Arianespace is firmly getting back to work, and says that a much-delayed launch of a two satellites for ViaSat and Eutelsat, will go ahead on June 1^st.  The pair had initially been scheduled for launch this week, on April 25^th, but the date had slipped because of region-wide strike in French Guiana which shut the spaceport for a month.

ViaSat-2 and Eutelsat-172b will be launched by Arianespace, but the delay means that potential subscribers to ViaSat’s expanded satellite-delivered broadband will not see much action until later this year.

And the satellite is needed. ViaSat-1, launched back in 2011, is full and enjoys some 700,000 residential broadband subscribers. The satellite also provides Direct-To-Seat connectivity to airline passengers on JetBlue, American Airlines and others.

ViaSat-2 will have double the capacity of ViaSat-1, and is promising higher download speeds and improved data caps. Its satellite footprint also embraces more of the USA plus Mexico, the Caribbean and other part of South America.

Eutelsat-172b is going to its Asia-Pacific location where one of its confirmed clients is Panasonic Avionics for its in-flight entertainment service.

ViaSat is also involved in a joint-venture with Paris-based Eutelsat targeting private users and businesses in Europe.

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Categories: Articles, DTH/Satellite