Eutelsat uses SpaceX rocket to launch first satellites after merger

By Supantha Mukherjee

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Eutelsat, the world's third-biggest satellite operator by revenue, launched 20 satellites for its communications network on Sunday, using Elon Musk's SpaceX in its first move since the merger of two European companies last year.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket took off with Eutelsat satellites from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base at 0513 GMT.

"This is the first OneWeb launch of the satellites since the merger," CEO Eva Berneke told Reuters in an interview. "We will be launching more satellites over the coming years."

The Paris-based group formed by the merger in September last year of France's Eutelsat and Britain's OneWeb has a constellation of over 600 low earth orbit satellites that cater to broadcasters, telecom companies and radio stations.

"We really want to integrate into the telco ecosystem," Berneke said. "Satellites are an interesting niche in the overall connectivity ecosystems where telcos are the big boys in the class and satellite will always be a smaller part."

Eutelsat counts telecom operators such as France's Orange and Australia's Telstra as clients and is in talks with others such as AT&T in the U.S.

The company, which has a backlog of orders of $4 billion, is waiting for countries such as India and Saudi Arabia to open up.

India - a market set to grow 36% a year to $1.9 billion by 2030 - is in the process to allowing satellite services> It has experienced friction between domestic players and companies such as Starlink.

"We have some of our backlog sitting in the Indian market... It sits there until India gets open, the day it gets open, we'll start building," Berneke said.

The company is also in talks with aviation companies to offer in-flight connectivity, including internet browsing, and expects revenue to start increasing from next year, she said.

(Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Stockholm; Editing by William Mallard)