Eutelsat prepares for satellite launch

Eutelsat Communications has confirmed that final preparations have begun for the launch of its W2A satellite, which will provide additional communication bandwidth and connectivity over multiple territories, including a large footprint in Africa.

The communications satellite will be placed in orbit with an ILS Proton Breeze M rocket, and the launch will take place at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Friday, 03 April 2009.

The satellite will deliver additional communication bandwidth to Eutelsat, and will include Europe’s first S-band payload for video and data services for mobile handsets and vehicles. The S-band payload is commercialised by Solaris Mobile, a joint venture established by Eutelsat and SES Astra.

The three frequency bands on the satellite will connect to a wide footprint in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The S-band frequency will allow direct connection between the satellite and terrestrial devices like mobile handsets or media players.