Satellite brings web to thousands

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LONDON: A broadband satellite being launched on Friday night will open a window to the internet for hundreds of thousands of cut-off consumers across Europe.

The £120 million Hylas-1 satellite will act as a relay station for broadband traffic, enabling isolated rural communities to connect with the world wide web for the first time.

Hylas is the first superfast broadband satellite to be launched outside the US.

It will be carried into orbit by an Ariane 5 rocket due to be launched from French Guiana on Friday night between 8.39pm and 11.54pm UK time.

Britain has played a major role in the Hylas project. The satellite's development was partly funded by the UK Space Agency, and Hylas was designed and built for Avanti Communications by the British space company Astrium UK.

When Hylas is on-stream, between 150,000 and 300,000 consumers at a time will be able to use it to access fast broadband.

Science minister David Willetts said: "Bringing innovative ideas to life requires the right mix of specialist knowledge, public support and opportunity. Hylas is a great example of how strategic investment in space technology can yield benefits for the wider economy."

David Williams, chief executive of Avanti, said: "This is a landmark day for the many consumers and businesses across Europe who have been frustrated by lack of access to adequate broadband, it means that finally there is the opportunity to solve the digital divide.

"The launch of our satellite today means that access to broadband in remote areas is no longer on the distant horizon."

A second satellite, Hylas-2, to be launched in 2012, is now at an advanced stage of development. It will provide further coverage across Europe as well as a footprint in the Middle East and parts of Africa. Together, the two satellites will have a capacity of one million consumers.

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