[Satellite Today 09-26-08] Eutelsat Communications signed a deal to boost its satellite broadband prospects in France, as Numéo S.A will distribute Eutelsat’s Tooway satellite broadband service in rural areas of the country, Eutelsat announced Sept. 25.
    Numéo, a provider of Internet services for rural areas, has been marketing wireless broadband access solutions for underserved areas since 2004 and commercializes the offers of Public Initiative Networks in more than 30 French departments. The company is expanding its portfolio of broadband solutions with the Tooway satellite broadband service, which it will offer for as low as 29.90 euros ($43.88) per month.
    “We very carefully examined the full range of existing two-way satellite solutions and selected the one offering high power at an affordable price for our customers who cannot reach ADSL, WiMax or Wi-Fi,” François-Michel Richiardi, chairman and CEO of Numéo, said in a statement. “The high performance and simplicity of Tooway in terms of deploying and expanding the service, as well as the expansion that will come in 2010 with the exceptional level of resources and efficiency of Eutelsat’s Ka-Sat satellite, convinced us to cooperate with Europe’s market leader for satellite broadband.”