With the Middle East and Africa representing some of the world’s most go-ahead satellite markets, Eutelsat Communications is exhibiting new services, technologies and satellites, to show how broadcasters, service providers and telecom operators can enhance the delivery and performance of digital services.
With over 4,000 channels broadcasting from eight video neighbourhoods, Eutelsat achieved the milestone of 4,000 channels in late 2011 with the launch at Eutelsat’s 7° West neighbourhood of Rotana Cinema, devoted to classic and contemporary films in Arabic, and part of the Rotana entertainment group. Steady channel growth continues to be driven by the expansion of thematic television and the take-up of HDTV which is progressing in all markets served by Eutelsat’s satellites. HD today accounts for 7% of channels broadcast by Eutelsat.
The 7° West neighbourhood assembles the largest community of satellite TV channels in the Middle East and North Africa. Channels grew by 35% in 2011, reflecting the dynamic of free-to-air and pay-TV, which represent 80% and 20% of the 822 Arab and international channels broadcast on five satellites operated at 7° West by Eutelsat and Nilesat.
Growth was spurred by the entry into service in October 2011 of Atlantic Bird 7 which delivers unmatched performance and coverage for Arab countries. Eutelsat’s new satellite also extends reach to all of North Africa as far as Mauritania, and east to the edges of Yemen, Sudan and Oman. Its 50 Ku-band transponders expand resources for HDTV which marks another transformation in the broadcast sector. Forty channels produced by leading broadcasters that include MBC, Al-Jazeera and Orbit Showtime Network (OSN), already broadcast in HD from 7° West.
Eutelsat will announce at CABSAT Dubai the entry into service next month of a new platform to address high demand for broadband connectivity from SOHOs and SMEs from Senegal to Madagascar.
The platform will be launched from 16° East using Ku-band capacity on the W3C satellite. It will use qualified Sat3Play hub technology provided by Newtec and housed at Eutelsat’s teleport in Sardinia (Italy). Sat3Play is a two-way satellite broadband system delivering IP-based services for ISPs wanting to offer competitive data and voice services in areas unserved by terrestrial broadband connectivity. For easy and quick self-installation, user equipment uses Newtec’s innovative Point&Play tool, which will be displayed on the stand.
The KA-SAT High Throughput Satellite has changed the paradigm for satellite broadband by driving down the per megabit cost of connectivity. Eutelsat continues to unlock the potential of this powerful all Ka-band platform with new products joining the new-generation Tooway broadband service.
NewsSpotter, designed for outside broadcasters, is one of the new KA-SAT services. Delivering up to 20 Mbps on the uplink, ample for SNG, and up to 50 Mbps on the downlink, NewsSpotter enables a number of SD or HD feeds to be routed in parallel to multiple IP addresses. Users can reserve bandwidth online with immediate booking applications or on a pre-planned basis for a guaranteed reservation.
Two new innovative and highly flexible satellite programmes will be highlighted at CABSAT: W6A and W5A. Both are due for launch by the end of 2012 and are designed to provide telecom operators, video and government service providers with regional coverage and connectivity between Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and as far as Australia.
” W6A will offer high flexibility via an enhanced footprint sweeping across Europe into North Africa and Central Asia and two high-power beams with regional coverage of North Africa and the Middle East. Designed for data and government communications, video file exchanges, GSM and Internet backhauling, the satellite’s 40 Ku-band transponders will increase capacity at 21.5° East by 50%.
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