[SatBroadcasting(tm)] Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) has announced that Nilesat, the Egyptian satellite company, has inked a 10-year contract for five transponders at the 7 degrees West orbital position. The capacity will be activated in the first phase on Eutelsat’s ATLANTIC BIRD™ 4A satellite, and subsequently transferred to ATLANTIC BIRD 7, which is scheduled for launch and deployment at 7 degrees West in 2011.

This new contract forms part of the strategic agreement signed in March 2009 between Eutelsat and Nilesat to collaborate on a long-term basis on optimizing resources at the 7 degrees West position, which is used by both companies for satellite broadcasting across North Africa, and the Middle East. Eutelsat has been partnering with Nilesat since July 2006 when its ATLANTIC BIRD™ 4 satellite was copositioned at 7 degrees West with the Nilesat satellites. This constellation of four satellites already broadcast more than 660 television and 130 radio channels to users equipped for Direct-to-Home (DTH) reception.