Empresas y finanzas

SES ASTRA Increases Capacity for Tele 5 in Germany



    SES ASTRA, an SES company (Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG), announced
    today an increase of transponder capacity for the German television
    channel Tele 5. The increase serves Tele 5 to further improve and
    optimise the picture quality in Standard Definition (SD)
    transmissions. The agreement on additional capacity is effective
    immediately.

    "This new agreement with Tele 5 shows that TV channels and viewers
    are benefiting from the technical advantages of the satellite
    transmission not only in the area of High Definition (HD) but also in
    Standard Definition", said Wolfgang Elsasser, Managing Director of
    ASTRA in Germany. "The further improvement of the transmission quality
    is especially driven by the increasing demand for high quality TV flat
    screens and represents a significant driver for digital capacity
    demand."

    "The digital transmission of our program becomes increasingly
    important for us as the share of digital satellite households is
    steadily growing", said Ludwig Bauer, Managing Director of Tele 5.
    "Our ambition as a movie channel is to offer the 8.2 million digital
    satellite households in Germany top cinema quality in their living
    rooms. With this additional capacity agreement with ASTRA, we can
    further strengthen our profile as a premium movie channel."

    About SES ASTRA www.ses-astra.com

    SES ASTRA is the leading Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite system in
    Europe, delivering services to more than 109 million DTH and cable
    households. The ASTRA satellite fleet currently comprises 13
    satellites, transmitting 1,864 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 26 High Definition (HD) channels available
    via its satellites today, ASTRA is also the most important HDTV
    broadcasting platform in Europe. ASTRA's prime orbital positions are
    19.2 degrees East, 28.2 degrees East, and 23.5 degrees East.

    SES ASTRA is an SES company (Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG). SES owns
    three market-leading satellite operators, SES ASTRA in Europe, SES
    AMERICOM in North America, and SES NEW SKIES, which provide global
    coverage and connectivity. The Company also holds strategic
    participations in SES Sirius in Europe, Ciel in Canada and Quetzsat in
    Mexico. SES provides outstanding satellite communications solutions
    via a fleet of 37 satellites in 25 orbital positions around the globe.
    Additional information on SES is available at: www.ses.com