[Satellite TODAY 11-21-11] FSS operator Eutelsat categorically denied reports that it is interfering with its own satellite signals in order to prevent reception of international Farsi-language channels in Iran.

   In a company statement issued Nov. 17, Eutelsat said recent reports suggesting the operator was buckling to pressure from the Iranian government, were contradictory and inconsistent with a September statement from the BBC associating Eutelsat with its appeal for action by regulatory authorities to combat the problem.

   “Over more than two years, Eutelsat has publicly condemned intentional jamming of its satellites by third parties, organized to prevent reception of international Farsi channels including BBC Persian, Voice of America and Deutsche Welle. We have identified the location of the jamming from within Iran, and since May 2009, have filed multiple complaints with the relevant French and international regulatory authorities to denounce hostile jamming operations and to prompt the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to address this illegal practice as a priority issue.”

   The issue stems from the fictitious Zohreh-2 satellite that Iran claims to have temporarily hosted frequencies that are close to those held by Intelsat and Eutelsat with the operators’ knowledge. Eutelsat and Intelsat, along with the French National Frequency Agency (ANF), firmly deny any sort of arrangement with Iran.