Eutelsat Communications has announced that its Tooway satellite broadband services are to be used across France thanks to a new deal.

Telecommunications giant SFR has agreed to use capacity on Eutelsat's Hot Bird 6 satellite as part of its Satellite Internet Pack service.

Download speeds of up to 3.6Mb are expected to be available through the service, which is set to be transferred to the KA-SAT satellite when it is launched and in operation at the end of next year.

Michael de Rosen, Eutelsat's Chief Executive Officer, said the deal "underscores the intrinsic ability of satellite technologies to complement terrestrial networks".

He added: "This major contract also clearly demonstrates the ability of Tooway to deliver a comparable service to terrestrial broadband networks."

At the end of last week, Eutelsat confirmed that its new W7 satellite has been successfully placed in orbit.

The 5.6-tonne device is part of the company's in-orbit expansion programme.