SES ASTRA Joins High-Definition Audio-Video Network

Berlin – SES ASTRA – the leading Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite system in Europe – joins the High-Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance (HANA) to advance the commercialization of connected products and services for premier, high-definition (HD) content, it was announced today by Dr. Heemin Kwon, HANA Chairman and Samsung Executive Vice President.

SES ASTRA joins dozens of other HANA members including Warner Bros., Texas Instruments, Sun Microsystems, Samsung, NDS, NBC Universal, Charter Communications, Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Inc., JVC, ARM and AMD. HANA’s vision is a trusted HD entertainment network where consumers can enjoy a wide range of new HD products and services with full HDTV quality-of-service networking and where TV service providers and content owners can be assured that commercial entertainment is used only as licensed.

HANA member companies plan to introduce a wide range of secure HANA consumer audio-video (AV) devices including HANA TVs, audio systems, network interface units, digital video recorders and portable media players. HANA AV systems will be simple to install – requiring no new home wiring and with typical set up in less than 15 minutes.

“We are very pleased to welcome SES ASTRA as a HANA member. SES ASTRA’s experience and strength in HD channel provisioning across Europe is unparalleled. They are HD pioneers whose participation in this Alliance will help to ensure delivery of end-to-end HANA entertainment services,” said Dr. Kwon.

“SES ASTRA is a driving force in digitalization. As the leading delivery platform for HDTV on the Continent, we are committed to efforts like HANA that are aimed at helping grow the HDTV market in Europe,” said Thomas Wrede, VP Product Management, Media, SES ASTRA.

ABOUT HANA WWW.HANAALLIANCE.ORG

Launched in December 2005, HANA is a cross-industry alliance of leading content and service providers, CE and IT companies to address the end-to-end needs of connected, HD home entertainment products and services. HANA membership is open to all companies involved in the digital entertainment industry and offers an invaluable exchange of HD information and opportunity.

ABOUT SES ASTRA WWW.SES-ASTRA.COM

The ASTRA Satellite System delivers services to some 107 million Direct-to-Home and cable households. The ASTRA satellite fleet currently comprises 13 satellites, transmitting in excess of 1600 analogue and digital television and radio channels as well as multimedia and Internet services. SES ASTRA is an SES GLOBAL company (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG). SES GLOBAL provides outstanding satellite communications solutions via a fleet of 43 satellites across the globe. Additional information on SES GLOBAL is available at www.ses-global.com.

For further information please contact:

Lori Zielinski/Liz Delapoer
VTM PR for HANA
+1.503.619.0505
lzielinski@vtm-inc.com
ldelapoer@vtm-inc.com

Markus Payer
SES ASTRA
+352.710.725.500 markus.payer@ses-astra.com