Hispasat, one more year in the Vuelta Ciclista

Two state-of-the-art DSNG mobile units will travel 3,292 kilometers accompanying the peloton on the Spanish cycling tour.

Hispasat, the Spanish satellite communications operator, will provide, through its network, telecommunications services to the Vuelta Ciclista a España 2009, which will begin tomorrow in Assen (Holland) on August 29 and will end in Madrid on September 20. The innovative features of Hispasat satellites will help ensure that the difference in distances and accessibility of communications, with respect to previous editions, does not represent any obstacle to the work of the organization of the Vuelta and the media that will cover all its stages.

Two high-performance mobile satellite transmission units will accompany the route of the Vuelta Ciclista 2009. From these vehicles, Hispasat will offer, among other services, broadband Internet, telephone and video to both the organization and the commentators located in the finish area of each of the stages, so that they can carry out their daily sending of information to the Press Office, as well as the videoconference of the interview of the winner of each stage with the press media accredited for this new edition. 2009.

Next generation broadband

With the aim of offering these transmissions with the highest quality and security, Hispasat has incorporated a state-of-the-art broadband satellite communication system into its two mobile units deployed with the organization. One of these units will be located daily at the finish line of each stage, to facilitate broadband Internet access and high-quality videoconferencing services to the press room and all telephone services. The second mobile unit will be located, also daily, in the permanent office of the Vuelta and will have, in addition to the previous solutions, a mobile booth that will provide fax and telephony.

For Petra Mateos, president of Hispasat, she pointed out that "making all our satellite communications technology available to a top-level sporting event such as the Vuelta Ciclista a España represents a new opportunity to show, with rapid deployment, our high capacity for transmissions from widely dispersed geographical points, sometimes difficult to access, and where other types of telecommunications infrastructure are lacking."

Hispasat is already the seventh company in the world by revenue in its sector and a leader in the dissemination and distribution of content in Spanish and Portuguese, with more than 1,100 radio and television channels, including content from important digital platforms for Direct to Home Television (DTH) services, both in Europe and America. In fiscal year 2008, the company had a growth of 31% in its consolidated net profit, up to 47 million euros, reaching, for the fifth consecutive year, a new historical maximum in all its financial magnitudes.