat satellite, Hispasat 1A, was launched on 11 September 1992 from Kourou, French Guiana, into geostationary orbit at 30° West. Amazonas satellites at 61° West began in 2004 to serve the Americas, with Amazonas 2 (2009), Amazonas 3 (2013, replacing Amazonas 1), Amazonas 4A (2014) and Amazonas 5 (2017).

Hispasat Group includes Hispasat S.A. and subsidiaries such as Hispasat Canarias, Hispamar Satellites (a joint venture with Brazilian operator Oi), Hispasat Brazil, and associated companies Galileo Systems and Services. Over the years, shareholding has involved SEPI, CDTI and Abertis, with changes in ownership leading to Red Eléctrica de España and, more recently, Indra Sistemas.

Hispasat participates in several research and development projects supported by the Spanish government and the European Union, including:
- IGNIS: improving telecommunications for forest-fire management.
- SATURNO: a project to distribute content via satellites using high-speed IP and existing home cabling.
- JEDI: researching 3D TV formats and technologies.
- PHIDIAS: developing a hybrid broadcast-broadband TV platform (HbbTV).
- INTOGENER: designing a system to measure mountain water flow to boost hydroelectric efficiency.

Key figures: about €200.3 million in revenue (2012) and around 176 employees.