Belgium Satellite Services Increases Capacity With Eutelsat to Boost Development of VSAT Services in Africa and Middle East

PARIS, January 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) and Belgium Satellite Services (BSS), a leading teleport and satellite communications provider in Europe and Asia, today announced the signature of a new long-term contract for 46 MHz of C-band capacity on the EUTELSAT 10A satellite.

The contract reflects BSS's ambition to step up its activity in Africa and the Middle East, and follows its acquisition, completed last month, of INTERSAT, a leading provider of satellite-based data solutions with offices in Kenya and the United Arab Emirates. The new capacity on EUTELSAT 10A will allow BSS to expand VSAT services for the client base of more than 150 businesses, NGOs and government administrations built by INTERSAT in over 25 countries in Africa and the Middle East, and to develop new business. Networks will be managed by BSS using its teleport in Lessive (Belgium) and state of the art ground station equipped with the latest iDirect technology.

Nitin Dhawan, CEO of Belgium Satellite Services reports: "We are happy to take our strong 10-year relationship with Eutelsat to the next level. This is important for BSS as the acquisition ofINTERSAThas significantly expanded the scope of our business. Thanks to the extensiveC-band footprint on EUTELSAT 10A satellite we can build a strong platform for service provisionacross the African continent andthe Middle East. We are now positioned to strengthen our response to businesses and multinationals in demanding enterprise sectors,including the banking sector,that need secure and scalable networks. The new capacity enables us to consolidate our long-term positioning in this part of the world, boosting our international expansion."

Jean-François Leprince-Ringuet, Chief Commercial Officer at Eutelsat, added: "This new contract with BSSfurther anchors EUTELSAT 10Ain dynamic regions across Africa and the Middle East. We are delighted that itsperformance and coverage willenable BSS to accelerate its growth and that our longstanding partner has renewed its confidence in us with this new lease." 

About Belgium Satellite Services

Belgium Satellite Services s.a. (BSS) is a leading player in the worldwide satellite services market, providing tailor-made, high-quality satellite networking solutions including hub and hosting services, IP over satellite, voice termination and TV &  broadcast solutions.  BSS was formed following the acquisition of Belgacom's satellite services division in 2007.  With two teleport sites and state-of-the-art facilities in Belgium and excellent fiber connectivity between the teleport and the globe, BSS is committed to providing international broadcasters, Internet Service Providers and corporate customers with advanced satellite services at a competitive price.

More details at  http://www.bssteleport.com or contact [email protected]

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About Eutelsat Communications

With capacity commercialised on 30 satellites delivering reach of  Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, significant parts of the Americas and the Asia-Pacific, Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris : ETL, code ISIN: FR0010221234) is one of the world's leading satellite operators. As of 30 September 2012 Eutelsat's satellites were broadcasting more than 4,400 television channels to over 200 million cable and satellite homes in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The Group's satellites also provide a wide range of services for TV contribution, corporate networks and fixed and mobile broadband markets. Headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat and its subsidiaries employ over 750 commercial, technical and operational professionals from 30 countries. http://www.eutelsat.com

SOURCE Eutelsat Communications