PR/13/05
ALGERIE TELECOM SELECTS EUTELSAT ATLANTIC BIRD
™
3 FOR NATIONAL
BROADBAND COMMUNICATIONS
Paris, 29 June 2005
Eutelsat announced the signature of a contract with Algérie Télécom, Algeria’s leading
telecommunications operator, to support a far-reaching satellite broadband programme that
will serve public administrations and enterprises throughout the country, from the
Mediterranean coastline to remote locations in the Sahara desert.
Following an international tender, Algérie Télécom has selected to lease capacity on
Eutelsat’s ATLANTIC BIRD
™
3 satellite whose Ku-band steerable beam has been
optimised for North African countries including Saharan regions. In addition to satellite
capacity, Eutelsat is supplying engineering support in the initial phase of operations.
Algérie Télécom will provide
broadband services through Eutelsat’s ATLANTIC BIRD
™
3
satellite and a new DVB -RCS platform,
which the company has located at its teleport
near Algiers. Delivered and installed by EMS Technologies, the platform is based on the
DVB-RCS international open standard for satellite two-way broadband communications.
Algérie Télécom will be able to serve up to 2,500 users equipped with 1.2 metre antennas
and two-way broadband terminals via 36MHz bandwidth on
ATLANTIC BIRD
™
3
for the
forward link and 18 MHz for the return link. Eutelsat will be able to provide additional
resource in the same coverage as demand for broadband ramps up.
The range of applications which the platform will support include Internet access, Virtual
Private Networks, data transfer, video-conferencing and Voice over IP. This will equip
Algérie Télécom for serving broadband requirements from enterprises operating in the oil,
gas and mining sectors, as well as public administrations, hospitals, schools, customs and
immigration control etc.