Eutelsat cracks 3000 ch’s

chris

The Eutelsat satellite system is now carrying more than 3000 digital TV and HDTV channels. Add in audio and the number reaches a staggering 4100 services in all.

The 3K “milestone” was broken by Polsat News – an all-news channel for Poland carried by one of Eutelsat’s Hot Bird craft. A trio of HDTV channels on its W2 satellite for Albanian pay-TV platform DigitAlb cemented in the achievement.

A Eutelsat statement said: “Data on channel growth shows continued significant take-up of channels at all Eutelsat neighbourhoods, with particular growth for satellites serving fast-growing broadcasting markets in Russia, the Ukraine, central Europe, Turkey and Africa, which are served by the Group’s W4/SESAT 1, W2 and W3A satellites.”

It is worth noting that Eutelsat’s first craft (1-F1) was launched only in 1983, and to the 13 degrees East position. But Eutelsat as an operation really started motoring when it launched the first of its Hot Bird satellites, and that was just in 1995. 13 years to achieve 3000 channels has to be some sort of record.

There will, of course, be more. Some of Eutelsat’s senior staff were in Sardinia yesterday, watching work start on a new Earth Station and teleport for the company. The plan is to push the Eutelsat footprint further south over Africa, and start tapping into the local market for C-band demand and capacity.

Source:RapidTVNews

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