Intelsat’s Big Payout Undermined by Former Ally Eutelsat (1)

Satellite operator Eutelsat Communications SA used to walk in lockstep with its bigger rivals, insisting on substantial compensation if the U.S. government took back frequencies reserved for their use and assigned the airwaves to others.

Now the Paris-based company has gone rogue -- and is finding a receptive audience in Washington.

Eutelsat dropped out of a lobbying alliance with Intelsat SA and SES SA. It has proposed to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission a payout that would be a fraction of what its erstwhile partners are seeking -- forfeiting a jackpot that has tantalized investors and sent shares on ...