SES ASTRA expands satellite broadband to new territories
New Broadband Service Providers to target Hungary, Poland, Ireland, Czech Republic and Algeria
SES ASTRA, an SES GLOBAL company (Luxembourg and Frankfurt Stock Exchanges: SESG) is pleased to announce 5 new contracts for the provision of ASTRA one-way satellite broadband services at Europe's most popular orbital position of 19.2° East. The high speed satellite Internet services via ASTRA target additional territories in Europe and North Africa, notably Algeria, Hungary, Ireland, Poland and the Czech Republic.
SES ASTRA signed a long-term contract with SERVISYS, a French provider of networks and software solutions for small to medium-sized businesses and replicated branch offices, for services to Algeria. This is the first ASTRA-delivered service specifically targeted at residential audiences in a North-African country. In the Czech Republic, SES ASTRA's new commercial partner is Pragonet, a countrywide telecommunications service provider. In Hungary, telecom incumbent Matav will offer DSL-type satellite services via ASTRA, and in Ireland, MediaSatellite Ltd, a service provider for one and two-way satellite network services will market satellite broadband services to end-consumers in cooperation with Irish telecom operator Eircom. In Poland finally, SES ASTRA has entered into an agreement with Onet.pl, Poland's leading Internet portal, which registers more than a billion impressions a month, making it the only Polish portal amongst the most visited in the world.
The launch of all five of the new broadband services on ASTRA has already been initiated. ASTRA has been offering high speed satellite Internet services to end-consumers in the Benelux (with BySky), Germany (Deutsche Telekom) and Italy (Netsystem) since 2000.
States Alexander Oudendijk, Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing at SES ASTRA: "We are excited to extend the ASTRA broadband services to new territories. The ubiquity of satellite services provides for a readily available, yet state-of-the-art "gap-filler" to bridge the digital divide, not least in regions neglected by modern terrestrial infrastructures. With more and more businesses and consumers relying on high-speed connectivity, ASTRA broadband services are poised to meet a genuine market demand."
For further information please contact:
|
Yves Feltes Senior Manager, Press Relations Tel +352 710 725 311 Yves.Feltes@ses-global.com www.ses-astra.com |
About SES ASTRA | http://www.ses-astra.com |
The ASTRA Satellite System is Europe's leading Direct-to-Home satellite system chosen by a wide range of television and radio broadcasters and multimedia service providers for the delivery of free-to-air and pay broadcast and broadband services to more than 92 million Direct-to-Home and cable households in Europe. The ASTRA satellite fleet currently comprises 13 satellites, transmitting more than 1100 analogue and digital television and radio channels as well as multimedia and internet services. ASTRA's two prime orbital positions for DTH (Direct-To-Home) services are 19.2° East and 28.2° East. Professional services are offered from the orbital positions of 23.5°/24.2° East and 5.2° East. SES ASTRA is wholly owned by SES GLOBAL, a publicly quoted company with securities listed on the Stock Exchanges in Luxembourg and Frankfurt (SESG). SES GLOBAL wholly owns two operating companies, SES AMERICOM and SES ASTRA, and has strategic holdings in other leading regional satellite service providers around the world - AsiaSat, AMERICOM ASIA PACIFIC, NSAB, Nahuelsat and Star One. Through these SES GLOBAL can provide outstanding satellite communications solutions via a fleet of 41 satellites across the globe. Additional info at: www.ses-global.com
| |