Siemens And Eutelsat In New Three Year Deal To Provide Satellite Capacity To The BBC

London, UK, Paris, France, 8 September 2006 - Siemens Business Services today announced that it has signed a three year contract with Eutelsat for satellite capacity over the UK, continental Europe and the Middle East on behalf of the BBC. The contract which extends an existing 12 month deal, guarantees Siemens a long term lease of 72MHz on Eutelsat’s ATLANTIC BIRD™ 1 satellite for the BBC which requires quick access to contribution capacity at times of peak demand and from remote locations.

Siemens’ relationship with Eutelsat ensures that the BBC, including BBC News and BBC Nations & Regions, will continue to be provided with the highest-quality satellite contribution capacity within the industry. Siemens will use its ATLANTIC BIRD™ 1 transponder to operate 12 digital carriers which the BBC will use to contribute up to 105,000 channel hours per year.
Although used predominantly for SNG (satellite newsgathering) in Europe and the Middle East, the BBC will also be able to use the capacity to support and investigate new technologies, such as HDTV and to deliver IP-based communications and services, reinforcing many of the mobile working initiatives within the organisation.
Barry Yard, executive director, BBC account, Siemens Business Services, comments, “Thanks to the new contract with Eutelsat, Siemens will continue to offer the BBC competitive and flexible satellite bandwidth capacity. Other broadcast customers will also have the ability to buy satellite capacity during quiet periods of use.”
Olivier Milliès-Lacroix, Eutelsat Commercial Director adds, “Eutelsat is committed to providing capacity solutions and services to customers such as Siemens, and we are delighted to have strengthened our relationship by converting an initial one year contract into a three year fixed deal. We will continue to provide Siemens and its media partners with the highest quality service within the industry and look forward to enabling innovation within the BBC.”

About Siemens Business Services
Siemens Business Services is an international leading IT service provider. This Siemens Group offers services all along the entire value chain – from consulting to systems integration, right through to the management of IT infrastructures. Thanks to its comprehensive know-how and sector-specific expertise, the company provides measurable added value for its customers. With regard to outsourcing, Siemens Business Services is among the top ten providers worldwide. With around 39,000 employees, the Group posted sales in fiscal 2005 (ending 30 September 2005) of EUR 5.4 billion, 75 percent of which was achieved outside the Siemens organization. Further information at www.siemens.com/sbs.

About Eutelsat Communications
Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is the holding company of Eutelsat S.A. The Group is a leading satellite operator with capacity commercialised on 23 satellites providing coverage over the entire European continent, as well as the Middle East, Africa, India and significant parts of Asia and the Americas. The Group is one of the world’s three leading satellite operators in terms of revenues. Its satellites are used for broadcasting more than 2,100 TV and 970 radio stations to more than 120 million cable and satellite homes. The Group also provides TV contribution services, corporate networks, mobile positioning and communications, Internet backbone connectivity and broadband access for terrestrial, maritime and inflight applications. Eutelsat Communications is headquartered in Paris, and the Group’s workforce comprises over 490 employees from 27 countries. www.eutelsat.com

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