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About SES/ASTRA:
Soci�t� Europ�enne des Satellites S.A. (SES) is the operator of ASTRA, Europe's leading
direct-to-home satellite system. Via nine active satellites at the orbital positions of 19.2�
East and 28.2� East, ASTRA transmits more over 1000 analogue and digital television and
radio channels as well as multimedia and Internet services to an audience of over 79 million
homes in Europe. ASTRA 2B will enter operations at 28.2� East by the end of November .
Three more ASTRA satellites, now under construction, are due for launch before end
2001.
SES is a pioneer of interactive and multimedia services through SES Multimedia, a wholly
owned subsidiary, which operates ASTRA-NET. The open ASTRA-NET platform enables
content creators and aggregators as well as service providers to deliver information and
entertainment at high speeds via satellite directly to stand-alone PCs, VPNs and LANs in
businesses and homes across Europe.
SES is the first European satellite operator to commercially exploit the Ka-band frequencies
for interactive and multimedia services. The Broadband Interactive System (BBI), which is
about to begin Beta trials, is a DVB-RCS based broadband satellite return channel system
able to serve the growing market in Western and Central Europe for 2-way asymmetric,
high-speed broadband collection and delivery of multimedia.
SES is also a major shareholder (34.13%) in AsiaSat, the leading satellite system in the
Asian/Pacific region. In July 2000, SES agreed the acquisition of 50% ownership in
Nordic Satellite Company NSAB, the operator of the Scandinavian Sirius satellite system.
This transaction was closely followed the same month by the announcement that SES was
to purchase a 19.99% interest in Embratel Satellite Division, the owner and operator of
Brasilsat, the largest satellite fleet in Latin America.
Through its strategic investments in AsiaSat, NSAB and Embratel, SES will be able to
interconnect the European ASTRA and Sirius satellites with the Asian/Pacific AsiaSats and
the Latin American Brasilsats to offer satellite broadband services spanning four continents.
SES securities are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange (symbol: SES) and the
Frankfurt Stock Exchange (symbol: SDSL).
Additional information about ASTRA can be found at www.ses-astra.com.
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