LA POSTE underscores its confidence in SES ASTRA and SATLYNX with a new order for interactive kiosks

As part of its plan to extend public access to broadband services, LA POSTE of France underscores its confidence in SES ASTRA, Europe's premier satellite operator for direct-to-home reception, and SATLYNX, the provider of two-way broadband satellite services, by extending the "Cyberkiosque" interactive information network. "Cyberkiosque" offers access to interactive broadband satellite services based upon the European DVB-RCS standard.

Cyberkiosque consists of interactive terminals installed in public areas such as post offices and townhalls and makes a wide range of web-based services available to the general public. This network of public information centres can be easily and rapidly expanded across the whole of France.

Free broadband Internet access goes a long way to bridging the digital divide

The new technology enables administrations and local authorities to use Cyberkiosque interactive terminals that are fully operational from day one. Each Cyberkiosque connects to the Internet by means of an interactive satellite terminal, which itself is linked to the ASTRA satellite network. Via a touch screen interface, users can access public services, multimedia tools and the interactive services provided by LA POSTE free of charge. LA POSTE is thus making a direct contribution to bridging the digital divide that affects notably rural areas. In doing so, it is pursuing the objectives of the French Government as decided at the CIDAT, the " Interministerial Committee for National Planning ", in September 2003.

A solution that can be deployed immediately throughout the whole of France

As the footprint of the ASTRA satellites covers the entire territory of France, the system can be deployed cheaply and quickly across the entire country, using small, bi-directional parabolic antennas. This state-of-the-art interactive technology enables anybody to access broadband websurfing, video-conferencing and e-mail, whilst maintaining the strict confidentiality of communications.

Administrations to become much more accessible to the public

Cyberkiosque provides immediate answers to important issues of everyday life. With the interactive kiosks being installed in public areas, users can access these easily close to their homes.

"Cyberkiosque first and foremost provides a bouquet of essential services that make it much simpler for the public to carry out administrative procedures and formalities on-line. For example they get direct access to "public" websites of their choice while comprehensive lists of topics (local life, SOS, family, health, education, housing, money, taxation, transport, jobs) provide for easy on-line navigation. This makes the new interactive kiosks much easier to operate for novice Internet users. All of this is possible thanks to a reliable and state-of-the-art satellite access system that is backed by professional partners", explains Nathalie Andrieux, Director of E-Services Innovation and Development at LA POSTE.

"SES ASTRA is very pleased to continue to support a client as prestigious as LA POSTE in developing state-of-the-art technology such as two-way satellite communications. Broadband satellite services guarantee that a high-speed service will always be at hand, particularly in regions that are poorly served or not at all served by terrestrial networks. The fact that we have managed to combine the obvious benefits of satellite technology with Cyberkiosque interactive kiosks that are open to the general public, provides a very attractive proposition to potentially hundreds of thousands of consumers," declares Ferdinand Kayser, President and CEO of SES ASTRA.

"The agreement with LA POSTE, which is recognised for the excellent quality of the services it provides to the public, enables interactive satellite technology to be rolled out very quickly across France at competitive rates. The Cyberkiosque interactive kiosks are a first both for France and for Europe and open up new avenues in the development of two-way broadband technologies using the European DVB-RCS standard. This is an essential technological tool for developing interactive communications markets across Europe and one that will enable us to bridge the digital divide," comments Paul Heinerscheid, President and CEO of SATLYNX S.A.

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