Alphabus, the platform on which Alphasat is based, is Europe’s response to the worldwide market demand for larger telecommunication payloads aimed at direct-to-home TV broadcasting, digital audio broadcasting, broadband access and mobile services. The above video was shown at the 2011 Paris Airshow at the ESA Pavilion. 
Alphabus was jointly designed and built by Astrium and Thales Alenia Space, teamed with established industrial partners in Europe. With Alphabus, European industry has significantly extended its telecom satellite range beyond the capabilities of previous platforms. It is available on the commercial market to accommodate missions with up to 22 kW of payload power and payload mass of up to 2 tonnes.