Eutelsat Communications and Alcatel Alenia Space announced in December 2006 that the two companies have signed a contract under which Alcatel Alenia Space will manufacture and deliver the Eutelsat W7 communications satellite.

To be launched into Eutelsat's 36 degrees East location, W7 will double the capacity currently available at a key neighborhood in the Group's fleet of geostationary satellites. Through a configuration of high-performance fixed and steerable beams, W7 will also boost coverage and flexibility for addressing growing markets, notably in central Asia and Africa.

W7's mission comprises up to 70 Ku-band transponders that can be connected to six beams serving Europe, Russia, Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. To be co-located with Eutelsat's W4 satellite, which already serves anchor pay-TV operators in Russia, the Ukraine, and sub-Saharan Africa, W7 will enable Eutelsat to almost double bandwidth for digital video services in these regions. It will also replace all capacity on Eutelsat's SESAT 1 satellite which serves Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia, and bring fresh capacity to South Africa through a high-power fixed beam and to central Asia through a spot beam that can be reoriented in orbit. Following W7's deployment at 36 degrees East, SESAT 1 will continue in commercial service at an alternative location.