Satnews Daily
September 15th, 2014

Eutelsat Communications + Nilesat—A 7/8 Degrees West Play (Satellite—Capacity)


[SatNews] Eutelsat Communications (Paris:ETL) (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) and Nilesat, the Egyptian satellite operator, have announced that Nilesat has taken a long-term lease for multiple transponders on the EUTELSAT 8 West B satellite that will be launched in mid-2015 to the leading video neighborhood in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

The 7/8 degrees West video neighborhood operated by Eutelsat and Nilesat broadcasts more than 1,000 TV channels to more than 52 million homes located from Morocco in the West to the Gulf in the East. Eutelsat and Nilesat have progressively built a comprehensive broadcast infrastructure at 7/8 degrees West, comprising three Eutelsat and two Nilesat satellites specifically designed for DTH reception. Both operators have steadily brought new capacity on line to meet thriving demand and the acceleration of HD channel launches. The next phase of expansion comes in 2015 with EUTELSAT 8 West B that will bring additional resources, increased operational flexibility and improved signal integrity for client broadcasters.


Artistic rendition of the EUTELSAT 8 West B satellite.

Image courtesy of Thales Alenia Space.

The additional transponders booked by Nilesat on EUTELSAT 8 West B complement resources already leased on the EUTELSAT 8 West C satellite that equips Nilesat to meet immediate customer expectations for high-performance capacity. Services on EUTELSAT 8 West C satellite will be transferred to EUTELSAT 8 West B, once that satellite enters service.

Eutelsat Communications infosite: http://www.eutelsat.com/

Nilesat infosite: http://nilesat.com.eg/