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Tag: Eutelsat

  • Eutelsat 9B satellite soars into space

    Eutelsat 9B satellite soars into space

    MUMBAI: Eutelsat Communications’ Eutelsat 9B satellite was successfully launched into geosynchronous transfer orbit by ILS using a Proton rocket that lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

     

    Separation of Eutelsat’s new satellite occurred after a 9 hour 12 minute Proton flight. Partial deployment of the satellite’s solar panels, that represents the first critical post-launch operation, took place two hours later. Following further manoeuvres and in-orbit tests, Eutelsat 9B will be positioned at 9 degrees East in March to assume broadcasting of over 350 TV channels currently served at this position by Eutelsat 9A and provide expansion capacity for new services.

     

    Eutelsat 9B also marks an industry first as the host satellite for the inaugural data relay payload for the European Data Relay System (EDRS) being implemented through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) between ESA and Airbus Defence and Space.

     

    Commenting on the launch, Eutelsat chairman and CEO Michel de Rosen said, “Our congratulations to ILS and Krunichev for a flawless launch that sees a new Eutelsat satellite propelled on its way to geostationary orbit. This sophisticated satellite programme reflects outstanding collaboration between Eutelsat, ESA, Airbus Defence and Space, ILS and Krunichev. We look forward to putting Eutelsat 9B to work for the benefit of our broadcaster clients and to the inauguration of the ground-breaking European Data Relay System that is a powerful illustration of the complementarity of geostationary and low earth satellites for fast transmission of data flows back to earth.”

  • Eutelsat 9B satellite soars into space

    Eutelsat 9B satellite soars into space

    MUMBAI: Eutelsat Communications’ Eutelsat 9B satellite was successfully launched into geosynchronous transfer orbit by ILS using a Proton rocket that lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

     

    Separation of Eutelsat’s new satellite occurred after a 9 hour 12 minute Proton flight. Partial deployment of the satellite’s solar panels, that represents the first critical post-launch operation, took place two hours later. Following further manoeuvres and in-orbit tests, Eutelsat 9B will be positioned at 9 degrees East in March to assume broadcasting of over 350 TV channels currently served at this position by Eutelsat 9A and provide expansion capacity for new services.

     

    Eutelsat 9B also marks an industry first as the host satellite for the inaugural data relay payload for the European Data Relay System (EDRS) being implemented through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) between ESA and Airbus Defence and Space.

     

    Commenting on the launch, Eutelsat chairman and CEO Michel de Rosen said, “Our congratulations to ILS and Krunichev for a flawless launch that sees a new Eutelsat satellite propelled on its way to geostationary orbit. This sophisticated satellite programme reflects outstanding collaboration between Eutelsat, ESA, Airbus Defence and Space, ILS and Krunichev. We look forward to putting Eutelsat 9B to work for the benefit of our broadcaster clients and to the inauguration of the ground-breaking European Data Relay System that is a powerful illustration of the complementarity of geostationary and low earth satellites for fast transmission of data flows back to earth.”

  • Eutelsat partners Facebook on satellite initiative for Africa

    Eutelsat partners Facebook on satellite initiative for Africa

    MUMBAI: Eutelsat Communications and Facebook are partnering on a new initiative that will leverage satellite technologies to get more Africans online. 

     

    Under a multi-year agreement with Spacecom, the two companies will utilise the entire broadband payload on the future AMOS-6 satellite and will build a dedicated system comprising satellite capacity, gateways and terminals. In providing reach to large parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, Eutelsat and Facebook will each be equipped to pursue their ambition to accelerate data connectivity for the many users deprived of the economic and social benefits of the Internet.

     

     

    Spot beams for community and Direct-to-User access

     

    Scheduled for start of service in the second half of 2016, the Ka-band payload on the AMOS-6 geostationary satellite is configured with high gain spot beams covering large parts of West, East and Southern Africa. The capacity is optimised for community and Direct-to-User Internet access using affordable, off-the-shelf customer equipment. According to the terms of the agreement, the capacity will be shared between Eutelsat and Facebook.

     

     

    State of the art satellite technology to meet pent-up demand

     

    Using state of the art satellite technology, Eutelsat and Facebook will each deploy Internet services designed to relieve pent-up demand for connectivity from the many users in Africa beyond range of fixed and mobile terrestrial networks. Satellite networks are well suited to economically connecting people in low to medium density population areas and the high throughput satellite architecture of AMOS-6 is expected to contribute to additional gains in cost efficiency.

     

     

    Eutelsat steps up Internet activity in Africa

     

    The capacity will enable Eutelsat to step up its broadband activity in Sub-Saharan Africa that was initiated using Ku-band satellites to serve professional users. Eutelsat is establishing a new company based in London that will steer its African broadband vision and business. The company will be led by Laurent Grimaldi, founder and former CEO of Tiscali International Network, and will focus on serving premium consumer and professional segments.

     

     

    Facebook continues Internet.org initiative

     

    Two years ago, Facebook announced Internet.org, an effort to accelerate the rate of connectivity by addressing the physical, economic and social barriers that are keeping people from getting online. For Facebook, this satellite system represents one of many technology investments to enable cost-effective broadband access to unconnected populations. Facebook plans to work with local partners across Africa to utilise satellite and terrestrial capacity to deliver services to rural areas.

     

    Internet.org vice president Chris Daniels said, “Facebook’s mission is to connect the world and we believe that satellites will play an important role in addressing the significant barriers that exist in connecting the people of Africa. We are looking forward to partnering with Eutelsat on this project and investigating new ways to use satellites to connect people in the most remote areas of the world more efficiently.”

     

    Eutelsat chairman and CEO Michel de Rosen added, “We are excited by this opportunity to accelerate the deployment of our broadband strategy and to partner with Facebook on a new initiative to provide Internet access services in Africa. Eutelsat’s strong track record in operating High Throughput Satellite systems will ensure that we can deliver accessible and robust Internet solutions that get more users online and part of the Information Society.”

  • Eutelsat to present key UHD trends at MIPCOM

    Eutelsat to present key UHD trends at MIPCOM

    MUMBAI: The television business is dramatically transforming as broadcasters scale up production of premium content and delivery of an enhanced viewing experience. As the industry lines up to adopt Ultra HD (UHD) TV, the new quality benchmark in broadcasting, Eutelsat Communications will share research at MIPCOM on consumer appetite in key European TV markets for this latest evolution.

     

    The pulse of UHD will be presented by Eutelsat today at the MIPCOM show in a ‘4k focus welcome address.’ It will include key findings of new qualitative consumer research conducted for Eutelsat by market research firm TNS, and fresh data from GfK on Ultra HD screen sales.

     

    Eutelsat head of market research and customer experience Claudia Vaccarone and Eutelsat director of marketing innovation and digital cinema Michel Chabrol will share insight on how to anticipate UHD mass-market deployment. 

     

    They will be joined by Sony Corporation senior producer, visual entertainment Joe Nakata and well-known journalist and broadcast industry expert Chris Forrester.

     

    Since its first broadcasts of Ultra HD in January 2013, Eutelsat has amassed industry-leading expertise on the conditions for successful transition to this new format. Two Eutelsat satellites are broadcasting permanent channels in Ultra HD, showing Eutelsat co-productions and content produced by independent programme-makers who have sought out Eutelsat’s satellite platforms to promote their work.

  • Ultra HD screen sales to see 200% hike; touch 5 million by Dec 2015

    Ultra HD screen sales to see 200% hike; touch 5 million by Dec 2015

    MUMBAI: Consumers in key European TV markets are ready to embrace Ultra HD as a thrilling TV experience and to invest in equipment and content.

     

    Eutelsat Communications’ new forecast from GfK predicts a striking 200 per cent hike in Ultra HD screen sales from June to December 2015. It expects sales to hit the five million mark by the end of the year (3.6 million in Western Europe, 700,000 in Eastern Europe and 600,000 in the Middle East), representing 9.3 per cent of all TV sales in 21 key markets in these regions. Accumulated sales will result in a potential installed base of 6.2 million TV homes.  

     

    Additionally, Ultra HD screens in 2020 will represent more than 70 per cent of total sales across Europe and almost 60 per cent in the Middle East and North Africa. The annual volume of screens sold in these markets is expected by then to have reached 37 million.

     

    The pulse of Ultra HD was presented by Eutelsat at IBC in Amsterdam. It included key findings of new qualitative consumer research conducted for Eutelsat by market research firm TNS, and fresh data from GfK on Ultra HD screen sales.

     

    “Eutelsat has researched consumer awareness and appetite for the Ultra HD experience in order to support our broadcast clients as they evaluate business models and timing for rolling-out Ultra HD content. The stage is set for Ultra HD to be TV’s next big success story and Eutelsat, as a leader in satellite delivery, is ready to accompany clients in this new rendezvous with viewers,” said Eutelsat director of commercial development and marketing Markus Fritz.

     

    “Super contrast: resolution is just crazy”

     

    The consumer qualitative study was carried out in two waves in Italy, France, the UK, Germany, Poland, Russia and Turkey: the first wave in November 2014 and the second in June 2015. The objective, in a series of focus groups, was to expose pay-TV subscribers and free-to-air viewers to an unprompted Ultra HD experience and gather insight on their response.

     

    The results show common trends across all markets. Panellists identified sharpness, immersion and vivid colour as outstanding benefits and indicated a willingness to pay up to €10 a month to benefit from Ultra HD in the home. Their investment threshold for new TV sets also matched current price points of between €1,000 and €3,000 for screens within the 50” range. While Pay-TV subscribers showed a strong preference for linear Ultra HD channels, viewers used to free TV expressed a preference to gain their first experience through VOD and occasional, event-specific offerings.

  • Arqiva scales up Eutelsat satellite capacity for DTH broadcasting

    Arqiva scales up Eutelsat satellite capacity for DTH broadcasting

    MUMBAI: UK based communications infrastructure and media services company Arqiva has signed a multi-year deal with Eutelsat Communications for a 14th transponder at the 28° East video neighbourhood, to serve the UK DTH (direct-to-home) broadcasting market.

     

    Arqiva’s portfolio of capacity at the UK’s premium neighbourhood, combined with encryption, multiplexing and uplinking services, positions it as a key partner for channels seeking to engage with Sky and Freesat homes. The additional capacity will expand Arqiva’s extensive digital multiplex offering and broaden the options available to its existing and future customer base.

     

    Arqiva managing director for satellite and media David Crawford said, “Arqiva’s multi-year agreement with Eutelsat not only supports our continued growth in the satellite market, but it also confirms our long-term commitment to our customers, and to delivering them service excellence at great value.”

     

    Eutelsat chief commercial and development officer Michel Azibert added, “We are proud to meet the exact requirements of the largest satellite and media service provider in the UK. The Arqiva team has its finger on the pulse of broadcasting in the UK and we are delighted that our satellite capacity forms an integral part of their response to customers.”

  • Eutelsat & SES to develop technology for better broadcast-broadband ecosystem

    Eutelsat & SES to develop technology for better broadcast-broadband ecosystem

    MUMBAI: Satellite companies Eutelsat Communications and SES S.A, engaged in the global video distribution market, have launched a new, industry-wide initiative to develop and promote next-generation video technologies, standards and formats, focusing initially on the reception of satellite services on any screen and on converged broadcast-broadband technologies.

     

    Called the Future Video Initiative, this new project will assemble representative companies in the converged video value chain to ensure that users everywhere will be able to benefit from a consistent, high quality, state-of-the-art video experience anywhere, anytime and on any device.

     

    The Initiative was unveiled at the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC), one of the largest broadcast technology conventions, held annually in Amsterdam.

     

    Experience and feedback on services currently delivering content anywhere, anytime, on any device highlight the challenges of ensuring in parallel high user satisfaction and the largest technical reach. Users want consistent media quality across multiple devices; content distributors have to cope with an ever-increasing growth of media traffic on their networks and therefore want to optimise their investments through maximum audience reach at the most competitive distribution cost.

     

    The Future Video Initiative will seek to support existing initiatives, alliances, associations, roadmaps and technical standardisation bodies. Its initial scope of work will focus on promoting integrated hybrid broadcast-broadband solutions that increase the reach of HD and Ultra HD with the highest quality, while optimising network costs and meeting the promise of interactive services. It will also facilitate the reception of satellite services on any screen, at home and in public places.

     

    “Through this initiative, we want to send a clear signal to the industry and public that we need to drive digitalisation and the evolution of our broadcast-broadband ecosystems. The Future Video Initiative is open to all stakeholders and is a catalyst for digital development. The start of this initiative is underpinned by the commitment of two leading satellite operators to bring the best of their infrastructures to support the innovations, roadmaps, standardisations and frameworks necessary to respond to the future needs of consumers and deliver on time on the inclusive promise of a top-quality media experience for the broadest range of users,” said Eutelsat Communications CEO Michel de Rosen and SES CEO Karim Michel Sabbagh.

  • Eutelsat commences commercial service of 70B satellite

    Eutelsat commences commercial service of 70B satellite

    MUMBAI: Eutelsat Communications said that it has commenced the commercial service of the Eutelsat 70B satellite at 70.5° East.

    The company transferred all the traffic from Eutelsat 70A satellite which was carried out overnight by Eutelsat‘s control centre, working in close collaboration with clients and providers of uplink services.

    Eutelsat 70B has been custom-designed to optimise resources at 70.5° East which has been occupied by a Eutelsat satellite since 2002 and is a point of reference for data services, broadband access, GSM backhauling and professional video exchanges.

    With high frequency reuse, four powerful beams with coverage of Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia are connected to 48 Ku-band transponders, more than doubling capacity at 70.5° East.

    The new satellite‘s entry into service releases Eutelsat 70A which will be redeployed to 25.5° East until the launch of Eutelsat 25B in the middle of 2013. Eutelsat 25A will be redeployed from 25.5° East to an alternative location.

  • Eutelsat launches Ultra HD channel for Europe

    Eutelsat launches Ultra HD channel for Europe

    MUMBAI: Eutelsat Communications has launched a dedicated Ultra HD channel for Europe on the Eutelsat 10A satellite.

    Delivering a resolution of eight million pixels, four times the resolution of HDTV, Ultra HD is poised to mark the next big leap forward in the immersive viewing experience.

    Eutelsat‘s new channel is designed to benefit all actors in the broadcasting chain who want to acquire expertise in 4K, including production companies, pay-TV operators, rights owners and TV set manufacturers.

    The new channel will operate in progressive mode at 50 frames per second. It will be encoded in MPEG-4 and transmitted at 40 Mbit/s in four Quad HD streams. Eutelsat is partnering with Ateme, a video compression solution provider to the broadcast industry, for the transmissions that will be uplinked to the Eutelsat 10A satellite from its teleport in Rambouillet, near Paris.

    "This new step towards 4K continues Eutelsat‘s longstanding commitment to achieving new broadcast milestones that over the last 20 years have included digital TV, HDTV and 3D," said Eutelsat‘s Commercial Director Jean-François Leprince-Ringuet.

    "Early and close collaboration between all players in the broadcast chain will be a key success factor for this new revolution. We are delighted to propose this first Ultra HD platform for Europe.

  • Telefonica to provide satellite Internet connectivity in Europe through Eutelsat

    Telefonica to provide satellite Internet connectivity in Europe through Eutelsat

    MUMBAI: Telefonica Global Solutions has announced an agreement with Eutelsat Communications, Europe‘s leading satellite operator, to provide high quality satellite broadband services to carriers from across Europe through the high-performance KA-SAT satellite.

    With KA-SAT, Telefonica aims at offering fast Internet access to carriers from all over Europe, especially in areas that are not within reach of terrestrial broadband networks, such as rural areas or urban belts, as well as fully diversified backup solutions in areas that do have terrestrial access.

    The Telefonica Global Solutions wholesale unit is a leading global solutions provider in the international wholesale market, with a broad and competitive catalogue of outsourcing services and solutions for international carriers, present in the leading markets in Europe and America.

    Eutelsat‘s broadband subsidiary, Skylogic CEO Jean-François Fenech said, "Telefonica has followed a path that has established it as one of the most emblematic and admired companies in Europe, making it the ideal partner for increasing the reach of satellite broadband. We are convinced that the implementation of satellite broadband via KA-SAT will successfully address the challenge of building a strong and fair digital landscape throughout Europe."

    Telefonica Global Solutions Director Eduardo Guardincerri said, "The bid for Eutelsat Ka band is the logical step for the evolution of the business of data communications via satellite in Europe, where land-based infrastructures have increasing capillarity. KA-SAT will allow us to offer high quality services at competitive prices, allowing us to update our catalogue of services for operators and corporations. It also allows us to complement the overall strategy of the Telefonica Group providing another access technology for services such as M2M or iHealth."