GSISCO to Market Satellite Broadband Service ASTRA2Connect in the Middle East

LUXEMBOURG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SES ASTRA, an SES company (Paris:SESG)(LuxX:SESG), announced today that it has signed a new service distribution agreement with the Amman, Jordan-based satellite services provider GSISCO (German Satellite Internet Service Company) to market its satellite-based broadband service ASTRA2Connect in the Middle East. GSISCO will offer ASTRA2Connect in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Yemen.

“We are very much looking forward to introducing SES ASTRA’s successful broadband technology in the Middle Eastern markets”

With the launch of SES ASTRA’s new satellite ASTRA 3B, the company has successfully expanded the coverage of its orbital position 23.5 degrees East to the Middle Eastern region, allowing GSISCO to provide customers in regions without terrestrial broadband networks with a stable, secure and fast broadband connection via satellite at competitive prices.

“We are delighted that our satellite broadband service has found such a broad acceptance in and outside Europe,” said Patrick Biewer, Vice President Technology and interim Managing Director of ASTRA Broadband Services, SES ASTRA’s broadband subsidiary. “Due to the lack of terrestrial broadband networks in this particular region, we are confident that ASTRA2Connect will be successful in the Middle East. GSISCO, with its experienced international management team, has an excellent knowledge of the market and is an ideal partner to market our service.”

“We are very much looking forward to introducing SES ASTRA’s successful broadband technology in the Middle Eastern markets,” said Ibrahim Al Hajaj, CFO at GSISCO. “ASTRA2Connect has a strong reputation in Europe, and we are convinced that it will have the same success here as well. The Middle East is a traditional satellite market and we see a big market potential for a well-priced, yet reliable satellite broadband product.”

With more than 65,000 customers, ASTRA2Connect is the largest satellite-based broadband network in Europe. Offering always-on and interactive broadband internet access for flat service fees, ASTRA2Connect is immediately available anywhere within the footprint of the satellite. ASTRA2Connect is marketed via wholesalers and internet service providers to the residential, industrial and maritime markets and is now also available in the Middle East and Africa.

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 16 satellites. The ASTRA satellite system delivers services to more than 125 million DTH and cable households and transmits more than 2,600 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 150 High Definition (HD) channels on its main orbital positions, ASTRA represents the most important HDTV platform for Europe's leading broadcasters. The prime orbital positions for ASTRA are 19.2° East, 28.2° East, 23.5° East, 5° East and 31.5° East.

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 GSISCO

The Headquarters of GSISCO is located in Amman with subsidiaries in Iraq and Yemen. GSISCO will be the first company in Middle East to offer the stable, secure and fast ASTRA2Connect broadband service in cooperation with ASTRA and has an experienced international management board. www.gsisco.com