Argentina's Arsat builds Bariloche HQ for US$70mn

State-owned satellite company Arsat will invest US$70mn over four years in new headquarters in Bariloche’s PITBA technological park, in Argentina’s Río Negro province, according to a statement. 

Arsat will also build a datacenter on a 12,000m2 site in the park to gain redundancy for its Estación Terrena de Benavídez unit in Buenos Aires province and install a gateway for satellite links and to increase satellite broadband connectivity.

Other works include a data processing facility and fiber optics to provide connectivity for the 72 companies that have already acquired lots in the park.

For this development, 200 professionals will be hired.

When it visited Bariloche, the Arsat board also met with representatives of state technology company Invap and the Balseiro educational institute. Invap is building the Arsat-SG1 and Arsat-SG2 geostationary satellites.

The recently announced Arsat-SG2 will require US$250mn, of which US$30mn in the first year, considering that early purchases and components also used for Arsat-SG1 could generate savings.

At the Balseiro Institute, Arsat announced financial support for scholarships related to the company’s needs.

And Arsat is building teleports across the country, among others, in Mendoza province.