The operator said it would continue to roll out its Ka-Sat-powered NewsSpotter services, featuring lightweight compact equipment that can deliver live video in HD and SD from the field via high-speed streaming IP.

   “NewsSpotter has caught the attention of broadcasters and television service providers across Europe, including Denmark’s TV2, which has added NewsSpotter to its deployed broadcast infrastructure to send TV reports of the French presidential elections and the U.K. Diamond Jubilee back to studios in Copenhagen,” Eutelsat said in a company statement. “The NewsSpotter service’s performance is equivalent to providing a field crew with a dedicated fiber connection back to broadcast centers.”

   Eutelsat will demonstrate three types of NewsSpotter antennas at the show. The operator said the addition of Ka-Sat to its fleet has enabled the company to leverage opportunities in the broadband market across Europe and the Mediterranean Basin with its Tooway. In July, the company announced an upgrade of Ka-Sat’s digital modulation scheme from 8PSK to 16APSK to increase the system’s total throughput. The latest version of the Tooway offering delivers download speeds of up to 18 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 6 Mbps, with consumption profiles of up to 50 Gigabytes per month and lower entry costs.

   The operator also plans to use IBC 2012 as a platform to display new Tooway hardware, including a 77-centimeter dish and a Ku-band LNB. “With these products trained towards one of up to six of our TV satellites over Europe, consumers in white and grey areas can have the same triple play experience as those with access to high-speed terrestrial networks,” said Eutelsat Spokeswoman Vanessa O’Connor. “The consumer satellite market is poised to undergo a transformation into a fully interactive environment as users get the message that they can benefit from TV, broadband and telephony via a single dish. “The satellite triple-play market is gaining traction in Europe, with Greek pay-TV service provider Forthnet Group and Serbia Broadband being the first operators to bundle Tooway with their pay-TV portfolio to offer triple-play with a single subscription. Eutelsat will show just how easy this is on its stand throughout the IBC show.”

   Eutelsat also is one of the first major satellite operators to acknowledge that Ultra HD will be one of the industry’s big pushes at the IBC 2012 show. The operator said it has recognized the industry’s track record for supporting formats for HD and 3-D, which drove its support of NHK at IBC 2008 for the first satellite transmission of the Super Hi-Vision image resolution.

   “The market for Ultra HD transmission has gained speed since 2008 and our satellites have demonstrated an ability on multiple occasions to transport a number of channels per transponder in the Quad HDTV/4k TV format, which is expected to be the most likely common Ultra HD format,” O’Connor said. “Two Eutelsat satellites are also used on a regular basis to transmit 2k and 4k feature films to over 700 cinema screens across Europe.”

   Finally, the operator said it would demonstrate the continued expansion of its in-orbit resources at IBC, with new satellite procurements that aim to further enhance operational flexibility, capacity and reach.

   “Six satellites are under construction, and a seventh is about to be commissioned,” Eutelsat said. “All are scheduled for launch between fourth quarter 2012 and first half 2015 to deliver a 28 percent capacity expansion. They will fuel our goal to pursue expansion in fast-growing markets in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America, while reinforcing presence in vibrant European markets.”

   Eutelsat 21B and Eutelsat 70B are both due for launch by the end of this year. The operator’s Eutelsat 3B spacecraft will be launched in early 2014.