SES ASTRA Supplies ASTRA2Connect for Energy Monitoring in Italy

LUXEMBOURG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SES ASTRA, an SES company (Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG), announced today that it has signed a cooperation agreement with the Italian corporation Gestore dei Servizi Energetici (GSE) for the deployment of 5,000 ASTRA2Connect terminals in Italy. GSE will use a dedicated ASTRA2Connect-based satellite service for telemetry and video surveillance applications in order to optimize the predictions of its renewable energy sources. GSE is a government-owned company promoting and supporting renewable energy sources and is controlled by the Italian Ministry of Economics and Finance.

“Our agreement with GSE is a significant step for ASTRA2Connect in the Italian market”

SES ASTRA will provide its successful satellite-based broadband technology to improve the data flow from renewable energy sources. Through the contract, ASTRA2Connect will become one of the largest satellite-based broadband networks for the energy market in Europe as well as a leading satellite broadband service in Italy. In addition, SES ASTRA is contributing to the development of a sustainable European energy policy from renewable sources of electricity and will play a vital role in the creation of a competitive electricity market.

The distribution of the terminals will be managed by a consortium consisting of SES ASTRA, Digitaria, SES ASTRA’s distribution partner for ASTRA2Connect in Italy, and Calzavara, a system integrator for telecommunications with a strong focus on alternative and renewable energies.

The ASTRA2Connect satellite technology was launched in 2007 as a residential service especially for households in regions without terrestrial broadband networks. Marketed via wholesalers and internet service providers, it offers an always-on and interactive broadband internet access at low costs. The customer premises equipment – a modem and satellite dish – can be easily self-installed. With currently more than 50,000 end users, ASTRA2Connect is highly successful in the residential market and has recently been further developed for the industrial and maritime markets.

“Our agreement with GSE is a significant step for ASTRA2Connect in the Italian market,” said Alexander Oudendijk, Chief Commercial Officer of SES ASTRA. “With the European energy market seeking a substantially increased share of renewable energy sources, we are very proud to be able to offer ASTRA2Connect as a reliable and cost-efficient solution to control and monitor the data flow. We are convinced that we are offering the right product to this highly competitive market and are looking forward to sharing first results with GSE.”

“This monitoring project for renewable source plants is unique in the Italian energy landscape,” said Nando Pasquali, CEO of GSE. “Through our choice to use a satellite platform for data collection processes, we have introduced a system which is innovative, flexible, and scalable and covers the entire Italian territory, allowing its use wherever renewable energy is produced. A further advantage of the satellite platform is its low costs, comparable to traditional ADSL networks. Gestore dei Servizi Energetici is the first energy operator to use the satellite for data collection from renewable energy sources on a large scale to supply a more efficient and effective service with great benefits for consumers”.

About SES ASTRA www.ses-astra.com

SES ASTRA is the leading Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite system in Europe. The satellite fleet currently comprises 13 ASTRA and two SIRIUS satellites. The combined satellite system delivers services to more than 122 million DTH and cable households and transmits more than 2,500 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 more than 100 High Definition (HD) channels on its main orbital positions, ASTRA and SIRIUS represent the most important HDTV platform for Europe's leading broadcasters. The prime orbital positions for ASTRA and SIRIUS are 19.2° East, 28.2° East, 23.5° East, 5° East and 31.5° East.

SES ASTRA is an SES company (Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG). SES wholly owns SES ASTRA and SES WORLD SKIES, 90% of SES SIRIUS in Europe, and participations in Ciel in Canada and QuetzSat in Mexico. SES provides outstanding satellite communications solutions via a global fleet of 41 satellites in 26 orbital locations. For further information: www.ses.com.

About Gestore dei Servizi Energetici (Spa)

GSE Spa plays a central role in promoting, incentivising and developing renewable energy sources in Italy. The company has a single shareholder, i.e. the Ministry of Economy and Finance, which exercises its shareholder rights together with the Ministry of Economic Development. GSE is the parent of two companies: Acquirente Unico (AU) and Gestore dei Mercati Energetici (GME).

In accordance with the national and international legislation, GSE manages the development of renewable energies both by granting incentives to power plants and by conducting awareness campaigns to foster the efficient and environmentally-sustainable use of electricity. GSE has been appointed as implementing body for allocating the incentives for photovoltaic plants.