Eutelsat Reveals Iran Satellite Jamming Incidents

Eutelsat’s headquarters in Paris. Photo: Eutelsat

Eutelsat has seen incidents of jamming on two of its satellites, with the signals originating in Iran. The operator revealed details of the jamming Oct. 7. Eutelsat said the interference, which has been going on since Sept. 26, harmfully affects the transmission of several digital TV and radio channels broadcasting in Persian from outside of Iran, as well as other channels. Using a specially designed interference detection system, Eutelsat concluded that the uplink transmissions of all these interfering carriers originated in Iran.

The operator said it has taken action on two fronts. Eutelsat immediately notified the relevant authorities in Iran, demanding that the harmful jamming operations be “immediately and permanently stopped.” Eutelsat has also reminded the relevant Iranian authorities that intentional jamming is explicitly prohibited by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Radio Regulations.

On the technical front, Eutelsat said its technical experts have been “working around the clock with affected customers to mitigate the impact of the interference on service as much as possible.”