SES ASTRA SIGNS FIRST DEAL AT NEW ORBITAL POSITION WITH GERMAN CABLE OPERATORS

Optimised cable feed to boost digitalisation

BETZDORF, Luxembourg–(EMWNews)–SES ASTRA, an SES company (Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG), today announced that

it has signed a long-term agreement with a company representing the

independent German cable operators to transmit digital Free-to-Air TV to

their networks. KabelDienstLeistungsgesellschaft (KDL), which was set up

specifically to provide services to the independent cable operators, has

contracted two transponders on SES ASTRA’s new

orbital position at 31.5 degrees East. KDL is the first customer using

transponder capacity at this position. In addition to the contracted

capacity, ASTRA Platform Services (APS) will provide technical services

to KDL via its play-out centre in Unterföhring,

near Munich.

The independent cable operators provide TV-signals from their own head

ends to several million German households. The cooperation with SES

ASTRA enables KDL to offer them an optimized access to digital TV

channels called TOPP (Transponder optimized program packages).

The service allows a simple and efficient feed of 22 digital free-to-air

TV channels into the networks. TOPP also includes the offer by

KDL to distribute digital TV receivers to the connected cable

households. TOPP is scheduled for launch on 8^th

of October at the FRK cable congress in Leipzig, Germany.

Alexander Oudendijk, Chief Commercial Officer of SES ASTRA, said: “SES

ASTRA has established itself as the prime supplier of signals to cable

head-ends in Germany. With this cooperation, we have found a strong

partner to drive the necessary digitalisation of the cable networks. We

are also very pleased to have closed the first capacity contract for our

new orbital position at 31.5 degrees East. This new position will allow

us to significantly enlarge and diversify our offer to customers across

Europe.”

Heinz-Peter Labonte, Managing Director of the Federal German Association

of Private and Independent Cable Operators (FRK), said: “The

FRK initiated and supported TOPP, because it wanted to offer to

the private and independent cable operators who have their own head-ends

a solution to provide digital free-to-air programs to their customers,

independently from the large regional cable operators such as KDG, Unity

Media, KBW or TC/PC/Orion. TOPP helps the private and independent

cable operators to compete with the bigger operators and secures

competition in the German cable market.“

Anett Klose, Managing Director of KDL said: ”SES

ASTRA has a proven track record as a signal provider for cable head-ends

and as a neutral, technical infrastructure provider. The new partnership

and the launch of TOPP allow us to offer an attractive selection

of digital channels, defined by us in cooperation with the private and

independent cable operators to the cable market. This will significantly

push the digitalisation of the cable networks in Germany and will help

the private and independent cable companies to compete with bigger

operators.”

About SES ASTRA www.ses-astra.com

SES ASTRA is the leading Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite system in

Europe. The satellite fleet currently comprises 14 ASTRA and two SIRIUS

satellites. The combined satellite system delivers services to more than

117 million DTH and cable households and transmits a total of 2,295

analogue and digital television and radio channels. SES ASTRA also

provides satellite-based multimedia, internet and telecommunication

services to enterprises, governments and their agencies. With 42 High

Definition (HD) channels available via its satellites today, ASTRA and

SIRIUS represent the most important HDTV broadcasting platform in

Europe. The prime orbital positions for ASTRA and SIRIUS are 19.2°

East, 28.2° East, 23.5°

East, 5° East and 31.5°

East.

SES ASTRA is an SES company (Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG). SES owns three

market-leading satellite operators, SES ASTRA in Europe, SES AMERICOM in

North America, and SES NEW SKIES which provides global coverage and

connectivity. The company owns 90 percent of SES SIRIUS in Europe, as

well as strategic participations in Ciel in Canada and Quetzsat in

Mexico. SES provides outstanding satellite communications solutions via

a fleet of 38 satellites in 25 orbital positions around the globe.

Additional information on SES is available at: www.ses.com.

Find more information about Kabeldienstleistungs GmbH at www.kabeldienstleistung.de.

Find more information about FRK at www.kabelverband-frk.de.

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