Maxwell Communications Corp yesterday announced the formation of a joint venture satellite services company with France Telecom subsidiary, France Cables et Radio. The new company is called Maxwell Satellite Communications Ltd, and will operate under the UK specialised satellite services operator licence awarded to Maxwell Communications in 1988. Heading the new company is Julian Costley, who was previously with BSB’s satellite company Datavision Ltd where he ran the Computer Channel – a subscription news and training service for the European computer industry. The Channel shut down after the BSB/Sky Television merger, but Costley is keen to provide similar services at Maxwell Satellite Communications. The company will initially focus on vision services and Costley believes that user group-based subscription services such as the Computer Channel will become increasingly important. Private television networks for large companies and news services will also be offered. The company will be London-based, transmitting UKoriginated material to multiple points across Europe, as well as re-transmitting international material. Costley says that Maxwell will differ from its satellite service competitors by emphasising the pan-European aspect of its services and in the support it can offer customers throughout Europe, via France Telecom and the Maxwell Group. The company’s third party services may also draw on the Maxwell Group, particularly the publishing subsidiaries such as Berlitz Inc. Costley says that when the company is ready to offer data transfer services it may look around for networking partners. Although investment sums were not disclosed the company is said to have involved several million pounds from each company and the venture is believed to be France Telecom’s largest UK venture yet.
