Eutelsat Communications has selected Thales Alenia Space to manufacture a EUTELSAT 8 West B satellite to boost its broadcasting capacity in the Middle East and North Africa.
It is expected to be launched in 2015 to 8° West orbital position and will join the already orbiting satellites of Eutelsat and the Egyptian-made Nilesat in the adjacent 7° West position.
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Financial details of the deal have not been disclosed.
Eutelsat chief executive Michel de Rosen said the new satellite would enable the company to offer quality service at a video neighbourhood experiencing record demand for reaching televisions in homes across the Middle East and North Africa regions. It will carry 40 Ku-band transponders to serve DTH markets in these areas.
In addition, it will also introduce ten C-band transponders with beams directed to regions across the African continent and up to South America in the west.
Eutelsat and Nilesat signed a strategic agreement in March 2009 for development of the 7° West orbital position, which is used by both companies in order to offer satellite broadcasting services across the Middle East, the Gulf countries and North Africa region.
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By GlobalDataBoth the 7° and 8° West slots deliver broadcasting services to satellite TV homes with a single small DTH dish.
Eutelsat said it would redeploy an existing high-power Ku-band satellite to 8° West in 2013 to allow more operators to benefit from a prime neighbourhood.
Thales Alenia Space president and chief executive Jean Loic Galle said EUTELSAT 8 West B was the 25th satellite to be developed for Eutelsat and the 74th in the Spacebus range to enter into service in the global space telecommunications market.
Thales Alenia Space is a joint venture between Thales and Finmeccanica, which hold 67% and 33% stake respectively.
