Eutelsat partners up for new satellite over Europe, North Africa

Eutelsat has named the partners that will help it to build its new Eutelsat 5 West B satellite, which will serve mainly video markets in Europe and North Africa.

Airbus Defence and Space will build the satellite’s payload while the platform will be manufactured by Orbital ATK, Eutelsat announced.

Eutelsat 5 West B is due to launch in 2018, is destined for the 5° West orbital position, and will replace the Eutelsat 5 West A satellite.

The new satellite is designed to provide business continuity and improved quality for the predominantly French, Italian and Algerian broadcast markets that are currently served by Eutelsat 5 West A satellite.

Eutelsat 5 West B will have a Ku-band payload of 35 equivalent 36 MHz transponders connected to three service areas, as well as switchable transponders to increase commercial flexibility.

“Eutelsat 5 West A’s C-band mission, serving mainly data customers in Sub-Saharan Africa, will be discontinued,” said Eutelsat. “Service continuity will be provided by similar C-band capacity available on other Eutelsat resources, thereby optimising capacity utilisation rate across the group’s fleet.”