The Caribbean Broadcasting Union is hailing its partner, Eutelsat, for offering support to Caribbean media services facing down the strongest Atlantic weather system for 2025, Hurricane Melissa.
The Category 5 strength system is forecast to have catastrophic effects on Jamaica and cause significant damage to Cuba, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas. Broadcast services in the path of the storm are expected to lose critical transmission infrastructure.
But the satellite service provider, which has partnered with the CBU for nearly a decade is offering no cost access to its satellite assets in the region.
Eutelsat will provide satellite capacity (C or Ku band) free of charge to help re-establish video transmissions once the monster storm passes. In addition, Eutelsat is on standby to support contacting regional satellite integrators to coordinate technical assistance.
CBU President Anthony Greene in welcoming the generous offer from the partner organisation said, “the Eutelsat team which serves Latin America and the Caribbean has consistently proven its commitment to the region and its media services. This offer of assistance is a further demonstration of the Eutelsat philosophy of collaboration and support.”
J. Ignacio González-Núñez, SVP Media Americas from Eutelsat said, “at Eutelsat, we stand with our partners and colleagues across the Caribbean as they face the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa. In times like these, communication becomes a lifeline. Our priority today is to help restore communication and broadcasting services as quickly as possible.
For more information contact Joanna Estrada – joanna.estrada@eutelsat.net or info@caribroadcastunion.org
ABOUT EUTELSAT: Eutelsat is a global leader in satellite communications, delivering connectivity and broadcast services worldwide. Eutelsat was formed through the combination of the Company and OneWeb in 2023, becoming the first fully integrated GEO-LEO satellite operator with a fleet of 34 Geostationary (GEO) satellites and a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation of more than 600 satellites. Eutelsat addresses the needs of customers in four key verticals of Video, where it distributes around 6,400 television channels, and the high-growth connectivity markets of Mobile Connectivity, Fixed Connectivity, and Government Services. Eutelsat’s unique suite of in-orbit assets and ground infrastructure enables it to deliver integrated solutions to meet the needs of global customers. The Company is headquartered in Paris and Eutelsat employs more than 1,600 people across more than 75 countries. Eutelsat is committed to delivering safe, resilient, and environmentally sustainable connectivity to help bridge the digital divide. The Company is listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ticker: ETL) and the London Stock Exchange (ticker: ETL).
ABOUT THE CBU: The CBU is a unique grouping of media houses – radio, television, print and digital – as well as regulators, media education institutions and independent producers in countries and territories in the Dutch, English, French and Spanish Caribbean.
Established in 1970, the CBU’s mandate includes capacity-building and training, media sector advocacy and support for freedom of expression and journalists’ safety, negotiation of transmission rights, programme sharing as well as promotion of communication and information rights.
