The Ethiopian jammer currently appears to be obstructing satellite reception through its orbital position of 26.0 degrees east longitude. International news channels such as Deutsche Welle were also affected when broadcasting in the Arab region. A complaint has been lodged with the Ethiopian authorities.
At present, many international broadcasters' television programs are interrupted when they are broadcast in North Africa and the Arab region. The news was announced Friday by Deutsche Welle. The reason was apparently that the signal jammersinterfered with reception through the satellite's position at 26.0 degrees east longitude.
Based on current information, satellite operator Arabsat has identified the root causes of the unrest in Ethiopia. Three satellites, Badr 4, Badr 5 and Badr 6, were affected. In addition to German Wave, other international news channels such as BBC World, France 24 and Voice of America were also disrupted. But at the same time, it was acknowledged that the action was clearly not directed against certain organizers.
"This is a serious violation of the international right to freedom of the press and freedom of expression. Deutsche Welle, BBC, France 24 and Voice of America strongly condemn this campaign against the free flow of independent information, "said DW director Peter Peterlinberg. Ethiopian authorities have been urged to stop the false signals.
Iran has disrupted satellite transmissions in recent years. As a result, European and American satellite operators temporarily kicked Iranian TV channels out of orbit. However, after the situation subsided, several Iranian channels on European satellites were reactivated.
