ViaSat Moves across the Atlantic

In a February 9, 2016 press release  Eutelsat Communications and ViaSat Inc.(NASDAQ: VSAT) announced an agreement to form a joint venture combining Eutelsat’s current European broadband business with ViaSat’s broadband and ISP expertise. Using a Eutelsat high capacity broadband satellite, the partnership will allow Eutelsat to expand its current wholesale broadband business into retail market ViaSat’s CEO, Mark Dankberg said: “...We complement each other extremely well...the joint venture combines an unprecedented collection of expertise in satellite operations and technology, broadband networks, and wholesale and retail distribution throughout Europe...”

Wholesale broadband services in the European and Mediterranean regions will be sold to the retail joint venture as well as to existing Eutelsat distributors. Eutelsat will contribute its current European broadband business using their KA-SAT satellite while ViaSat will provide broadband technology for KA-SAT gateways and terminals and will pay €132.5 million for a 49% interest in the business.
The retail joint venture (owned 51% by ViaSat) offer consumer ISP service in Europe .
Headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat S.A. is a French-based provider of satellite services. Their satellites broadcast over 6,000 television and over 1000 radio stations and provide transmission for corporate networks, mobile communications, Internet backbone connectivity and broadband access. Eutelsat sells capacity on about 40  satellites located in geosynchronous orbit covering most populated areas on the planet.