After a 9-hour 12-minute flight, the launcher released W7 into geosynchronous transfer orbit.  Commenting after successful spacecraft separation, Eutelsat CEO, Michel de Rosen said: “Our W7 satellite is on its way to 36° East. This new satellite will be a key pillar for our business development at a well-established neighbourhood, addressing dynamic markets with clear potential for sustained growth. W7 will support expansion of pay-TV platforms in Russia and across Africa. It will also give us headroom to expand telecoms and data activity in a vast region embracing Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia.

With three new satellites having already entered into commercial service in 2009 – HOT

BIRD™ 9, ATLANTIC BIRD™ 4A and W2A – today’s launch also represents a new step

forward in Eutelsat’s significant in-orbit expansion programme. Four additional satellites will

follow W7 into orbit by the end of 2011.

W7 is based on the Spacebus 4000C4 design, built for Eutelsat by Thales Alenia Space.

Colocated with W4, Eutelsat’s new satellite will double resources at the 36 degrees East

location. Has an operational lifetime of 15 years.

Eutelsat Communications announced as well the signature of a far-reaching contract concluded between its Skylogic broadband affiliate and SFR, one of the leading telecommunications operators in France. SFR has selected Tooway to meet demand for broadband from its customers beyond ADSL coverage. Called the ‘Satellite Internet Pack’ the new service supplied by SFR was launched today using capacity on Eutelsat’s HOT BIRD™ 6 satellite. It will be extended on Eutelsat’s new-generation KA-SAT satellite whose launch is scheduled for end 2010.

 Source: Eutelsat

Paris – Eutelsat Communications and Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS) announced the execution of a strategic agreement for commercial cooperation at the 75° East orbital location.

Within the framework of this agreement Eutelsat is colocating its EUROBIRD 4 satellite at 75° East with the ABS-1 and ABS-1A satellites operated by ABS. This redeployment will inject an additional eight Ku-band transponders to 75° East to address markets in the Middle East, central Asia and Russia. Renamed W75/ABS-1B, Eutelsat’s satellite will also provide possible redundancy to customers until the arrival of ABS-2, which is expected in 2012.

Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS) is one of the fastest growing premium satellite operators in the world. Operating the ABS-1 and ABS-1A satellites at 75° East, it connects 4/5th of the world’s population covering all of Asia, the CIS region, the Middle East, most of Africa and Eastern Europe.

Eutelsat Communications is the holding company of Eutelsat S.A.. With capacity commercialised on 27 satellites that provide coverage over the entire European continent, as well as the Middle East, Africa, India and significant parts of Asia and the Americas, Eutelsat is one of the world’s three leading satellite operators in terms of revenues.

Source: Eutelsat – ABS

Paris, France – Eutelsat Communications saw an increase in revenues at 253 million euros, up from 226.7 million euros compared to the same period last year in its 2009 third quarter financial results.
The European operator saw revenue growth across all segments. Eutelsat generated 180.8 million euros in the quarter from video applications, up nearly 9 percent compared to the same stage last year. In its data and value added services, revenues reached 47.7 million euros in the quarter, an increase of over 16 percent compared to last year.
Multi-usage services posted a 46 percent gain over 2008 at 22.9 million euros.

Moreover Eutelsat now has 100 high-definition TV channels broadcasting through its video satellites, the operator announced.
Eutelsat reached the milestone with the launch off Sky Sport 1HD, a flagship channel of the latest HD package from the Sky Italia pay-TV platform.
The operator said its HDTV channels have increased tenfold since mid-2006 and more than doubled since June 2008. A total of 42 percent of the 243 HD satellite channel streams in Europe and the Middle East are broadcast through a Eutelsat satellite, according to the operator.
“We believe that the consumer expectation for a first-class HD experience and the suitability of our satellites for distributing HD content both Direct-to-Home and to cable, IP and DTT networks are guarantees of a long-term market for Eutelsat and the satellite industry,” said Eutelsat Commercial Director Olivier Milliès-Lacroix, in a statement.

 Source: Eutelsat Communications

Iridium announced that  the Mexican Ministry of Communications and Transportation has authorized Iridium Comunicaciones de Mexico to operate, provide and sell MSS (Mobile Satellite Services) to business, government and consumer markets in Mexico.

To support the new services, Iridium has partnered with Spacenet Communications Services de Mexico, acquiring access to Spacenet’s integrated communication solutions and a range of voice and data services and applications.

“Mexico is a market requiring broader services than are available today given the country’s extensive, open land masses that have no telecommunications infrastructure, expansive coast lines, growing remote industries and the need for effective response tools in natural disasters. It is an honor for Iridium to join the Mexican telecom market, which is vibrant and open to the innovation Iridium delivers. Strong demand for Iridium services has driven our commitment to Mexico,” Iridium CEO Matt Desch said in a statement.

Sources:  Iridium, Viasatelllite