EchoStar International Corporation started in a rented office in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, in 1988. The following year, it moved to its present location in Almelo, the Netherlands, and became a key center for distributing TV satellite receivers throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East. As technology developed, Almelo's engineering department grew and gained invaluable experience in satellite television design and development.

From the very beginning, the Almelo office has supported a large international engineering team that, in liaison with its counterparts in the U.S., develops a wide range of technically advanced DVB MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 solutions such as DVB-T, DVB-C and DVB-SMATV apart from it's core DVB-S platforms.

As a member of the DVB Group in Geneva, Almelo works in close partnership with the various international operators and other DVB parties, in order to establish international standards.