Eutelsat 48D (Eutelsat 28B, W2M, AfghanSat-1) at 48° East

Position:	48° East
Manufacturer:	Airbus Defense & Space
Operator:	Eutelsat
Launch operator:	Arianespace
Launch vehicle:	Ariane 5ECA
Launch date:	12/20/2008
Expected lifetime:	15 Years

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The Eutelsat 48D satellite was constructed by EADS Astrium (Airbus Defense & Space) and delivers coverage to Afghanistan and Central Asia.

Located at 48° East, the satellite has been co-branded AfghanSat 1 following an agreement in 2014 between Eutelsat and the Afghanistan Ministry of Communications & Information Technology. It is being used to enhance deployment of Afghanistan’s national broadcasting and telecommunications infrastructure as well as its international connectivity. From the 48° East postion, Afghansat 1 will cover the whole of Afghan’s national territory and a large slice of the Middle-East and Central Asia.

AfghanSat 1 supports a wide range of services including broadcasting, mobile telephony backhaul and IP connectivity, providing access to ICT and broadcast services to Afghans especially in unserved areas.

Eutelsat 48D was launched on December 20th, 2008 in a dual launch with HOTBIRD 9 on an Ariane 5ECA launcher operated by Arianespace. The satellite was formerly operating as Eutelsat 28B/W2M when Eutelsat moved it to 28°East and later Eutelsat 48D when the satellite was moved to 48° East. The satellite provides a wide range of services via eight Ku-band transponders.