Towercom To Contract Fourth Transponder On ASTRA’s 23.5 Degrees East Orbital Position

Additional programmes for Skylink in Slovakia and the Czech Republic

Luxembourg - SES ASTRA, an SES company (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG), announced today that it has signed an agreement with the Slovak telecommunications and TV operator Towercom for the use of one additional transponder on its 23.5 degrees East orbital position. Towercom will use the additional capacity starting 1 June 2011 to strengthen the bouquet of Skylink in Slovakia and the Czech Republic with additional content.

With the new contract, Towercom uses a total of four transponders on ASTRA’s 23.5 degrees East orbital position for the Slovak and Czech markets. Since its re-launch in 2008, Skylink has developed into Slovakia’s and Czech Republic’s leading TV platform offering a variety of digital and High Definition television programmes delivered via satellite. To date, Skylink has distributed more than 1.3 million smart cards in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
Norbert Hölzle, Chief Commercial Office of SES ASTRA, said: “We are very pleased to have signed this additional capacity agreement with Towercom which confirms our positive outlook for the Central and Eastern European markets where we expect further growth mainly from the dynamic roll out of digital and High Definition television. We look forward to continuing working with Towercom to grow the Skylink offer in Slovak and Czech Republics.”
Our objective is to provide high quality and innovative services. Therefore we cooperate with the most reliable satellite provider, SES ASTRA“, says Roman Fischer, Chairman of the Board of Towercom. ”The increasing number of Skylink customers proves that we are following the right course"

About SES ASTRA
SES ASTRA is the leading Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite system in Europe. The satellite fleet currently comprises 16 satellites which deliver services to more than 135 million households and transmit more than 2,500 television and radio channels. SES ASTRA also provides satellite-based multimedia, internet and telecommunication services to enterprises, governments and their agencies. With more than 200 High Definition (HD) channels, ASTRA is the most important HDTV platform for Europe’s leading broadcasters. The orbital positions for SES ASTRA are 19.2 degrees East, 28.2 degrees East, 23.5 degrees East, 5 degrees East and 31.5 degrees East. For further information: www.ses-astra.com.

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. For further information: www.ses.com.

About Towercom
Towercom, Inc. is privately-owned TV and telecommunications operator based in Bratislava, Slovakia. Towercom serves Slovakian and Czech Free-to-Air and encrypted TV channels, mobile phone operators, incumbent and alternative fix telecommunications operators, state authorities, utility providers and other entrerprises. Towercom, Inc. technically supports and closely cooperates with the Skylink TV platform in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. www.towercom.cz/