Eutelsat to open new markets in Brazil and Latin America with a multi-mission satellite for 65° West

30 July 2013

Eutelsat Communications confirmed the order of a new multi-mission high-capacity satellite designed to serve dynamically expanding video and broadband markets in Brazil and across Latin America. The company has selected Space Systems/Loral (SSL) to manufacture the EUTELSAT 65 West A satellite that will be launched and operational in early 2016. It will be located at the 65° West position where Eutelsat's subsidiary, Eutelsat do Brasil Ltda. was granted frequencies in C, Ku and Ka-bands by ANATEL, the Brazilian telecommunications regulatory authority, in June this year.

The new satellite defined by Eutelsat will combine the benefits of broad landmass coverage in C and Ku-bands for video distribution to headends and Direct-to-Home broadcasting, with a flexible high throughput payload for broadband access in the Ka-band. This tri-band configuration will equip Eutelsat to target markets with the highest growth potential across Latin America, in particular Brazil as it upgrades its digital infrastructure and prepares to host the 2016 Olympic Games. The satellite's total payload will be distributed as follows:

• 10 transponders in the C-band (54 MHz bandwidth) with performance peaking over western parts of Brazil from Belem in the North to Porto Alegre in the South.
• 24 transponders in the Ku-band (36 MHz) connected to two service areas: one exclusively for Brazil, peaking over the most populated cities along the coastline and over Manaus, and a second optimised for Spanish-speaking Latin America, from the Caribbean to Patagonia.
• Up to 24 Ka-band spotbeams designed to serve the most populated urban and suburban parts of Brazil and able to serve cities on the Pacific coastline and in Central America, according to market requirements.

Eutelsat's use of 65° West, already a well-anchored neighbourhood for video services, will transform the company's commercial presence in the Latin American region which is undergoing dynamic economic growth, generating high demand for digital infrastructure with ubiquitous coverage. Satellites are well-positioned to benefit from this trend, with forecasts of above 7% average annual growth in transponder demand over the 2011-2016 period.

Eutelsat has been operational in Brazil since 2000 through its Eutelsat do Brasil subsidiary located in Rio de Janeiro that markets capacity through a first generation of satellites providing connectivity between South America, Europe and Africa. These resources will be boosted in 2014 by EUTELSAT 3B and in 2015 by EUTELSAT 8 West B that will both deliver Latin American coverage.

Commenting on today's announcement, Michel de Rosen, Eutelsat CEO, said: "This new satellite will be a key pillar supporting our goal to intensify our presence in vibrant digital markets in Brazil and across Latin America. At the 65° West position - already a sweet spot in the video business and at the centre of the orbital arc serving Latin America - we will add valuable resources for video and introduce a high throughput payload for affordable broadband services complementing terrestrial networks in Latin America's most populated regions. We are excited by the prospect of further expanding our footprint and leveraging our experience to develop lasting business relationships in Brazil and across Latin America."

Designed to deliver service for 15 years or more, the EUTELSAT 65 West A satellite will be based on the SSL 1300 satellite platform.