[SatBroadcasting(tm)] As France enters its second year of transition into a fully digital broadcasting environment, with complete analog switch-off set for November 30, Eutelsat's FRANSAT subsidiary reports that more than 800,000 STBs have been shipped to receive Digital Terrestrial TV (DTT) channels by satellite via the FRANSAT platform.

A further 200,000 FRANSAT connections have been installed in community buildings (hotels, retirement homes, hospitals, clinics ...). Users selecting satellite reception of France's DTT channels are mainly located beyond range of the national Digital Terrestrial TV network, in areas where terrestrial reception is made more difficult by the landscape or by interference in frontier areas. This milestone has been reached as analog switch-off has been completed in 10 regions in metropolitan France. A further 14 regions, accounting for two thirds of French TV viewers, will transition in 2011. This second wave includes mountainous regions in the south of France (Auvergne, Alpine regions, Provence, Corsica, Rhone valley, Midi-Pyrenees) where a satellite solution will be needed to provide complementary coverage, ensuring that no home is excluded from access to Digital Terrestrial Television.

The rapid sales of boxes to receive FRANSAT underscore the intrinsic value of satellites for providing national broadcast coverage, with no need to build out additional terrestrial infrastructure, and for delivering optimal signal quality. For homes in metropolitan France beyond range of terrestrial reception, the viewer only needs to make a one-off investment in a FRANSAT-labelled set-top-box and a dish pointed to the ATLANTIC BIRD™ 3 satellite at 5 degrees West for access on a subscription-free basis to all free national DTT channels, including HD channels. Eutelsat's 5degrees West location has been used for more than 20 years by France's six historic analogue channels for reaching homes in regions with inexistent or poor terrestrial reception. This installed base of analogue-equipped homes can upgrade to digital with no need to change their outdoor unit. With a range of 20 decoders carrying the FRANSAT label and community products, commercialised by a network of 6,000 dealers, FRANSAT is well-equipped to deliver a simple complement to the terrestrial network in metropolitan France and to contribute to making Digital Terrestrial Television a universal service accessible to all.