Eutelsat
Eutelsat Communications S.A., trading as Eutelsat Group is a French satellite operator. Providing coverage over the entire European continent, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Americas, it has been the world's third-largest satellite operator in terms of revenues. Its subsidiary Eutelsat OneWeb is a competitor to SpaceX's Starlink.
Eutelsat's satellites are used for broadcasting nearly 7,000 television stations, of which 1,400 are in high-definition television, and 1,100 radio stations to over 274 million cable and satellite homes. They also serve requirements for TV contribution services, corporate networks, mobile communications, Internet backbone connectivity and broadband access for terrestrial, maritime and in-flight applications. Eutelsat is headquartered in Paris, France. Eutelsat Communications Chief Executive Officer is currently Eva Berneke.
In October 2017, Eutelsat acquired Noorsat, one of the leading satellite service providers in the Middle East, from Bahrain's Orbit Holding Group. Noorsat is the premier distributor of Eutelsat capacity in the Middle East, serving blue-chip customers and providing services for over 300 TV channels almost exclusively from Eutelsat's market-leading the Middle East and North Africa neighbourhoods at 7/8° West and 25.5° East.
On 26 July 2022, Eutelsat announced a merger with LEO satellite internet operator OneWeb. When the merger was completed in September 2023, the company became a subsidiary of a new entity, "Eutelsat Group". It has 35 geostationary satellites and 600 satellites in a Low Earth orbit constellation.
History
The European Telecommunications Satellite Organization was originally set up in 1977, by 17 European countries as an intergovernmental organisation. Its role was to develop and operate a satellite-based telecommunications infrastructure for Europe. The Convention establishing the European Telecommunications Satellite Organization Eutelsat was opened for signature in July 1982 and entered into force on 1 September 1985.In 1982, Eutelsat decided to start operations of its first TV channel on the Orbital Test Satellite in cooperation with European Space Agency. This was the first satellite-based direct-to-home TV channel launched in Europe. In 1983, Eutelsat launched its first satellite to be used for telecommunications and TV distribution
Initially established to address satellite telecommunications demand in Western Europe, Eutelsat rapidly developed its infrastructure to expand coverage to additional services and markets, such as Central and Eastern Europe in 1989, and the Middle East, the African continent, and large parts of Asia and the Americas from the 1990s.
Eutelsat was the first satellite operator in Europe to broadcast television channels direct-to-home. It developed its premium neighbourhood of five Hot Bird satellites in the mid-1990s to offer capacity that would be able to attract hundreds of channels to the same orbital location, appealing to wider audiences for consumer satellite TV.
With the general liberalisation of the telecommunications sector in Europe, Eutelsat's assets, liabilities and operational activities were transferred to a private company called Eutelsat S.A. established for this purpose in July 2001. The structure role and activities of the new intergovernmental organisation Eutelsat IGO evolved. According to Eutelsat IGO's amended constitution in 2016, the main purpose of Eutelsat IGO has been to ensure that Eutelsat S.A. observes the Basic Principles set forth in the Eutelsat Amended Convention entered into force in November 2002. These Basic Principles refer to public service/universal service obligations, pan European coverage by the satellite system, non-discrimination and fair competition. The Executive Secretary of Eutelsat IGO participates in all meetings of the Board of Directors of Eutelsat Communications S.A. and Eutelsat S.A. as an observer to the Board.
In April 2005, the principal shareholders of Eutelsat S.A. grouped their investment in a new entity, which is now the holding company of the Group owning 95.2% of Eutelsat S.A. on 6 October 2005. As of 2009, the holding company owned 96.0% of Eutelsat S.A.
2010s
On 31 July 2013, Eutelsat Communications announced the 100% acquisition of Satélites Mexicanos, S.A. de C.V. for US$831 million in cash plus the assumption of US$311 million in Satmex debt, pending government and regulatory approvals. The transaction was finalized on 2 January 2014. Based in Mexico, Satmex operates three satellites at contiguous positions, 113° West, 114.9° West and 116.8° West that cover 90% of the population of the Americas.In December 2015, the company announced a partnership with Facebook to launch an internet satellite over Africa by 2016 where Facebook lease all of a satellite's high throughput Ka-band capacity, however, the satellite was destroyed during launch preparations.
2020s
In December 2020, Eutelsat launched Eutelsat Konnect, a domestic broadband service targeting remote localities, in the United Kingdom with a planned subsequent launch across Europe.In July 2021, Eutelsat launched Eutelsat Quantum, the first full software-defined satellite. It will enable users, notably in the Government and Mobility markets, to actively define and shape performance and reach thanks to its software-based design.
In December 2021, Eva Berneke was appointed Chief Executive Officer to replace Rodolphe Belmer. She will take up her position on 1 January 2022.
In March 2022, in the context of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and growing censorship in Russia, two of the Russian packagers active on the 36°E Eutelsat satellites, NTV Plus and Trikolor, unilaterally interrupted broadcasting of 8 international news channels. This interruption was denounced by the Denis Diderot Committee, made up of academics and professionals from the European audiovisual sector, which published a report and launched a petition asking for sanctions from the European Union and Eutelsat IGO against the two operators. The petition is signed by all members of the Ukrainian regulatory body, the National Radio and Television Council.
Distribution of Russian TV and radio channels sanctioned by the European Union
Eutelsat continues to collaborate with Russian TV platforms such as NTV-Plus and Tricolor. In France, the association Denis Diderot Committee has started a petition to put pressure on the EU to get Eutelsat to drop cooperation with the Russian channels due to a war in Ukraine. In a press release, the association writes that it is 'paradoxical and unforgivable' that European satellites are used to broadcast Russian channels, which 'only spread the Kremlin's official state propaganda.As top manager of French Eutelsat, Danish Eva Berneke defended the strategy in a podcast interview with Techmediet Radar: "It is clear that then we would have to wave goodbye to some Russian customers, who would then move on to some Russian satellites or something else". Media spokesman Kasper Sand Kjær of the Danish Social Democrats comments this decision with: "I think everyone should decide for themselves which side you want to stand on in the story. I do not believe that one can get through the time we are in right now by saying that one is neutral".
Jim Phillipoff, co-founder of the Denis Diderot Committee explained further that Eutelat's declared "neutrality" is rather dubious granted the fact that Eutelsat only offers channels on to Russian customers but not independent Russian-language broadcasts, which could help break information monopoly of the Russian state. As described above, Russian customers already actively censored western channels in their broadcasts on 36°E, which made the claims of Eutelsat's neutrality even more absurd.
On 14 December 2022, the French media regulatory authority Arcom formally ordered Eutelsat to cease broadcasting three Russian channels, Rossiya 1, Perviy Kanal, and NTV, whose programs devoted to the Russian invasion of Ukraine contain repeated incitement to hatred and violence and numerous breaches of fair reporting. This decision followed a ruling by the interim relief judge of the Council of State dated 9 December 2022, who asked the Authority to reexamine the situation of these three channels in light of additional evidence presented during the investigation. It emerged that they were broadcast not only in Russia, but also in the Ukrainian territories annexed by Russia. Since, unlike Russia, Ukraine has signed and ratified the European Convention on Transfrontier Television, as has France, Arcom therefore has a legal basis to require Eutelsat to cease broadcasting these channels.
On 16 December 2022, the European Union adopted sanctions against the Russian TV channels Perviy Kanal, Rossiya 1, NTV and REN-TV, as well as sanctions against the Russian media companies VGTRK, National Media Group and the Russian Armed Forces. Eutelsat said on 22 December that it stood to lose up to 15 million euros in annual revenues from restricting broadcasts in Russia and Iran to comply with sanctions.
On 5 March 2024, RSF has launched the Svoboda Satellite package on the Eutelsat Hotbird 13G. The package proposes 8 TV channels and 3 radio channels provided by Russian media in exile in Western Europe, RFE, Deutsche Welle, the Moladavian TV8 and the Ukrainian Gordon Live.
Eutelsat has implemented the French and EU sanctions against Russian channels, but has not implemented the sanctions against Russian media groups adopted by the European Union since 16 December 2022 contacted the French Ombudsman to alert on the fact that the French media regulatory authority Arcom lacks of diligence in ordering the company to respect the EU sanctions against Russian media companies. According to the Diderot Committee, as at early March 2025, 192 frequencies on Eutelsat satellites are still occupied by TV and radio channels provided by Russian sanctioned companies, including channels of the Russian Army and of the Orthodox Church and distributed in Russia in the illegally annexed territories of Ukraine.
Services
In June 2021, Eutelsat launched Eutelsat Advance, an end-to-end managed connectivity service, including network interconnection, a management portal and APIs for service providers and their clients. Available via Eutelsat's certified network of partners, Eutelsat Advance enables service providers in Enterprise, Maritime, Aviation, Government and Telecoms to enhance their service portfolio by increasing the range of connectivity services they offer.In September 2018, Eutelsat announced Cirrus, which enabled broadcasters to deliver content to satellite and over-the-top media service. Viewers can watch content on screens, phones and tablets, access multiple programmes, record and rewind and view detailed programme information.
With a global fleet of satellites and associated ground infrastructure, Eutelsat enables clients across Video, Data, Government, Fixed and Mobile Broadband markets to communicate effectively to their customers, irrespective of their location. Over 6800 television channels operated by leading media groups are broadcast by Eutelsat to one billion viewers across the world equipped for DTH reception or connected to terrestrial networks
As of March 2025, the company stated that it offers the same capacities as Starlink in Europe. However the operation of Eutelsat terminals is many times more expensive than that of Starlink.
Satellites
Eutelsat sells capacity on 36 satellites located in geosynchronous orbit between 139° West and 174° East. On 1 March 2012, Eutelsat changed the names of its satellites. The group's satellites mostly take the Eutelsat name, with the relevant figure for their orbital position and a letter indicating their order of arrival at that position. On 21 May 2014, Eutelsat Americas aligned its satellite names with the Eutelsat brand.| Satellite | COSPAR ID | Location | Launch Vehicle | Regions served | Launch | Comments |
| Eutelsat Konnect VHTS | 2022-110A | Ariane 5 ECA | Europe | 7 September 2022 | Very High Throughput Satellite. Hosting the most powerful on-board digital processor ever put in orbit. | |
| Eutelsat 3B | 2014-030A | Zenit-3SL | Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, Brazil | 26 May 2014 | Entered service in July 2014 | |
| Eutelsat 5 West B | 2019-067A | Proton-M/Briz-M | Europe, North Africa | 9 October 2019 | ||
| Eutelsat 7B | 2013-022A | Proton-M/Briz-M | Europe, Middle East, Africa | 14 May 2013 | ||
| Eutelsat 7C | 2019-034B | Ariane 5 ECA | Europe, Middle East, Africa | 20 June 2019 | ||
| Eutelsat Konnect | 2020-005B | Ariane 5 ECA | Europe, Africa | 17 January 2020 | First satellite to use Thales Alenia Space's all-electric Spacebus NEO platform | |
| Eutelsat 7 West A | 2011-051A | Zenit-3SL | Middle East, North Africa | 24 September 2011 | Formerly named Atlantic Bird 7 until March 2012 | |
| Eutelsat 8 West B | 2015-039A | Ariane 5 ECA | Africa, Middle East | 20 August 2015 | ||
| Eutelsat KA-SAT 9A | 2010-069A | Proton-M/Briz-M | Europe | 26 December 2010 | ||
| Eutelsat 9B | 2016-005A | Proton-M/Briz-M | Europe, North Africa, Middle East | 30 January 2016 | ||
| Eutelsat 10A | 2009-016A | Proton-M/Briz-M | Europe, Africa, Middle East | 3 April 2009 | Formerly named Eutelsat W2A until March 2012; S-band payload not yet entered into service due to an anomaly. Solaris Mobile filed the insurance claim and should be able to offer some, but not all of the services it was planning to offer. | |
| Eutelsat 10B | 2022-157A | Falcon 9 Block 5 | North Atlantic corridor, Europe, Mediterranean basin, Middle East | 23 November 2022 | ||
| Hot Bird 13B | 2006-032A | Proton-M/Briz-M | Europe, North Africa, Middle East | 5 August 2006 | Formerly named Hot Bird 8 until March 2012 | |
| Hot Bird 13C | 2008-065D | Ariane 5 ECA | Europe, North Africa, Middle East | 20 December 2008 | Formerly named Hot Bird 9 until March 2012 | |
| Hot Bird 13E | 2006-007B | Ariane 5 ECA | Europe, North Africa, Middle East | 11 March 2006 | Formerly named Eurobird 9A until March 2012; former Hot Bird 7A satellite / Eutelsat 9A | |
| Hotbird 13F | 2022-134A | Falcon 9 Block 5 | Europe, North Africa, Middle East | 15 October 2022 | All-electric Eurostar Neo bus | |
| Hotbird 13G | 2022-146A | Falcon 9 Block 5 | Europe, North Africa, Middle East | 3 November 2022 | All-electric Eurostar Neo bus | |
| Eutelsat 16A | 2011-057A | Long March 3B | Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, Indian Ocean Islands | 7 October 2011 | Formerly named Eutelsat W3C until March 2012 | |
| Eutelsat 21B | 2012-062B | Ariane 5 ECA | Europe, Middle East, North Africa, West Africa, Central Asia | 10 November 2012 | Fully operational since 19 December 2012. | |
| Eutelsat 33C | 2001-011A | Ariane 5G | Europe | 8 March 2001 | Satellite is currently being redeployed at 33° East where it will be co-located with Eutelsat 33B. Formerly named Eurobird 1 until March 2012 and Eutelsat 28A until July 2015 | |
| Eutelsat 33E | 2009-008B | Ariane 5 ECA | Europe, South-West Asia | 12 February 2009 | Formerly Hot Bird 10 and Atlantic Bird 4A | |
| Eutelsat 36A | 2000-028A | Atlas IIIA | Africa, Russia | 24 May 2000 | Formerly named Eutelsat W4 until March 2012. | |
| Eutelsat 36B | 2009-065A | Proton-M/Briz-M | Europe, Africa, Middle East, Russia | 24 November 2009 | Formerly named Eutelsat W7 until March 2012 | |
| Eutelsat 36C | 2015-082A | Proton-M/Briz-M | Russia, Africa | 2015 | ||
| Eutelsat 36D | 2024-059A | Falcon 9 Block 5 | Europe, Africa, Russia | 30 March 2024 | Replacement for Eutelsat 36B | |
| Eutelsat 36 West A | 2002-040A | Ariane 5G | Europe, Middle East, Americas | 28 August 2002 | Formerly named Atlantic Bird 1 until March 2012, and Eutelsat 12 West A | |
| Eutelsat 48D | 2008-065B | Ariane 5 ECA | Afghanistan, Central Asia | 20 December 2008 | Co-branded Afghansat 1. Formerly named Eutelsat 28B until January 2014, Eutelsat 48B until August 2012, W2M until March 2012. | |
| Eutelsat Quantum | 2021-069B | Ariane 5 ECA+ | Middle East, North Africa | 30 July 2021 | First in-orbit reprogrammable satellite | |
| Eutelsat 65 West A | 2016-014A | Ariane 5 ECA | Americas | 9 March 2016 | ||
| Eutelsat 70B | 2012-069A | Zenit-3SL | Europe, Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, South East Asia, Australia | 3 December 2012 | ||
| Eutelsat 113 West A | 2006-020A | Ariane 5 ECA | Americas | 27 May 2006 | Formerly Satmex 6 until May 2014 | |
| Eutelsat 115 West B | 2015-010B | Falcon 9 v1.1 | Americas | 2 March 2015 | ||
| Eutelsat 117 West A | 2013-012A | Proton-M/Briz-M | Americas | 26 March 2013 | Formerly Satmex 8 until May 2014 | |
| Eutelsat 117 West B | 2016-038B | Falcon 9 FT | Americas | 15 June 2016 | Formerly Satmex 9 | |
| Eutelsat 139 West A | 2004-008A | Proton-M/Briz-M | Americas | 16 March 2004 | Formerly named Eutelsat W3A until March 2012, then Eutelsat 7A | |
| Eutelsat 172B | 2017-027A | Ariane 5 ECA | Asia-Pacific | 1 June 2017 | ||
| Eutelsat 174A | 2005-052A | Proton-M/Briz-M | Asia-Pacific | 29 December 2005 | Formerly Eutelsat 172A, and GE-23 satellite |
Organization
Shareholders
On June 19, 2025, Eutelsat announced a capital increase by the French state, which will raise its stake in the group from 13.5% to 29%, allowing the French state to become the largest shareholder of Eutelsat "by the end of the year 2025."As of 25 February 2025:
| Shareholder | % |
| Bharti Enterprises | 23.83 % |
| Bpifrance | 13.59 % |
| Government of the United Kingdom | 10.89 % |
| SB Investment Advisers | 10.89 % |
| CMA CGM | 5.46 % |
| Hanwha Systems | 5.44 % |
| Lazard Asset Management | 5.04 % |
| Spacetime Transformations | 5.01 % |
| Fonds stratégique de participations | 4.14 % |
As of 1 August 2023:
| Shareholder | % |
| Bpifrance | 25.95 % |
| Fonds stratégique de participations | 7.016 % |
| Lazard Asset Management Pacific Co. | 6.66 % |
| China Investment Corporation | 3.703 % |
| DNCA Finance | 2.54 % |
| The Vanguard Group | 2.11 % |
| Norges Bank Investment Management | 2.036 % |
| The Vanguard Group | 2.41 % |
| Dimensional Fund Advisors LP | 1.972 % |
| CBRE Investment Management Listed Real Assets LLC | 1.699 % |
| Pacer Advisors, Inc. | 1.638 % |