Eutelsat partners with the Confederation of Aerial Industries to train 700 UK satellite broadband installers to help close digital divide
UK. 29 April 2013
Eutelsat Communications today announced a programme to train 700 UK satellite broadband installers to provide its Tooway™ service to residents and businesses in areas poorly served or out of reach of traditional terrestrial broadband networks.
The free training programme is aimed at aerial installers who have been previously helping UK homes transition from analogue to digital television or installing satellite TV or telecoms services. The training will be delivered at 16 venues across the country over the next 8 months by the Confederation for Aerial Industries (CAI), the UK trade association for Content Delivery. It is not necessary to be a member of the trade association to attend the training.
Eutelsat’s Tooway™ satellite broadband service is aimed at the UK’s 3.3m digitally deprived properties that are currently unable to receive broadband or can only access speeds of up to 2 Mbps.
The latest Tooway™ services offer download speeds of up to 20 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 6 Mbps, making it the fastest satellite broadband service in Europe. The service operates with a small (77cm) satellite dish and modem and is delivered by KA-SAT, Europe’s most powerful satellite.
“By building an extensive network of expert installers, Eutelsat will help to make universal access to high speed broadband a reality in the UK,” explained Jean-François Fenech, General Manager of Eutelsat’s Broadband Business Unit.
“With the knowledge acquired during this training, aerial installers will be perfectly equipped to provide quality technical support to customers.”
During the training, installers will receive practical installation training, an interactive app for site surveys, installations and aligning the antenna to the satellite and access to an installation portal reserved for certified installers, providing access to all documentation, tools and services.
About Eutelsat Communications (www.eutelsat.com)
Eutelsat Communications is the holding company of Eutelsat S.A. With capacity commercialised on 30 satellites delivering reach of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, significant parts of the Americas and the Asia-Pacific, Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is one of the world’s leading satellite operators. As of 31 December 2012 Eutelsat’s satellites were broadcasting 4,500 television channels to over 200 million cable and satellite homes in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The Group’s satellites also provide a wide range of services for TV contribution, corporate networks and fixed and mobile broadband markets. Headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat and its subsidiaries employ over 780 commercial, technical and operational professionals from 30 countries.
Confederation of Aerial Industries Ltd (CAI)
The CAI is the UK’s trade body for content delivery. The association represents the interests of installers, manufacturers and distributors of everything related to broadcast reception. Video and audio has spread to numerous delivery platforms alongside its familiar territory of terrestrial aerials and satellite. The CAI scope of representation and training has now broadened considerably to account for the growth in broadband delivery. http://www.cai.org.uk/
