Satellite Service: EB9

Eutelsat Communications has recently rebranded its Hot Bird™ 2 satellite as EB9 and has reset it to a position of 9 degrees East. The introduction of this satellite service is quite significant as it suggests the beginning of a new video neighbourhood, bordering on the position at which Eutelsat’s premium satellite service, Hot Bird™, is deployed. The presence of off-the-shelf dual-feed domestic dishes makes the reception of channels from both the locations quite easy.

The repositioning of EB9 is a result of the launches of Eutelsat’s Hot Bird™ 7A and 8 satellites in the year 2006 that have gone on to become to huge successes. Combined with Hot Bird™ 6, these large satellites at present, successfully broadcast over 1,000 channels, out of which more than 50% are free-to-air from the 13 degrees East position of the Group. The entry of these satellites into service has provided Eutelsat with the opportunity of pursuing the development of its in-orbit resources. This can be possible by reallocating the high performing based Hot Bird™ satellites to other locations having strong potential for growth, such as 4 degrees East for Eurobird™ 4 (formerly Hot Bird™ 3) and 7 degrees West for Atlantic Bird™ 4 (formerly Hot Bird ™ 4).

EB9 offers Optimised for DTH i.e., Direct-to-Home broadcasting and delivers twenty Ku-band transponders that are entirely operational and supply coverage across various regions across the globe like Europe, Middle East and North Africa. Eutelsat is in the process of developing new consumer solutions that are cheaper as compared to the existing satellite services, so as to enable the easy upgradation of the active Hot Bird™ installations to make them capable of receiving channels from 9 degrees East through a second LNB fitted alongside the LNB directed to the Hot Bird™ neighbourhood. This step will help Eutelsat in rendering support to the market to enable multi-satellite reception that can be afforded by the propinquity of its orbital positions. Already there are several DTH bouquets broadcasting on EB9 that are successfully catering to a widespread range of audiences.

The new pan-European TV platform namely, Roots Global, which caters to audiences of South Asian origin settled in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East is mounting up the number of channels it broadcasts from the EB9 satellite of Eutelsat Communications. The new platform is managed by Spize TV, a Singapore-based organization that is tie-up between Global Asia Partners, an investment group dedicated to investing in high potential IT and media companies and Pyramid Saimira of Chennai, India. The majority, however, lies with Global Asia Partners. In order to support Eutelsat’s new platform on EB9, Spize TV has signed a long-term contract with it.