Eutelsat W2A

Eutelsat Communications and Alcatel announced in September 2006 that Eutelsat has retained Alcatel Alenia Space for the design, manufacturing, assembling, tests, and on-ground delivery of the Eutelsat W2A satellite. The main mission of this powerful new satellite will be to extend Ku-band capacity for video, broadband, and telecommunications services in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, and boost the C-band capacity available through Eutelsat's fleet for services across Africa. Eutelsat has also asked Alcatel to proceed with head-start activities for a state-of-the-art S-band payload at 2.2 GHz on W2A. A final decision on flying the S-band payload will be taken by Eutelsat in October following the completion of a full assessment of market demand, the regulatory framework, and financing.