September 7, 2022 – September 7th, 2022 at 6:45 pm local time, an Ariane 5 launcher, operated by Arianespace, successfully lifted off from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana (South America), carrying the EUTELSAT KONNECT VHTS telecommunications satellite. With an instantaneous throughput of 500 Gbps, EUTELSAT KONNECT VHTS will provide high speed internet access throughout Europe, especially in isolated regions with poor coverage, delivering service on a par with fiber-optic networks in terms of performance and cost, thus making a significant contribution to bridging the digital divide. EUTELSAT KONNECT VHTS will also address the broadband connectivity needs of fixed and mobile telecommunications networks on land, sea or in the air. EUTELSAT KONNECT VHTS was built in France by Thales Alenia Space around the Spacebus NEO all-electric propulsion platform. It carries a cutting-edge payload using disruptive technologies developed with the support of the French Government, via the French space agency CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales) and the “Investing in the Future” program (PIA), together with the European Space Agency (ESA). In particular, the payload includes the most powerful digital processor in the world, which combines agile capacity allocation, optimized spectrum use and support, and gradual deployment of network coverage on the ground.