SES ASTRA EXPANDS SATELLITE BROADBAND SERVICE ASTRA2CONNECT TO UKRAINE, BELARUS AND MOLDOVA
Luxembourg, 10 September 2010. - SES ASTRA, an SES company (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG), announced today that it has added another distribution partner to market its satellite broadband service ASTRA2Connect in Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova. With Novacomm, ASTRA2Connect now counts 23 distribution partners in 21 countries across Europe.
ASTRA2Connect is an interactive broadband internet access that is offered via distribution partners to end customers and businesses in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The service is independent from any terrestrial networks and immediately available anywhere within the footprint of the satellite. To date, ASTRA2Connect has more than 65,000 end-users in Europe, thereby representing the largest satellite-based broadband network on the continent.
Novacomm, a Russian internet service provider with a subsidiary in Ukraine, will use the service to expand its business outside Russia and develop important economic and social projects such as broadband connections for schools and transportation systems as well as for business and end customers who have no access to terrestrial broadband networks.
"Ukraine is a promising market for satellite services, both for broadcast and broadband. We are very delighted that we have signed this agreement with Novacomm which represents an important step for the roll-out of our product in Eastern Europe," said Norbert Hölzle, Chief Commercial Officer at SES ASTRA.
"There is still a large number of companies based outside the Ukrainian major cities which have no or limited access to the internet. With ASTRA2Connect we have found an ideal solution to provide businesses in rural regions with a reliable broadband connection," said Nikolay Marakhovskiy, General Director at Novacomm.
About SES ASTRA
SES ASTRA is the leading Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite system in Europe. The satellite fleet currently comprises 16 satellites. The ASTRA satellite system delivers services to more than 125 million DTH and cable households and transmits more than 2,600 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 150 High Definition (HD) channels on its main orbital positions, ASTRA represents the most important HDTV platform for Europe's leading broadcasters. The prime orbital positions for ASTRA are 19.2° East, 28.2° East, 23.5° East, 5° East and 31.5° East.
About SES
SES (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) wholly owns the market-leading satellite operators SES ASTRA and SES WORLD SKIES, and participations in Ciel in Canada, QuetzSat in Mexico as well as a strategic participation in satellite infrastructure start-up O3b Networks. SES provides outstanding satellite communications solutions via a global fleet of 44 satellites.
About Novacomm
Novacomm Russia is an internet service provider based in Moscow. The company is primarily serving business clients and VIP customers, providing different B2B internet solutions. Novacomm Ukraine is a sub-company of Novacomm Russia.
