Es’hailSat, the Qatar Satellite Co.,  and French satellite fleet operator Eutelsat have announced plans to launch the Eutelsat 25B/Es’hail 1 telecommunications satellite aboard a European Ariane 5 rocket in mid-2013.

But the placing of the six-ton satellite at 25.5 degrees east, “a well-established orbital position for television broadcast services,” would compromise the function of an Iranian satellite network currently operating at 26 degrees east.

That network, Zohreh-2, operates aboard a satellite owned and operated by the Arabsat consortium of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

 Space News reports:

France has claimed that Iran has missed deadlines for maintaining uninterrupted use of their satellite network and should lose their rights to the slot under (International Telecommunication Union) rules…

The ITU has repeatedly asked Iran, France, Qatar and Saudi Arabia to resolve frequency coordination issues around 26 degrees east on their own — with no success so far.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out!

Thoughts?