PR/49/06
EUTELSAT AWARDS CONTRACT TO DELIVER HOT BIRD™ 10
BROADCAST SATELLITE TO ASTRIUM
Paris, 19 October 2006
Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) today announced that Astrium will build the
HOT BIRD™ 10 broadcast satellite which will be launched in first quarter 2009 and
positioned at the Group’s 13 degrees East location. Following HOT BIRD™ 8 and 9, it is the
third high-power broadcast satellite based on Astrium’s Eurostar E3000 platform that will be
located at Eutelsat’s premium video neighbourhood for cable and satellite broadcasting.
The procurement of HOT BIRD™ 10 underpins Eutelsat’s objectives to continue to renew
capacity at its HOT BIRD™ neighbourhood, to raise in-orbit redundancy and security for
broadcasting clients and to increase overall flexibility across its satellite fleet. Eutelsat’s 13
degrees East neighbourhood today broadcasts 950 television channels and 540 radio
stations to 110 million cable and satellite homes across Europe, North Africa and the Middle
East.
Astrium’s Eurostar E3000 platform was selected by Eutelsat for the HOT BIRD™ 8 satellite,
which went into full commercial service this month, and HOT BIRD™ 9 which was ordered
from Astrium in May this year. With each satellite equipped with 64 high-power Ku-band
transponders spanning the entire range of 102 Ku-band frequencies at 13 degrees East, they
will together deliver customers exceptional levels of security and in-orbit redundancy for the
development of digital entertainment services and HDTV channels.
HOT BIRD™ 10’s deployment in 2009 will also enable Eutelsat to pursue its objective to
develop video activities at other orbital locations. The new satellite will release the Group’s
HOT BIRD™ 7A satellite from 13 degrees East in order for it to be repositioned at the 10
degrees East neighbourhood. The proximity of these two neighbourhoods enables reception