VSAT broadband and mobility services are also covered by AsiaSat 9, which was launched by a Proton-M rocket on 28 September, and which takes over operations from AsiaSat 4.

“Our brand new AsiaSat 9 now carries the most powerful and widest C-band coverage and multiple dedicated Ku-band beams over key Asian markets at our prime orbital slot of 122 degrees East,” said Andrew Jordan, president and CEO of AsiaSat.

“We are extremely pleased that with AsiaSat 9’s innovative features and significant enhancements in power and coverage, we are making a positive step forward in providing more cost-efficient and higher quality services to our customers with even better entertainment, information and communication services across the region.”

The new satellite features what the Hong Kong-based satellite operator calls “significant upgrades” from the rest of its fleet. It offers Asia’s highest powered 110-watt C-band amplifiers, a dedicated filter design, star tracker and hall-effect thrusters that are said to generate higher efficiency, enhanced stability and reliability in network operations.

AsiaSat 9 also offers three new Ku-band Myanmar, Indonesia and Mongolia beams, while two Ku-band beams providing high downlink power up to 55dBW in Australia and East Asia. This, said AsiaSat, enables customers to use small antennas to roll out their networks more cost efficiently.