Artistic rendition of the SES-4 satellite, image courtesy of Space Systems/Loral
Global satellite operator SES S.A. (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) and content management and delivery company GlobeCast have contracted a transponder on the SES-4 satellite as well as an additional transponder on ASTRA-4A to launch two new satellite broadcast platforms serving the sub-Saharan African region. Including this new capacity, GlobeCast is now using three SES transponders for DTH in the African market. ASTRA-4A provides extensive coverage of sub-Saharan Africa from the 5 degrees East orbital position. GlobeCast has succeeded in filling its first transponder on the satellite and is now acquiring an additional transponder to meet increasing demand to serve the sub-Saharan market. SES-4 will be launched in Q4 of this year from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The satellite will be positioned at 338 degrees East and will provide enhanced coverage and capacity across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Western Africa and Latin America.
SES has also signed a long term agreement with the Georgian mobile and telecommunication company MagtiCom for several transponders at its 31.5 degrees East orbital position. MagtiCom will use the capacity to launch Georgia’s first domestic DTH television platform. The operator will broadcast in DVB-S2 standard and MPEG 4 encoding. MagtiCom will launch an attractive pay-TV bouquet for the Georgian market, offering local and international standard and high definition (SD and HD) channels starting from January 1, 2012. The 31.5 degrees East orbital position offers excellent growth opportunities for broadcasters in Central Eastern Europe and can accommodate the rising demand for SD and HD services in the region. Its excellent footprint covers the whole territory of Georgia with a powerful signal, allowing for direct-to-home reception with dishes sized at 60 cm. SES already provides a variety of services from this orbital position, ranging from the transmission of television channels in standard and high definition and the contribution of television and radio channels to cable and terrestrial networks, as well as data and voice services.