A broadband satellite launched on Friday night will open a window to the internet for hundreds of thousands of cut-off consumers across Europe.

The £120 million Hylas-1 satellite will act as a relay station for broadband traffic, enabling isolated rural communities to connect with the world wide web for the first time.

Hylas is the first superfast broadband satellite to be launched outside the US. It was carried into orbit by an Ariane 5 rocket launched from French Guiana on Friday night.

Britain has played a major role in the Hylas project. The satellite’s development was partly funded by the UK Space Agency, and Hylas was designed and built for Avanti Communications by the British space company Astrium UK.

When Hylas is on-stream, between 150,000 and 300,000 consumers at a time will be able to use it to access fast broadband.

Science minister David Willetts said: “Bringing innovative ideas to life requires the right mix of specialist knowledge, public support and opportunity. Hylas is a great example of how strategic investment in space technology can yield benefits for the wider economy.”