SES AMERICOM files FCC petition for new satellite television and Internet platform

SES AMERICOM, Inc., an SES GLOBAL Company (Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG; Frankfurt Stock Exchange: SDSL), today announced a major initiative to bring new television and broadband Internet services to the American public. The company has filed today with the FCC a petition to allow it to offer to US television program owners and consumers a new satellite platform, through which any programmer or content creator could provide satellite television services directly to the public.

Dean Olmstead, President and CEO of SES AMERICOM, speaking today at the Satellite Entertainment 2002 conference in Monterey, California, said: "These television services will be provided via a new satellite that we intend to launch into the 105.5° West Longitude orbital slot. Another new SES AMERICOM satellite, at the adjacent 105° W.L. slot, will enable us to provide high-speed broadband connections to U.S. residences. All of these services -- TV and broadband -- will be available to U.S. consumers who purchase a single, small satellite dish and related equipment, into which the latest two-way digital technologies will have been incorporated."

SES AMERICOM intends to offer the new platform, named "AMERICOM2HomeSM", using a license granted to its affiliate by the Government of Gibraltar, relating to an orbital location over the United States at 105.5° W.L. This "slot" falls directly between orbital positions used by DirecTV and EchoStar at 101° and 110°, respectively. Both AMERICOM2Home and the existing satellites use frequencies in the 12.2-12.7 GHz range, which is set aside internationally for direct broadcasting to the home. SES AMERICOM also holds FCC licenses for both Ku-band and Ka-band satellites at the 105° W.L. location.

Olmstead explained that the new AMERICOM2Home system will be different from the current satellite television services offered by EchoStar and DirecTV. Unlike these providers, SES AMERICOM itself will not offer any retail services to consumers. Instead, Olmstead explained, "we will create a best-in-class DBS satellite platform, on which we expect a wide variety of content providers -- large and small, established and start-up, mass market and niche, advertising-supported and pay-per-view -- will lease capacity in order to offer their programs and interactive entertainment directly to American consumers."

This open DBS platform approach is modeled on the success of SES AMERICOM's sister company in Europe, SES ASTRA (SES GLOBAL's European satellite operating company), which operates 12 DBS satellites on which broadcasters and content owners provide numerous "free-to-air," pay television, and broadband offerings directly to residences throughout Europe. In Europe, the programmers manage the on-going relationship with the end viewer (offerings, subscription plans, billing, etc.), while SES ASTRA provides the satellite capacity, transmission services and general marketing support.

SES AMERICOM expects the AMERICOM2Home system to encompass multiple satellites at the 105°/105.5° W.L. orbital slot, creating a satellite "neighborhood" at that location. "We should be able to offer both television programmers and Internet service providers a range of satellite service options at the 105°/105.5° location," Olmstead said. "No one in the U.S. market has ever been able to offer the flexible and unique configurations of satellites in one 'neighborhood' that we will make available to our customers."

Assuming prompt FCC approval of the company's petition, the AMERICOM2Home system could be in operation as early as 2004. In the intervening period, the company expects to develop its plans in more detail through discussions with a wide range of television programmers, broadcasters, Internet service providers, satellite equipment manufacturers, and others.

About SES AMERICOM

With over twenty-five years' experience, SES AMERICOM, Inc. is recognized as a pioneer and leading provider of global satellite communications services currently providing capacity on 16 spacecraft capable of serving the Americas, Europe, the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean Region and Asia. As a member of the SES GLOBAL family AMERICOM is able to provide end-to-end telecommunications solutions to any region in a world. For more information, please refer to our website: www.ses-americom.com

About SES GLOBAL

SES GLOBAL is the world's premier satellite company, born out of the combination of ASTRA, Europe's leading provider of satellite capacity for direct-to-home reception, and AMERICOM, one of the leading Fixed Satellite Services operators based in the U.S. SES ASTRA and SES AMERICOM are the operating companies of SES GLOBAL, with 29 wholly-owned satellites. The company also owns strategic holdings in first-class regional satellite service providers with 13 additional satellites, which are SES GLOBAL partner companies: AsiaSat and AMERICOM ASIA-PACIFIC in Asia, Star One and Nahuelsat in Latin America, as well as NSAB in Europe. 95% of the world's population live within the footprints of the SES GLOBAL satellite network. In addition, SES GLOBAL holds stakes in satellite technology companies Gilat and NDSatcom. SES GLOBAL shares are listed on the Stock Exchanges in Luxembourg (SESG) and Frankfurt (SDSL). For more information, please refer to our website: www.ses-global.com

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