Eutelsat 5 West A
| Company type | Communications satellite |
|---|---|
| Industry | Satellite communications |
| Predecessor | Telecom 1, Telecom 2C |
| Founded | July 5, 2002 |
| Founder | France Telecom (initially) |
| Defunct | January 2023 |
| Fate | Retired |
Area served | Europe, Africa, Middle East |
| Products | Satellite-based television, radio, and digital data services |
| Owner | Eutelsat (after July 2002) |
Eutelsat 5 West A, previously known as Atlantic Bird 3 (or AB 3), was a communications satellite managed by Eutelsat positioned at 5° West. It delivered satellite-based television, radio, and digital data services throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Initially commissioned by France Telecom, control was transferred to Eutelsat shortly after its deployment. The satellite commenced operations in September 2002 with an anticipated operational life of 15 years and was officially retired in January 2023.
History
Originally designated Stellat 5, the satellite was constructed by Alcatel Space for Stellat, a partnership between France Telecom (holding 70%) and Europe*Star (30%). The launch occurred on 5 July 2002 via an Ariane 5G rocket from the Centre Spatial Guyanais. At liftoff, the satellite's mass was 4050 kg. Financial difficulties emerged when France Telecom withdrew from space ventures, leading to Stellat’s sale to Eutelsat in July 2002. By September, the satellite became operational, and on 25 September, Eutelsat completed the acquisition for , subsequently renaming it Atlantic Bird 3.
Replacing the satellites Telecom 1 and Telecom 2C, Atlantic Bird 3 maintained the French orbital slot at 5° West. In March 2012, Eutelsat undertook a rebranding initiative, changing Atlantic Bird 3’s designation to Eutelsat 5 West A.
Technical characteristics
Constructed on the Spacebus-3000B3 platform by Alcatel Space (which later became Alcatel Alenia Space), Atlantic Bird 3 was equipped with 35 Ku-band transponders covering regions including Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, alongside 10 C-band transponders. The Ku-band units operated at a power level of 94 watts, while the C-band units functioned at 55 watts. In April 2004, during a solar eclipse, a partial battery malfunction caused a loss of six out of its total of 108 battery cells, resulting in diminished performance.
French public analogue
Atlantic Bird 3 took over from Telecom 2C in broadcasting French national analogue television channels. It supported terrestrial transmitters operated by TDF and extended coverage to areas where terrestrial signals were insufficient. Approximately 1.6 million French households without dependable terrestrial reception benefited from this free alternative using SÉCAM standard broadcasts.
Reception required simple equipment: a monoblock satellite dish paired with an analogue demodulator configured for vertical polarization and a 22 kHz tone. Following the cessation of analogue terrestrial broadcasts in France on 29 November 2011, analogue satellite transmissions were correspondingly scaled down.
French public digital
With the introduction of digital terrestrial television in France—including around eighteen or nineteen free-to-air national channels allocated by the Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA)—Atlantic Bird 3 was chosen from March 2005 to supply terrestrial transmitters. Additionally, French households could receive digital TV directly from AB 3 via Télévision Numérique Terrestre (TNT):
- The majority of public French channels (France 2, France 3 through "France 3 Sat", France 5, and La Chaîne parlementaire) are accessible with any receiver compatible with DVB-S technology equipped with a Fransat card.
- Regional programming from France 3, as well as Arte and France 4, require subscription to the Fransat package using a dedicated Fransat demodulator or through subscription services provided by Bis or Orange.
- Several local broadcasters transmit free-to-air via this satellite: including téléGrenoble Isère, Mirabelle TV, TV8 Mont Blanc, Télé Locale Provence (TLP), Normandie TV, Vosges Télévision, and NRJ Paris Sat.
- Certain private French channels also offer free broadcasts such as Télé Monte Carlo (TMC), BFM Business, KTO, Dieu TV, Demain TV, and the French-Belgian-Swiss version of TV5Monde.
- National digital channels are additionally distributed using proprietary Newtec encapsulation technology, requiring receivers capable of specific demultiplexing functionalities.
During the transition period, hybrid analog/digital demodulators enabled continued access to free national channels. After analogue transmissions ceased on Atlantic Bird 3 in late 2011, reception necessitates subscription to one of the satellite packages or use of a terminal labeled Fransat.
Available digital channel packages include:
- Bis Télévisions from the AB Sat group
- Orange télévision
- Fransat (Free-to-view)
Compatible receivers support either MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 encoding formats for encrypted content.
Compliance requirements for the FRANSAT package
The 2007 legislation titled "Future of Television" required national digital TV broadcasters to distribute their free-to-air channels through a minimum of one satellite platform within three months following the law's enactment. Despite opposition from the Socialist Party (France), this regulation was upheld by the Constitutional Council in February 2008.
A strategic report from the Secretariat of State for Strategic Studies proposed a second free satellite service aimed at more than 1.5 million households, utilizing Atlantic Bird 3 without necessitating any dish modifications. Complementing the TNTSAT service operated by Canal+, EUTELSAT introduced FRANSAT on 8 February 2009, which was added to AB 3 in June 2009.
Timeline
- 2 March 2005: French terrestrial digital television "TNT" transmissions commenced.
- 10 May 2007: The TNT group discontinued its management of a TNT satellite bouquet initiative.
- 13 September 2007: Multiplex reorganisation occurred; France 4 exited GR1, losing direct multiplex access.
- 20 September 2007: AB Group launched a bouquet in collaboration with Eutelsat.
- 25 September 2007: The logo for the Bis bouquet, managed by AB SAT, was unveiled.
- 1 December 2007: Maghreb-focused beam incorporated TNT Algeria channels (Établissement public de télévision (ENTV), Canal Algérie, Algérie 3).
- 2 December 2007: CNES TV made its appearance on AB 3.
- 5 December 2007: Bis Télévisions' arrival on AB 3 was officially announced.
- 18 December 2007: Bis Télévisions broadcasting bouquet was launched.
- 28 December 2007: Fox Life became available on AB 3; switched to BISS encryption from mid-April 2008.
- 11 April 2008: Orange (France Telecom) selected AB 3 for its bouquet distribution.
- 9 September 2008: TMC ended unencrypted DVB-S (SCPC) broadcasts.
- 13 November 2008: Orange TV service was launched.
- 7 April 2009: Eutelsat announced the forthcoming free FRANSAT bouquet.
- 23 June 2009: Fransat package launched featuring free-to-air TNT channels, including HD content and France Ô.
- 21 July 2009: Transponder reorganisation consolidated Fransat, Bis TV, and Orange TV services.
- 28 October 2009: Added twenty-four regional France 3 digital broadcasts to Fransat lineup.
- 8 June 2010: Arte’s frequency change on TNT replaced unencrypted Arte with France Ô.
- 1 August 2011: Introduction of an encrypted package featuring three Berber channels: Berber Youth, Berber Music, and Berber Television.
- 29 November 2011: Termination of analogue broadcasting after many years of operation.
- 1 March 2012: AB 3 was renamed to Eutelsat 5 West A.
- 30 May 2012: Launch of BeIN Sport bouquets available in both HD and SD formats (BeIN Sport 2 followed in August).
- 12 December 2012: Six new channels (HD1, L'Équipe 21, 6ter, Numéro 23, RMC Découverte, and Chérie 25) began HD transmissions.
- 19 May 2015: HD versions of TMC, NT1, and NRJ 12 were added to Fransat.
- 9 September 2015: Inclusion of HD feeds for France 4 and France 5 on Fransat.
Free-to-air channels available on Eutelsat 5 West A
| KC 110.971 GHz V 29950 7/8 | KB4 11.609 GHz V 5969 1/2 | |
KB1 11.471 GHz V 29950 3/4
|
KB11 11.634 GHz H 29950 3/4 | |
| KC3 11.054 GHz V 29950 7/8 | KB2 11.512 GHz V 29950 7/8 | |
KC9 11.059 GHz H 23700 3/4
|
KB3 11.555 GHz V 29950 7/8 | |
| KC4 11.096 GHz V 29950 3/4 | KB4 11.591 GHz V 20000 2/3
|
KA2 12.564 GHz V 29950 7/8
|