Eutelsat Communications has reached an agreement to sell its European broadband retail activities to a private operator. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. The satellite major also did not reveal the name of the private operator.
Eutelsat plans to divest several activities, including its affiliate Bigblu Operations and other European retail operations in countries such as the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, and Greece.
This decision follows the remarkable success of Eutelsat’s wholesale go-to-market approach, which involves distributing its satellite broadband capacity across Europe.
The company has achieved this through significant wholesale agreements signed with telecom providers such as Orange (France), TIM (Italy), Hispasat (Spain), and Swisscom (Switzerland), allowing them to access Eutelsat’s capacity on the Eutelsat KONNECT satellite within their respective markets. Additionally, Eutelsat plans to expand its role as a wholesale distributor in its current markets.
Furthermore, Eutelsat’s strategy will be reinforced by the launch of the KONNECT VHTS (Very High Throughput Satellite) in the second half of 2023. This advanced satellite will feature 230 beams covering Europe and MENA (Middle East and North Africa), offering a Ka-band capacity of 500 Gbps. The satellite’s capacity can be adjusted to meet the demand and specific requirements of each country.
Eutelsat has already secured firm commitments for a portion of this increased capacity from notable European telecom operators like Orange, TIM, and Swisscom. These commitments serve as validation for the KONNECT VHTS’s ability to provide an appealing and competitive broadband solution for underserved regions in Europe.
