11 October 2012
Cannes, 11
October 2012 - Satellite broadcasting in the Middle East and North Africa will
soon be gaining powerful new broadcasting resources following the order
announced today by Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) of a new
satellite from Thales Alenia Space. Called EUTELSAT 8 West B, the high-capacity
spacecraft will be launched in 2015 to 8° West, joining satellites already
operated at the adjacent 7° West position by Eutelsat and the Egyptian
satellite company, Nilesat. Broadcasting services from both positions are
received by satellite TV homes with a single small Direct-to-Home dish.
With a rapidly growing audience and channel line-up,
the 7/8° West video neighbourhood is one of the most dynamic in the global
satellite TV market. Over 30 million homes in North Africa and the Middle East
are already equipped for DTH reception of more than 800 Arabic and
international channels broadcast at this position by Eutelsat and Nilesat.
Free-to-air accounts for the majority of the offer (500 channels), while HD
take-up is accelerating, currently representing 50 channels. The additional
capacity will meet further expansion in a satellite broadcasting market where
capacity demand for video services is forecast to grow by 6.8% a year over the
coming five years (source Euroconsult). HDTV channels are expected to increase
fourfold over the coming ten years.
The EUTELSAT 8 West B satellite will be equipped with
40 operational Ku-band transponders designed primarily to serve DTH markets in
North Africa and the Middle East. It will also introduce a C-band mission to 8°
West, with 10 operational transponders connected to footprints covering the
African continent and reaching west to South America.
To respond to the popularity of the 7/8° West
neighbourhood, Eutelsat will redeploy an existing high-power Ku-band satellite
to 8° West in 2013. This will increase resources in advance of the launch of
EUTELSAT 8 West B, enabling more broadcasters to benefit from a prime
neighbourhood.
Michel de Rosen, Eutelsat CEO said: “We want to ensure we are giving
broadcasters the finest quality of service and headroom to grow their business.
This new satellite programme will further equip us to deliver the highest
quality of service at a video neighbourhood experiencing record demand for
reaching TV homes across the Middle East and North Africa. We are also pleased
to renew our confidence in Thales Alenia Space with this new order from their
most state-of-the-art range of spacecraft.”
"We are both pleased and proud to sign this
important contract today with Eutelsat," said Jean Loic
Galle, President and CEO of Thales Alenia Space. "Our teams will deploy the full range of their skills and
expertise to construct this new satellite and support our customer's
development. We thank Eutelsat for placing their trust in us. EUTELSAT 8 West B
is the 25th satellite built by Thales Alenia Space for Eutelsat, and it will be
the 74th satellite in the Spacebus family to enter service in the global space
telecommunications market."
About Thales Alenia Space
The European leader in satellite systems
and a major player in orbital infrastructures, Thales Alenia Space is a joint
venture between Thales (67%) and Finmeccanica (33%). Thales Alenia Space and
Telespazio embody the two groups’ “Space Alliance”. Thales Alenia Space sets
the global standard in solutions for space telecommunications, radar and
optical Earth observation, defense and security, navigation and science. With
consolidated revenues of 2.1 billion euros in 2011, Thales Alenia Space has
7,500 employees in France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium and United States.
www.thalesaleniaspace.com
Thales Alenia Space Press Contact:
Sandrine Bielecki - Tel: +33 (0)4 92 92 70 94
sandrine.bielecki@thalesaleniaspace.com
Tarik Lahlou - Tel: +33 (0)4 92 92 68 45
tarik.lahlou@thalesaleniaspace.com