Neelie Kroes
Photo: Sebastiaan ter Burg

[Via Satellite 10-18-13] Satellite has played a important role in Europe reaching a key broadband target, according to the latest information from the European Commission (EC). The EC released a statement where it said every EU household can now have a basic broadband connection, thanks to pan-EU availability of satellite broadband. Satellite connections are now available in all 28 countries meaning every European can take out a satellite subscription, including the three million people not already covered by fixed and mobile broadband networks. The EC has described this as “a major milestone.”

By the end of 2012, 99.4 percent of EU households had access to basic fixed or mobile broadband coverage; including 96.1 percent of households in rural areas. But the final 0.6 percent (or roughly 3 million citizens) included many families and businesses in isolated or rural areas where fixed or mobile broadband rollout is more cumbersome and expensive.

Neelie Kroes, Vice President of the European Commission, has led the launch of broadbandforall.eu a service developed by the European Satellite Operators Association (ESOA) to enable people in Europe to quickly check their satellite broadband options. This represents a major breakthrough for satellite.

In an exclusive interview with Via Satellite last year, Kroes said she had been “very excited” about all the developments in the satellite industry, but she admitted that there were many people in Europe who still did not have access to satellite broadband services. She also added that satellite services should not be “underestimated” and that they were a key part in the overall solution and bringing broadband for all in Europe.

“The solution of wired networks, which works well for the majority, may become prohibitively expensive (in rural and isolated areas). And that is exactly where other technologies, like terrestrial or satellite wireless networks, can step in. I favor such a diversification of infrastructure for two reasons,” she said. “First, although wireless technology does not have the same performance as advanced wired networks, it is good and getting better. Take satellites: we already see their value to the mobile and television industries, and they can provide a great contribution to deliver the important goal of basic broadband for all. This should not be underestimated. But the contribution of satellite services can also go further. With that clear mandate on basic broadband, the satellite industry will have an incentive to continue longer-term investment.”

It seems that ever since that interview, the EC sees even more value in satellite-based broadband solutions. Kroes said in the interview last year, “I see that the satellite offering today has some capacity limitations, and this is why it is useful but not the panacea. However, those limitations appear to be addressed with the launch of the new generation of satellites in Ka-band, which have increased performances, and are comparable to terrestrial wireless and ADSL. In addition, future satellites are already contemplated with planned broadband speeds of up to 50 Mbps, though as I said before, it still requires a good deal of research.”

Both Eutelsat and SES have been working to develop the broadband market in Europe and have made key announcements this year. Earlier this month, Eutelsat announced there were now 4,000 satellite broadband installers now trained and certified to bring Eutelsat’s Tooway broadband service to residents poorly served or beyond range of terrestrial broadband. These 4,000 installers span 20 European countries and eight languages – harmonizing best practices for satellite broadband installations across the continent. Eutelsat said the program would continue, with an additional 1,000 installers to be trained by end 2014, focusing on building numbers in the Balkans, Germany, Nordic countries, Poland and Spain.

And, earlier this year SES Broadband Services launched its enhanced satellite Internet access offering. Using newly available Ka-band capacity on the Astra 2F satellite, the service now features connectivity delivering up to 20 Mbit/s download speeds, doubling the speeds formerly available.