European satellite operator Eutelsat has released its latest full year results and revealed that its new KA-SAT Satellite, which will offer download speeds of up to 10Mbps and should become part of their Tooway consumer broadband service in the EU and UK, is officially set to be launched in November this year.

Incidentally Avanti was recently forced to delay its competing 8Mbps HYLAS 1 Satellite launch by six weeks (here). It had originally been due to enter orbit in September 2010, but the new timescale would put HYLAS 1 right alongside its arch rival Eutelsat.


The existing Eutelsat Tooway service can be purchased through several UK Satellite ISPs (e.g. Tariam Homenet), which offers download speeds of up to 3.6Mbps, uploads of up to 0.38Mbps (384Kbps) and a 2.4GB monthly usage allowance for around £30-£35 per month. However the connection fee and hardware tends to cost around £500.

Both Avanti's and Eutelsat's service could be used to help plug the holes in rural broadband coverage around the UK, thus making it easier for the government to meet its 2Mbps Universal Service Commitment (USC) by 2015. However they are expensive and high latency often makes internet voice and fast paced multiplayer gaming services unusable. Likewise the usage allowances often leave much to be desired.