Eutelsat Announces Contract With Swisscom

Eutelsat Communications has announced a contract for its new Tooway satellite broadband Ka-band service with Swisscom, a Switzerland-based telecommunications company.

According to the agreement with Swisscom, Eutelsat’s Tooway service will be the satellite component of broadband program for all Swiss homes. Swisscom won a tender from the Swiss Ministry for Telecommunications to make broadband connectivity available as from January 2008 to all residential Swiss customers irrespective of their location.

From its position in orbit at 13 degrees east Hot Bird 6 will provide Swisscom with full coverage of Swiss territory. The service will be supplied to households via Bluewin, Swisscom’s internet service provider. From its Zurich facilities, Bluewin will be connected by fiber to the Tooway Network Operation Centre managed by Eutelsat’s broadband affiliate Skylogic in Turin.

Giuliano Berretta, chairman and CEO of Eutelsat Communications, said: “The selection of our new Tooway Ka-band broadband service by Swisscom, a hallmark in telecommunications for quality service and reliability, underscores the intrinsic ability of satellite technologies to complement terrestrial networks.”