PARIS: Eutelsat, one of the worlds leading satellite operators has brought new capacity into service for broadband Internet access and direct-to-home (DTH) satellite television broadcasting in western and central Europe. The company is delivering services at 33 degrees East through the EUROBIRD 2 satellite (formerly HOT BIRD 5).

EUROBIRD 2 is a Ku-band satellite with a high-power Superbeam coverage that is focussed on western and central Europe, stretching from the British Isles and southern Scandinavia in the north, to Spain, Italy and Greece in the south, and across to Poland and Hungary in the east. The satellites proximity to EUROBIRD 1 at 28.5 degrees East that serves six million digital satellite homes in the UK opens new synergies for Internet Service Providers and broadcasters. With a standard dual-feed installation all households already equipped to receive EUROBIRD 1 will be able to access broadband Internet services simultaneously direct from EUROBIRD 2.

Underscoring Eutelsats objective to deploy services and technologies that facilitate satellite access to a broad range of users, EUROBIRD 2 is also equipped with a SKYPLEX payload. SKYPLEX enables digital television and data broadcasters to uplink individually from the rooftops of their premises and to be directly received by DVB terminals, thereby bypassing the need to deliver signals to an on-ground multiplex through a contribution link. Eutelsats unique on-board multiplexing SKYPLEX technology at its HOT BIRD position has already facilitated access to direct satellite broadcasting for a range of thematic, regional and local channels as well as data broadcasters.

Through a configuration of narrowband and wideband transponders, EUROBIRD 2 is particularly well suited for one-way and two-way broadband services for consumer, SOHO and SME markets. Customers already signed up to use EUROBIRD 2 include Everywhere! Broadband, a UK-based Internet Service Provider. Everywhere! Broadband recently announced its plans to launch a new satellite broadband service for UK consumers using Eutelsats OPENSKY platform. By the end of this year it will be offering consumers access to a wide range of streamed video and audio content, highspeed Internet and fast file delivery.