Eutelsat signed a capacity agreement with telecom services provider Horizon Satellite Services (HSS), which plans to use the capacity to boost broadband connectivity in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

HSS acquired capacity on Eutelsat’s W6 satellite and will provide Internet backbone connectivity for Internet service providers in the Middle East and central Asia, including Afghanistan and Iraq. HSS has an ongoing relationship with Eutelsat and has been using Eutelsat’s W5 satellite since 2003 and last year contracted with Eutelsat for capacity on its Sesat 2 satellite.

“Satellites still remain by far the most efficient and cost-effective solution for direct connectivity to the Internet backbone in the regions where we focus our activity,” HSS Managing Director Hisham Ansari, said.