SES ASTRA Rolls Onwards And Upwards With New Contracts

Another service provider has signed on with SES ASTRA for that company’s ASTRA2Connect satellite-based broadband service. The contract partner National Broadband Services will specialize in offering ASTRA2Connect in Ireland. ASTRA2Connect is a fully satellite-based two-way service solution for broadband access that can deliver dual- or triple-play services without the need for terrestrial support. This satellite solution offers a unique opportunity for two-way access in remote locations and rural areas. According to recent official data of the National census of Ireland, 320,000 out of the 1.5 million households in Ireland do not have a fixed telephone line. Nearly 400,000 of the 780,000 internet-connected households are still using dial-up connections.




And the ability of SES ASTRA to provide such services is further proven through the new capacity agreement the company has signed with Dutch satellite TV provider CanalDigitaal. Two additional transponders at ASTRA’s orbital position 23.5°E will directly target the Dutch and Flemish markets. With this contract, SES ASTRA continues to build up this orbital slot as a new Direct-to-Home (DTH) position. CanalDigitaal add a whole range of new High Definition (HD) TV services at a later stage. Following the agreement, CanalDigitaal is using a total of six transponders on the ASTRA Satellite System. In November 2006, the Dutch regional broadcasters had already launched free-to-air via one transponder at 23.5 degrees East—Betzdorf, Luxembourg