Eutelsat Opens New Video Neighbourhood at 7 Degrees West With Entry Into Service of ATLANTIC BIRD(TM) 4

Eutelsat Opens New Video Neighbourhood at 7 Degrees West With Entry Into Service of ATLANTIC BIRD(TM) 4

PARIS, France, July 3/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) announces that its ATLANTIC
BIRD(TM) 4 satellite has gone into full commercial service at the 7 degrees
West location. Operating since 1998 as HOT BIRD(TM) 4 from Eutelsat's HOT
BIRD(TM) neighbourhood, the newly-branded ATLANTIC BIRD(TM) 4 was freed to
initiate its new mission at 7 degrees West with the transfer on 22 April 2006
of broadcast clients onto HOT BIRD(TM) 7A.

Designed for consumer broadcasting, the satellite's high-power footprint
has been optimised in particular to serve the Middle East and North Africa,
enabling Direct-to-Home (DTH) reception of digital services with domestic
antennas from 7 degrees West.

ATLANTIC BIRD(TM) 4's commercial entry into service triggers the contract
for capacity announced in September 2005 with Nilesat, the Egyptian satellite
operator. Nilesat's capacity on ATLANTIC BIRD(TM) 4 equips it to boost
development in dynamic broadcasting markets in the Middle East and North
Africa in complement to the more than 300 television channels it already
delivers through its Nilesat 101 and 102 satellites, which are also
positioned at 7 degrees West. The first 18 channels have already begun
broadcasting from ATLANTIC BIRD(TM) 4.

Capacity leased on the satellite by Noorsat, the Bahrain-based provider
of capacity and video services, is also shortly expected to be activated for
television broadcasting.

Commenting on ATLANTIC BIRD(TM) 4's entry into service, Eutelsat CEO,
Giuliano Berretta said, "Eutelsat's opening of a new video neighbourhood for
North Africa, the Middle East and the Gulf states at 7 degrees West
underscores our objective to consolidate our longstanding presence in these
regions. In the same way we embarked over ten years ago on building the HOT
BIRD(TM) and EUROBIRD(TM) 1 neighbourhoods, we are now equipped to offer a
new premium satellite resource that can support the continued expansion of
our clients in dynamic digital broadcasting markets."

About Eutelsat Communications

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is
the holding company of Eutelsat S.A. The Group is a leading satellite
operator with capacity commercialised on 23 satellites providing coverage
over the entire European continent, as well as the Middle East, Africa, India
and significant parts of Asia and the Americas. The Group is one of the
world's three leading satellite operators in terms of revenues. Its
satellites are used for broadcasting nearly 1,800 TV and 900 radio stations
to more than 120 million cable and satellite homes. The Group also provides
TV contribution services, corporate networks, mobile positioning and
communications, Internet backbone connectivity and broadband access for
terrestrial, maritime and inflight applications. Eutelsat Communications is
headquartered in Paris, and the Group's workforce comprises over 480 from 27
countries.

www.eutelsat.com

For further
information
Press
Vanessa O'Connor Tel: +33-1-53-98-38-88
voconnor@eutelsat.fr
Frederique Gautier Tel: +33-1-53-98-38-88
fgautier@eutelsat.fr
Investors
Gilles Janvier Tel: +33-1-53-98-35-35
investors@eutelsat-communications.com

Source: Eutelsat Communications

Press, Vanessa O'Connor, Tel: +33-1-53-98-38-88, voconnor@eutelsat.fr, Frederique Gautier, Tel: +33-1-53-98-38-88, fgautier@eutelsat.fr, Investors, Gilles Janvier, Tel: +33-1-53-98-35-35, investors@eutelsat-communications.com

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