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Alcatel Alenia Space to provide communication payload for Arabsat's BADR-6 satellite

22 June 2006

Alcatel Alenia Space today announced that it will provide the communication payload for the fourth-generation BADR-6 "Full Moon" satellite, for the Arab Satellite Communications Organization (Arabsat). BADR-6 satellite, with prime contractor EADS Astrium, is expected to be operational in 2008.

Covering a stretched zone encompassing the entire Middle East and North Africa region (MENA), plus a large part of the sub-Saharan Africa, BADR-6 will primarily provide the Arab League's telecommunications organization with expansion and "hot" in-orbit back-up capacity for its core direct TV broadcasting customers, as well as a significantly larger number of options for optimizing its telephony and data transmissions.

This satellite will be co-located with the rest of the BADR constellation of Arabsat's Direct-To-Home satellites at its 26 degrees East video "hot-spot", by far MENA's leading television neighborhood. Fitted with 40 transponders, 24 C-band and 16 Ku-band end of life, it will be reaching an audience of 130 Million viewers from Morocco to the Gulf and a significant share of Africa. The payload, developed in Alcatel Alenia Space facilities in France, will be integrated on the EADS Astrium Eurostar E2000+ spacecraft.

Blaise Jaeger, general manager, satellite telecommunication activities, Alcatel Alenia Space, said: "This contract strengthens Alcatel Alenia Space's leading position in the worldwide telecommunication payload market. We're definitely proud of and honored by their renewed trust in our technology and capabilities."

Since the 1980s, Alcatel Alenia Space has delivered two fourth generation satellite payloads to Arabsat, three first-generation satellites, two second-generation satellites and one third-generation satellite.

About Arabsat
Arabsat is the leading provider of satellite communications to the Arab Communities in the Middle East. Ranked as the 10th Satellite Operator globally, Arabsat continues to offer its customers multi-mission satellite services, such as television, telephony, Internet and the provision of VSAT and other interactive services that meet both current and emerging demands of Arabsat customers. Arabsat's satellites provide coverage to more than 100 countries of millions of homes covering the Middle East, Africa and the major parts of Europe.

About Alcatel Alenia Space
Alcatel Alenia Space is the European leader in satellite systems, at the forefront of orbit infrastructures. Created in July 2005, the company brings together the vast experience and know-how of Alcatel Space and Alenia Spazio to form a new leading force in European space technology. Alcatel Alenia Space represents a worldwide standard for space development that impacts everybody's future: from navigation to telecommunications, from meteorology to environmental monitoring, from defense to science and observation. Alcatel Alenia Space is an affiliate of Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA) (67%) and Finmeccanica (Milan:SIFI.MI, FNC.IM) (33%).