Eutelsat's new W7 satellite will be deployed at 36 degrees East in late 2009, where it will replace SESAT 1. W7 is a large and very powerful satellite, featuring a Ku-band payload of 70 transponders, for a designed operational lifetime of over 15 years.

24 transponders will be assigned to DTH services on the fixed Russian/Ukrainian beam, and 12 transponders will operate on the steerable beam focused on the Ukraine. 27 transponders will be available for broadband services, taking over the SEASAT 1 mission.

Overall, the introduction of W7 will almost triple the capacity over Russia, the Ukraine and the CIS.