Rio de Janeiro. Yahsat and Telespazio, a joint venture between Leonardo-Finnmeccanica (67%) and Thales (33%), have entered into a five-year contract to provide integrated Ka-band satellite services in Brazil. The services will be offered through the Al Yah 3 Satellite of Yahsat, which will be launched during the first quarter of 2017 and will provide coverage of more than 95% of the Brazilian population in more than 5,000 municipalities. In particular, Telespazio will provide its clients with satellite and IP connectivity solutions, using both the Ka-band capacity on Al Yah 3 as well as its ground infrastructure. The service will be offered through Brazilian gateways to maximize performance and availability of the network. (9Colonne)