Digital Transition in France Driving Growth of Eutelsat's FRANSAT Satellite Platform of Digital Terrestrial TV Channels

Digital Transition in France Driving Growth of Eutelsat's FRANSAT Satellite Platform of Digital Terrestrial TV Channels

PARIS, January 27, 2011/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- As France enters its second year of transition into a fully
digital broadcasting environment, with complete analogue switch-off set for
30 November, Eutelsat's FRANSAT subsidiary reports that over 800,000
set-top-boxes have been shipped to receive Digital Terrestrial TV (DTT)
channels by satellite via the FRANSAT platform. A further 200,000 FRANSAT
connections have been installed in community buildings (hotels, retirement
homes, hospitals, clinics ...). Users selecting satellite reception of
France's DTT channels are mainly located beyond range of the national Digital
Terrestrial TV network, in areas where terrestrial reception is made more
difficult by the landscape or by interference in frontier areas.

Continued take-up of FRANSAT expected in 2011

This milestone has been reached as analogue switch-off has
been completed in 10 regions in metropolitan France. A further 14 regions,
accounting for two thirds of French TV viewers, will transition in 2011. This
second wave includes mountainous regions in the south of France (Auvergne,
Alpine regions, Provence, Corsica, Rhone valley, Midi-Pyrenees) where a
satellite solution will be needed to provide complementary coverage, ensuring
that no home is excluded from access to Digital Terrestrial Television.

Yves Blanc, Chairman of FRANSAT remarked on the performance:
"We are extremely gratified by the response to FRANSAT during our first year
of active contribution to France's move into a digital broadcasting
environment. FRANSAT is clearly meeting a need to complement France's
terrestrial network so that all homes can benefit from digital. We are
committed to further evolving the platform, with the addition of regional and
thematic channels."

Simplicity and efficiency driving take-up of FRANSAT

The rapid sales of boxes to receive FRANSAT underscore the
intrinsic value of satellites for providing national broadcast coverage, with
no need to build out additional terrestrial infrastructure, and for
delivering optimal signal quality. For homes in metropolitan France beyond
range of terrestrial reception, the viewer only needs to make a one-off
investment in a FRANSAT-labelled set-top-box and a dish pointed to the
ATLANTIC BIRD(TM) 3 satellite at 5degrees West for access on a
subscription-free basis to all free national DTT channels, including HD
channels. Eutelsat's 5degrees West location has been used for more than 20
years by France's six historic analogue channels for reaching homes in
regions with inexistent or poor terrestrial reception. This installed base of
analogue-equipped homes can upgrade to digital with no need to change their
outdoor unit.

For collective housing and community dwellings, FRANSAT
provides a solution called "FRANSAT PRO". Located at the headend of a
distribution network, FRANSAT PRO converts and redistributes TV signals in
the standard DTT format to individual residential connections. Users receive
the channels by plugging a terrestrial DTT adapter or a TV set with a
built-in DTT tuner into their connection.

Enriched content offering, an additional asset of FRANSAT

The FRANSAT model is also based on offering viewers the
opportunity to access 11 local and thematic free-to-air channels, which have
been progressively added to the basic package of national DTT channels and
all 24 regional channels of the France 3 network.

With a range of 20 decoders carrying the FRANSAT label and
community products, commercialised by a network of 6,000 dealers, FRANSAT is
well-equipped to deliver a simple complement to the terrestrial network in
metropolitan France and to contribute to making Digital Terrestrial
Television a universal service accessible to all.

About FRANSAT

FRANSAT is a simple and fast solution for receiving in
metropolitan France on a subscription-free basis the 19 DTT channels, four HD
channels, 24 regional channels of the France 3 network and other local and
thematic channels. FRANSAT principally serves homes located beyond range of
DTT reception and homes already equipped for DTH reception of France's six
analogue channels broadcast by Eutelsat's ATLANTIC BIRD(TM) 3 satellite.
FRANSAT is a 100% subsidiary of Eutelsat SA with a mission to operate and
provide digital television services in France from Eutelsat satellites.

For more information on FRANSAT:

http://www.fransat.fr

About Eutelsat Communications

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code:
FR0010221234) is the holding company of Eutelsat S.A.. With capacity
commercialised on 27 satellites that provide coverage over the entire
European continent, as well as the Middle East, Africa, India and significant
parts of Asia and the Americas, Eutelsat is one of the world's three leading
satellite operators in terms of revenues. At 30 September 2010, Eutelsat's
satellites were broadcasting more than 3,700 television channels to a
measured audience of 204 million cable and satellite homes in Europe, the
Middle East and North Africa. The Group's satellites also serve a wide range
of fixed and mobile telecommunications services, TV contribution markets,
corporate networks, and broadband markets for Internet Service Providers and
for transport, maritime and in-flight markets. Eutelsat's broadband
subsidiary, Skylogic, markets and operates access to high speed internet
services through teleports in France and Italy that serve enterprises, local
communities, government agencies and aid organisations in Europe, Africa,
Asia and the Americas. Headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat and its subsidiaries
employ 660 commercial, technical and operational experts from 28 countries.

http://www.eutelsat.com

Source: Eutelsat Communications & FRANSAT

For further information: Press: Vanessa O'Connor, Tel: +33-1-53-98-37-91, voconnor@eutelsat.fr; Frederique Gautier, Tel: +33-1-53-98-37-91, fgautier@eutelsat.fr; Investors: Lisa Finas, Tel: +33-1-53-98-35-30, investors@eutelsat-communications.com

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