EUTELSAT
and
ictQATAR
Sign
Strategic
Alliance
To
Develop
A
New
Satellite
Programme
Expanding
Opportunities
At
Eutelsat's
25.5°
East
Neighbourhood
10
May
2010
ictQATAR
and
Eutelsat
Communications
announce
the
signing
of a
partnership
agreement
to
invest
in
and
operate
a
new
high-capacity
satellite
at
Eutelsat's
25.5°
East
location,
one
of
the
two
longstanding
and
anchored
neighbourhoods
serving
fast-growing
markets
in
the
Middle
East
and
North
Africa
regions.
This
historic
partnership
was
signed
this
morning
at
the
Emiri
Diwan
in
Doha,
in
the
presence
of
H.E
Qatari
Prime
Minister
and
Foreign
Minister
Sheikh
Hamad
Bin
Jassim
Bin
Jabor
Al
Thani
and
Eutelsat
Chairman
Giuliano
Berretta,
by
Dr
Hessa
Al
Jaber
Secretary
General
of
ictQatar
and
Michel
de
Rosen,
Eutelsat
CEO.
To
be
launched
at
the
end
of
2012,
the
new
satellite
will
provide
both
a
significantly
expanded
mission
and
superior
coverage
and
power
across
the
Middle
East,
North
Africa
and
Central
Asia
to
follow-on
from
Eutelsat's
EUROBIRD™
2
satellite,
which
is
currently
operated
at
25.5°
East.
In
addition
to
securing
Ku-band
continuity
for
Eutelsat
and
additional
Ku-band
resources
for
ictQATAR,
it
will
initiate
a
Ka-band
capability
opening
business
opportunities
for
both
parties.
This
multi-mission
architecture
will
enable
both
partners
to
respond
to
the
fastest-growing
applications
in
the
Middle
East
and
Africa,
including
video
broadcasting,
enterprise
communications
and
government
services.
The
television
market
will
in
particular
benefit
from
the
installed
base
of
more
than
13
million
satellite
homes
already
equipped
for
Direct-to-Home
reception
from
this
neighbourhood.
"Qatar
is
pleased
to
enter
into
this
strategic
partnership
with
Eutelsat
with
a
satellite
resource
that
we
have
named
"ES'HAIL".
The
agreement
is
important
for
us
as
it
will
secure
our
strategic
interests
in
communications
capabilities
in
terms
of
broadcasting,
communications,
government
services
and
any
other
future
innovative
services
that
our
local
market
will
require",
said
Dr.
Hessa
Al
Jaber.
Michel
de
Rosen
added:
"We
are
honoured
to
partner
with
ictQatar
and
are
convinced
that
together,
we
can
represent
a
strong
and
complementary
force
that
benefits
the
expansion
and
continuing
sophistication
of
digital
services
across
the
footprint
of
our
future
new
satellite.
We
look
forward
to
developing
this
new
relationship
with
ictQatar,
which
further
anchors
on a
long-term
basis
our
commitment
to
markets
in
the
Middle
East
and
North
Africa".
Eutelsat
and
ictQatar
are
scheduled
to
place
the
order
for
the
new
satellite
by
the
middle
of
2010,
with
launch
in
late
2012.
This
programme
is
part
of
the
capex
plan
communicated
by
Eutelsat
Communications
for
the
period
2009-2012.
