Satellite Providers' News Опции

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Eutelsat Powers up a new orbital position to drive expansion in high growth markets

Paris 28 July 2011 www.eutelsat.com

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.

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SES Secures Further Contract With Channel 4 On ASTRA 1N

Luxembourg, 4 October 2011

SES S.A., Europe's premier direct-to-home (DTH) satellite operator, has secured a further long-term contract with Channel 4 in the UK to provide additional capacity on its recently launched ASTRA 1N spacecraft. Channel 4 already has three transponders under contract at SES's 28.2˚East orbital slot.

The new capacity on ASTRA 1N will be used to transmit Channel 4's main high-definition (HD) service together with further HD services over the coming years.

SES will bring into service three new satellites at 28.2˚East from 2012 to 2014, ASTRA 2F, 2E and 2G, providing additional capacity and greater back-up, together with more power and operational flexibility, for its customers in the UK and Ireland.

Channel 4 was founded in 1982 as a public service broadcaster and regularly reaches more than 35 million viewers each week. Its HD service will be delivered to Sky and Freesat households, representing over 12 million UK homes.

Kevin Burrows, Channel 4's Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Broadcast and Distribution said, "HDTV is an essential part of our channel line-up going forward and this new capacity will enable us to provide our viewers with Channel 4's portfolio of HD services. We have a long-running and very successful relationship with SES that is based on the company's understanding of our business, its excellent level of reliability and its technical expertise. For us, SES was a natural choice when it came to expanding our broadcast capacity."

Ferdinand Kayser, Chief Commercial Officer at SES, said, "We have worked closely with Channel 4 for the past seven years and are delighted that Channel 4 has renewed their confidence in SES. Our new agreement is further proof of the strong demand for new HD services in the UK market."

Istanbul FM TV Broadcasts On SES 31.5° Degrees East

Luxembourg, 06 October 2011

SES announced today that it has concluded a capacity agreement with the Turkish media company Istanbul FM TV. The new customer will use SES satellite capacity at the orbital position 31.5 degrees East for the free-to-air transmission of two TV and two radio channels. With the SES satellites, the programs can be received in Turkey with standard Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite dishes.

"The agreement is a significant step into the fast growing Turkish market," said Ferdinand Kayser, Chief Commercial Officer of SES. "This market has become increasingly important for us. At the same time, our new partnership confirms the attractiveness of 31.5 degrees East for customers in growth markets. We will continue to extend our presence in Turkey and create an attractive neighborhood for our broadcasting customers."

"We have chosen to partner with SES for the distribution of our TV and radio channels because of their excellent track record and technical expertise," said Sabri Demirdogen, President of Istanbul FM TV. "We are pleased and excited to work with an industry leader and look forward to extending our partnership with SES in the near future."

EUTELSAT’s W3C SATELLITE SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED AND ON ITS WAY TO 16 DEGREES EAST

W3C launched 14 days after ATLANTIC BIRD 7: two new satellites set to boost Eutelsat’s in-orbit resources

Paris, 7 October 2011

Eutelsat Communications today announced the successful launch of its W3C satellite by a Long March 3B rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in China. Partial deployment of the satellite’s solar array was carried out within three hours of separation and will be followed over the coming ten days by manoeuvres that include circularising W3C’s orbit and deploying antennas.

Speaking after the launch, Michel de Rosen, Eutelsat CEO, declared “Our sincere appreciation to Great Wall Industry Corporation for the excellent performance of this launch, and to Thales Alenia Space for their dedication to this sophisticated and challenging programme. This is a new milestone, achieved only 14 days after the launch of our ATLANTIC BIRD™ 7 satellite. With these two new satellites scheduled to enter service during the second quarter of our financial year, Eutelsat will be equipped with new resources to meet strong client demand across dynamic markets in Central Europe, Africa and Indian Ocean islands, strengthening our confidence to meet our objectives for the year.”

Built for Eutelsat by Thales Alenia Space, W3C will replace the EUROBIRD™ 16, W2M and SESAT 1 satellites at 16° East. Through its configuration of 56 transponders, (53 Ku and three Ka), it will address markets for broadcasting and telecom/data services via four footprints:

• A high-power footprint optimised for Direct-to-Home broadcasting in Central Europe will anchor the 16° East neighbourhood as a point of reference for satellite TV in the region, serving over 11 million households.
• High-power coverage over Indian Ocean islands will support the expansion of pay-TV and accelerate digital switchover in Mauritius and Reunion Island.
• A wide footprint serving Europe, North Africa and the Middle East will serve markets for data networks and newsgathering.
• A new footprint for 16° East, with Ku coverage stretching from Senegal to Madagascar and enabling connectivity with Europe in Ka-band, will respond to high-growth applications that include GSM backhaul and Internet access for enterprises and public agencies.

W3C is based on the Thales Alenia Space Spacebus 4000 platform, with a scheduled in-orbit lifetime exceeding 15 years. Eutelsat’s in-orbit expansion programme will continue with the launch of six additional satellites from 2012 to 2014.