SES Selects Newtec to Deliver Next Generation Ka-band Sat3Play® Technology for ASTRA2Connect

Newtec helps to close the digital divide by supplying the largest satellite broadband network in Europe with next generation Ka-band terminals and hubs



Luxembourg/Sint-Niklaas, Belgium - SES S. A. (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) and the satellite communications technology specialist Newtec today announced that they have signed an agreement to provide Europe’s largest satellite broadband network ASTRA2Connect with next generation Ka-band Sat3Play® terminals and related hub infrastructure.

SES is currently delivering Broadband Internet and Voice-over-IP services to over 80,000 private households and small businesses across Europe using Newtec’s technology in Ku-band and offering download speeds up to 6 Mbps.

With this new agreement, Newtec will be providing the next generation Ka-band terminals featuring higher download speeds beyond 10 Mbps and Newtec’s Point&Play® self-installation capability. Newtec will also enhance existing ASTRA2Connect end user terminals in Ku-band to enable download capabilities of up to 10 Mbps. These terminals are “Ka-Ready” providing an easy and low cost migration path from Ku-band to Ka-band.

The upgrade of existing end user terminals and the next generation Ka-band terminals featuring speeds beyond 10 Mbps are part of SES’s strategy to bring its successful ASTRA2Connect service to the next level. Starting in the fourth quarter of 2012, SES will further increase the performance of its ASTRA2Connect service by using additional multiple spot beam Ka-band capacity onboard its ASTRA 2F, 2E and 2G spacecraft to be launched between 2012 and 2014 and located at 28.2 degrees East.

“We now have the capabilities to enhance our existing service offerings to 10Mbps”, said Patrick Biewer, Managing Director of ASTRA Broadband Services (ABBS) - SES’s broadband subsidiary. “With Ka-band capacity coming online we are investing in future proof technology to support even higher speeds and extended services,” he said. “Efficient and reliable technology provides the foundation for this strategy. With our new hardware partnerships now in place, we will strengthen our service offering and help us to further grow our customer base.”

Serge Van Herck, CEO of Newtec, is convinced that Newtec’s Ka-band Sat3Play terminals and hubs are helping SES to further extend its reach into areas poorly connected by terrestrial means, whilst making its service more competitive. Van Herck said: “The future of consumer broadband services over satellite is Ka-band. This is simply because the total capacity offered by other commercial frequency bands cannot possibly cope with new demands. ASTRA2Connect’s download speed and volume has increased over the years and these new Sat3Play Ka-band terminals will enable a further expansion to its offering.”

Newtec and SES will be showcasing the Ka-band terminal at the IBC2011 show taking place at Amsterdam RAI between 8 - 13 September. Visit SES at IBC2011, Hall 1 Booth B 51.

About Sat3Play

Sat3Play® is Newtec’s affordable two-way satellite broadband platform designed for IP-based multiple service providers such as ISPs wanting to offer competitive voice, data and television services in areas where insufficient terrestrial broadband connectivity is available. Over 110’000 Sat3Play terminals have been delivered yet.
Offering significant cost-of-ownership reductions through consumer self-installation, DVB-S2 FlexACM® and adaptive return terminals, and a flexible migration path from Ku to Ka band, Sat3Play is a highly effective end-to-end solution. Newtec recently launched a new 800mW terminal for the Sat3Play broadband system, bringing increased return speeds and higher efficiency, as well as an additional 1m antenna for Sat3Play terminals. These two additions extend the capabilities of Sat3Play for B2B applications.

About Newtec

Newtec (www.newtec.eu) is a global industry leader, shaping the future of satellite communications. Offering state-of-the-art products and scalable, integrated solutions for broadcast, broadband access and backbone and trunking applications, Newtec helps customers achieve greater efficiency, increase performance and expand market reach.
With its passionate commitment to R&D and its strong relationship with the European Space Agency (ESA), Newtec remains in the forefront of technological development, continuing the pioneering contributions that have led to industry standards including DVB, DVB-S2, DVB RCS and iSatTV Cenelec pr EN50478.
Newtec’s worldwide customer base includes the industry’s most prestigious broadcasters, satellite operators, telcos, systems houses and broadcasting unions. Established in 1985 and headquartered in Belgium, Newtec has regional offices as well as additional R&D centres located in Stamford, Conn. (U.S.), Singapore (Singapore), Beijing (China), Dubai (UAE), São Paulo (Brazil), Berlin (Germany) and France.

About ASTRA Broadband Services S. A.

ASTRA Broadband Services is a 100% owned subsidiary of SES ASTRA operating SES ASTRA’s satellite broadband access ASTRA2Connect.

ASTRA2Connect is a bi-directional satellite broadband service, providing households and businesses in regions without terrestrial broadband networks a reliable and low-cost access to the broadband internet. Apart from an access to the internet, ASTRA2Connect provides VoIP telephony and the reception of all digital and analogue TV and radio channels on ASTRA.

ASTRA2Connect is today available in 23 European countries and has already more than 80,000 customers. With speeds of up to 6 Mb/s in download and easily installable hardware components (80cm satellite dish, iLNB and satellite modem), ASTRA2Connect has become the most successful satellite-based residential broadband network in Europe. Based on this success, SES ASTRA has also expanded its distribution network to East, West and Central Africa and the Middle East. ASTRA2Connect is also used by the maritime market for low-cost access to the broadband internet and for SCADA applications.

About SES

SES (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG, www.ses.com) wholly owns the market-leading satellite operators SES ASTRA and SES WORLD SKIES and participations in Ciel in Canada and 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 46 satellites.