Eutelsat has announced that it has ordered a next-generation satellite to support its European fixed broadband and in-flight connectivity businesses. Named Konnect VHTS, the satellite will be built by Thales Alenia Space and is expected to enter into service in 2021. Eutelsat said that the project is backed by multi-year distribution commitments from Orange, which will re-sell broadband connectivity to rural households, and by Thales, which will target government and public-sector customers.
Commenting on the announcement, Eutelsat CEO Rodolphe Belmer said that the satellite would deliver services comparable to fibre connectivity both in terms of price and speed, acting as an important complement to extant broadband coverage provided by terrestrial networks.
The decision to order Konnect VHTS means that Eutelsat has abandoned the project of a joint investment with ViaSat for the construction of a ViaSat 3 satellite. As a result, there is no expected change in its capex guidance (an average of EUR 420 million per year), said the company.
As part of the deal, Thales Alenia Space will also develop a ground segment system to support the new satellite. With a weight of 6.3 tonnes, Konnect VHTS will deliver 500 Gigabits per second of Ka-band capacity and will embark one of the most powerful on-board digital processors ever put in orbit.
