Eutelsat Powers Up a New Orbital Position to Drive Expansion in High Growth Markets

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Jul 28, 2011, 01:31 ET

PARIS, July 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) today announced that it is expanding its commercial response to high-growth video, data, telecom and broadband markets with the opening of business at the 3° East orbital position. To support further long-term expansion, Eutelsat has selected Astrium to build a tri-band satellite, which will increase and diversify its resources for markets in Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and South America. Called Eutelsat 3B, the satellite will operate in C, Ku and Ka-bands and be launched in early 2014.

In advance of Eutelsat 3B, resources on a satellite now called Eutelsat 3A were deployed this month to 3° East. This capacity is able to deliver users powerful coverage of Europe and North Africa for services that include GSM backhaul, data networks, IP backbone connectivity and maritime applications.

To complement Eutelsat's capacity portfolio and geographic reach, the Eutelsat 3B satellite will add resources in three frequency bands connected to fixed and steerable antennas for maximum flexibility. With a single platform assembling Ku, C and Ka transponders, users will be able to select the most relevant frequency band for different types of service. Ku and C-band capacity will further consolidate Eutelsat's response to broadcast and data markets that represent the two most dynamic applications in the Fixed Satellite Services sector. High throughput beams in the Ka-band, that will be individually steerable to regional and national markets and operated with scalable allocation of power and spectrum, will in addition support innovative applications in bandwidth-demanding markets.

Commenting on Eutelsat's new programme, Michel de Rosen, Eutelsat CEO, said. "By opening a new orbital position for business now with Eutelsat 3A, and securing varied and highly flexible capacity for the future with Eutelsat 3B, we are adding a new layer of diversity to the resources we can provide to multiple markets with long-term growth potential. This is an exciting step forward for Eutelsat. It underscores our commitment to pursuing an active investment strategy in innovative satellite programmes in order to win and retain the confidence of customers operating in differentiated and vibrant markets."

Up to 51 transponders on Eutelsat 3B will be configured as follows:

A Ku-band payload of up to 30 transponders will be connected to widebeam footprints over extended Europe and East Africa. A steerable beam will add further flexibility, with coverage possible of South America or African regions. This capacity will address video contribution, corporate networks, data and telecom markets.
A C-band payload with 12 transponders connected to a pan-African beam will respond to continued high demand for capacity for telecom services.
A Ka-band payload of nine transponders connected to steerable beams that are in particular expected to cover Africa and South America will meet expanding connectivity requirements for corporate networks and Internet access.

The Eutelsat 3B satellite will be based on the Astrium Eurostar 3000 platform. Weighing 6 tonnes at launch, the satellite will be designed with 15 year life expectancy. The investment required for this programme is included in Eutelsat's capital expenditure outlook for the period July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2014.

Image available on request

About Eutelsat Communications

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is the holding company of Eutelsat S.A.. With capacity commercialised on 27 satellites that provide coverage over the entire European continent, as well as the Middle East, Africa, India and significant parts of Asia and the Americas, Eutelsat is one of the world's three leading satellite operators in terms of revenues. At 30 June 2011, Eutelsat's satellites were broadcasting more than 3,800 television channels. More than 1,100 channels broadcast via its HOT BIRD™ video neighbourhood at 13 degrees East which serves over 120 million cable and satellite homes in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The Group's satellites also serve a wide range of fixed and mobile telecommunications services, TV contribution markets, corporate networks, and broadband markets for Internet Service Providers and for transport, maritime and in-flight markets. Eutelsat's broadband subsidiary, Skylogic, markets and operates access to high speed internet services through teleports in France and Italy that serve enterprises, local communities, government agencies and aid organisations in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. Headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat and its subsidiaries employ just over 700 commercial, technical and operational employees from 30 countries.