Eutelsat launches Fransat DTH service

Satellite operator Eutelsat has announced the launch of Fransat, a new free-to-air DTH service for France.

Fransat offers the full line-up of channels available on France’s DTT platform, including HD channels TF1 HD, France 2 HD, M6 HD and Arte HD. The service is broadcast from Eutelsat’s Atlantic Bird 3 satellite located at 5° East. People who already have a satellite dish can receive the service by purchasing a Fransat decoder and smartcard (supplied by Viaccess).

Eutelsat said the new service was principally addressing the 10-15% of TV homes in metropolitan France which will be unable to receive terrestrial DTT, or who will have poor reception, when terrestrial analogue broadcasting ceases, which is scheduled for November 30, 2011.