Advanced Television

Eutelsat launches Fransat

July 2, 2009

Eutelsat has confirmed the full commercial launch of Fransat, the new service giving satellite access in metropolitan France to all French free DTT channels.

To receive Fransat, households can buy a labelled Pack comprising a decoder and a Fransat conditional-access smartcard. Packs are already available at typical points of sale for satellite TV (individual suppliers and antenna installers, as well as major DIY centres, specialist retail warehouses and hypermarkets), with particular emphasis on availability in 'white zones'. The service is principally addressing the 10-15 per cent of TV homes in metropolitan France which will be unable to receive terrestrial DTT or who will have poor reception with the definitive switch-off of terrestrial analogue broadcasting, scheduled on 30 November 2011.

Fransat offers access to France’s 18 free DTT channels, plus France Ô and the four HD channels TF1 HD, France 2 HD, M6 HD and ARTE HD.

Categories: Articles, Broadcast, DTH/Satellite