africa061115.qxp_africa 06/11/2015 10:31 Page 1
Africa
Ad va n c e d Te l e v i s i o n
Market Briefing 2015
Eutelsat steps up African broadband plans
utelsat Communications has
backhauling and rural connectivity.
unveiled the next step in its
Eutelsat has the option in the coming months
broadband strategy for Africa with
to upscale the satellite to significantly increase
the order from Thales Alenia Space of a
overall throughput and service areas. Eutelsat’s
new-generation High Throughput Satellite
African broadband business, including sales, will
offering unprecedented operational
be managed by a newly created London-based
flexibility. To be launched in 2019, the allaffiliate.
electric satellite will be the first to use
“We are excited by the opportunity to bring
Thales Alenia Space’s new Spacebus Neo
the most advanced satellite broadband
platform.
technologies to Africa,” said Michel de Rosen,
Eutelsat’s order of a high-capacity broadband
chairman and CEO of Eutelsat. “With the
satellite follows its recent announcement of the
Spacebus Neo platform proposed by Thales
lease of Ka-band capacity on the AMOS-6 satellite
Alenia Space we can push back new boundaries in
that will enable broadband services to be
High Throughput Satellites in order to deliver
delivered in Sub-Saharan Africa from the end of
quality and affordable broadband services in the
2016.
many countries in Africa where the drive to
With this follow-on standalone satellite,
increase Internet penetration is a key priority.”
Eutelsat will broaden its African footprint, deliver
Jean Loic Galle, president and CEO of Thales
significant resources for broadband services and
Alenia Space, added: “We are very proud of our
set a new benchmark for flexibility in High
selection by Eutelsat to deliver the first all-electric
Throughput Satellites. By using the all-electric
Spacebus Neo satellite. Spacebus Neo combines
Spacebus Neo platform, that combines high
proven heritage with innovation to offer a fully
efficiency and light weight, Eutelsat will also
modular platform with a smart Ka-HTS payload
benefit from competitive launch conditions.
for unrivalled flexibility and maximum
The baseline mission of
throughput. This selection reflects the
“We are very proud productive teamwork between Thales
the new satellite is to
provide 75 Gbps of
Alenia Space and Eutelsat to develop the
of our selection by
capacity across a network
solution that best addresses user needs
Eutelsat.”
of 65 spotbeams that
and HTS market expectations. This
together provide quasi-complete coverage of Subcontract is also a concrete result of the support by
Saharan Africa. The satellite will address directthe European and French space agencies for the
to-user consumer and enterprise broadband
development of Neosat as well as by the French
services using dishes from approximately 75 cm.
Very High Throughput section of the French
It will also be used for community networks
Investment Plan called PIA - Plan
connected to Wi-Fi hotspots, mobile phone
d’Investissement d’Avenir.”
E