Friday, June 03, 2011

Europe - Eutelsat has launched a new service in the Ka-Band offering broadband

[zdnet] The 'Tooway' services, which are being resold through retail ISPs, went live on Tuesday. Consumers are being offered up to 10Mbps on the downlink and 4Mbps on the uplink, while business services will soon reach up to 50Mbps on the downlink and 20Mbps on the uplink. By way of comparison, ADSL-based fixed-line connections tend to offer up to 24Mbps.

KA-SAT offers coverage to Europe and parts of North Africa and the Middle East. The coverage is available in 82 spots, mostly of a 250km diameter — some spots in North Africa have a 500km diameter — and connectivity comes via points of presence in locations such as London, Berlin and Paris.

The wholesale services are sold through Eutelsat affiliate Skylogic. According to Steve Petrie, Skylogic's director for northern Europe, a starting price of around £25 a month will get up to 6Mbps on the downlink and 1Mbps on the uplink, making the service a viable alternative for rural users who cannot get an affordable fixed broadband connection.

However, that monthly charge comes alongside the cost of the satellite dish, which costs £199 upfront or £9.99 a month on rental. The kit can be installed by the user, or professionally for an additional £99 charge.

Eutelsat's Tooway satellite broadband goes live

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