meirda
01-09-2008, 06:28 AM
Eutelsat said it's building a Ka-Band satellite, contracting EADS Astrium to deliver the spacecraft for the European satellite operator.
The satellite will form the cornerstone of a major satellite infrastructure expansion that will develop capacity for consumer broadband services delivered across Europe and the Mediterranean, Eutelsat said. The bird also will provide new opportunities for local and regional television markets.
The satellite is scheduled for launch in third quarter 2010. It will contain more than 80 spot beams. And a network of eight gateways managed by Eutelsat will form part of the infrastructure for the Ka-Band platform.
Eutelsat said it will locate the satellite at 13 degrees East where it will join three large Hot Bird Ku-Band broadcasting satellites located in the video neighborhood. The group of satellites will enable homes to receive television in Ku-Band and rich media services in Ka-Band through a single antenna, the company said.
The satellite will become the European equivalent of ViaSat-1, a high-capacity Ka-Band broadband bird ordered by ViaSat to serve the North American market and set for launch in 2011. The companies will bring together ViaSat's Ka-Band SurfBeam networking system and a similar wholesale business model that works through ISPs, telecom companies and pay-TV platforms to serve subscribers, the company said.
ViaSat is partnering with Loral for the North American effort.
ViaSat executives said the ViaSat broadband satellite has a total throughput design of more than 100 Gigabits per second, representing a breakthrough for satellite broadband communications. "This is a technology opportunity that is right in our sweet spot," said Mark Dankberg, CEO and chairman of ViaSat.
"We provide ground systems for many commercial and government satellites, and as our activity in satellite payloads has increased, we realized that we could make a major breakthrough by simultaneously designing the spot beam satellite and the ground segment," Dankberg added. "At the same time, this strategic partnership combines our expertise and economies of scale in broadband modems and Ka-Band MMICs, with the benefit of our partners' extensive experience in designing, launching, and operating advanced satellites and services."
The satellite will form the cornerstone of a major satellite infrastructure expansion that will develop capacity for consumer broadband services delivered across Europe and the Mediterranean, Eutelsat said. The bird also will provide new opportunities for local and regional television markets.
The satellite is scheduled for launch in third quarter 2010. It will contain more than 80 spot beams. And a network of eight gateways managed by Eutelsat will form part of the infrastructure for the Ka-Band platform.
Eutelsat said it will locate the satellite at 13 degrees East where it will join three large Hot Bird Ku-Band broadcasting satellites located in the video neighborhood. The group of satellites will enable homes to receive television in Ku-Band and rich media services in Ka-Band through a single antenna, the company said.
The satellite will become the European equivalent of ViaSat-1, a high-capacity Ka-Band broadband bird ordered by ViaSat to serve the North American market and set for launch in 2011. The companies will bring together ViaSat's Ka-Band SurfBeam networking system and a similar wholesale business model that works through ISPs, telecom companies and pay-TV platforms to serve subscribers, the company said.
ViaSat is partnering with Loral for the North American effort.
ViaSat executives said the ViaSat broadband satellite has a total throughput design of more than 100 Gigabits per second, representing a breakthrough for satellite broadband communications. "This is a technology opportunity that is right in our sweet spot," said Mark Dankberg, CEO and chairman of ViaSat.
"We provide ground systems for many commercial and government satellites, and as our activity in satellite payloads has increased, we realized that we could make a major breakthrough by simultaneously designing the spot beam satellite and the ground segment," Dankberg added. "At the same time, this strategic partnership combines our expertise and economies of scale in broadband modems and Ka-Band MMICs, with the benefit of our partners' extensive experience in designing, launching, and operating advanced satellites and services."