ASTRA in 4 out of 5 Digital Satellite Homes; SES ASTRA Presents Results of the Latest European Satellite Monitors.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

BETZDORF, Luxembourg--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 1, 2003

Nearly 80% of all digital satellite homes in Europe receive services carried by ASTRA, according to the latest European Satellite Monitors, a comprehensive survey undertaken by leading research institutes across Europe.

The research confirms the status of SES ASTRA, an SES GLOBAL company (Luxembourg and Frankfurt Stock Exchanges: SESG), as the leading satellite system for direct-to-home reception in Europe. The Satellite Monitors, also reveals the full extent of the satellite-led dynamic growth in digital reception - a development improving the scope for new and exciting business opportunities in broadcast and broadband services.

European Satellite Monitor's main findings:

The ASTRA audience in Europe has continued to grow. At the beginning of 2003, some 91.8 million cable and satellite homes in 30 European countries were served by the ASTRA Satellite System via its orbital positions 19.2(degrees) East and 28.2(degrees) East.

ASTRA maintains its leadership as the top European satellite system for direct-to-home reception (DTH). A total of 34.4 million households in Europe now receive ASTRA services directly via satellite. France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the UK remain established key ASTRA markets for satellite reception. According to the latest Satellite Monitor the number of ASTRA satellite homes in France increased by 0.1 million to reach 3.2 million homes connected, whereas the number of ASTRA satellite homes in Germany and Italy increased by 0.4 million each to reach respectively 13.6 and 1.4 million homes. ASTRA reception in Poland decreased slightly to 1.6 million as a consequence of the merger of the two digital platforms. ASTRA satellite reception in the Netherlands increased by 70,000 to reach 0.35 million. In Spain the number of ASTRA homes increased also by 70,000 to 1.8 million homes, whereas in the UK - where the study was conducted by midyear 2002 - results show a stable ASTRA market at 6.5 million homes. A further 57.4 million homes in Europe have access to ASTRA content by cable.

Both the ASTRA direct-to-home platforms at 19.2(degrees) East and at 28.2(degrees) East have grown in terms of audience. ASTRA's Continental European DTH audience at 19.2(degrees) East has increased to 28.0 million homes, while the ASTRA satellites at 28.2(degrees) East now reach more than 6.5 million homes in the UK and Ireland.

Both these prime orbital positions are proving ever more popular thanks to the dynamic development of digital satellite reception (DSTV). At the start of 2003, 15.2 million homes received digital services via ASTRA - up from 14 million a year earlier. In the very competitive DSTV sector, ASTRA has consolidated its strong position and now reaches almost four out of every five digital satellite homes in Europe.

The biggest growth markets for ASTRA DSTV were Germany (an increase of 650,000 ASTRA DSTV homes to more than 2 million) and Italy (a rise of 270,000 ASTRA DSTV homes to nearly 1 million). ASTRA now commands a 97% penetration of Germany's digital satellite reception market.

The growing choice of informative and entertaining digital TV and radio content boosted total digital broadcast reception (via satellite, cable or terrestrial) in Europe to more than 25 million homes, an increase of 1.5 million compared to the previous year. Satellite is by far Europe's most popular digital reception mode with a market share of more than 77%.

ASTRA also maintains its leadership in analogue broadcasting. The survey reveals that ASTRA provides analogue services directly to more than 21.7 million homes in Europe, 83% of the total analogue satellite market. Of these, 2.5 million homes simultaneously receive digital ASTRA services. Some 12.2 million analogue ASTRA homes are located in Germany - worldwide, this represents the largest DTH audience in any country via a single orbital position.

The European Satellite Monitors shows a growing enthusiasm among Europe's Internet audience for the use of broadband. At the beginning of this year, 11.9 million online homes were connected to broadband Internet infrastructures, up from 5.1 million in 2001.

ASTRA homes are an attractive audience for the successful roll-out of broadband DSL services via satellite across Europe. The proportion of ASTRA digital satellite homes owning a PC (66%) and using online connection (54%) has further increased and is significantly higher than average TV homes (PC 49%, online 37%).

About the European Satellite Monitors

The European Satellite Monitors are commissioned by SES ASTRA and conducted by leading market research institutes in Europe using harmonised and acknowledged research methodologies. These surveys have been awarded quality stamps by independent research authorities in France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the UK.

The Monitors assess the development of the market for broadcast and broadband content reception across Europe(1). By the end of 2002, researchers had carried out 67,260 interviews to update the market figures for 29 European countries The European Satellite Monitors are regarded as a benchmark due to the high quality information and key data on the European DTH markets, which they provide.

SES ASTRA has a dedicated market research team that undertakes comprehensive surveys and market analyses, which are shared with clients and business partners.

More detailed information about this extensive in-depth study and its results will be made available on www.ses-astra.com within the next weeks.

www.ses-astra.com

(1)Surveyed countries: Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and United Kingdom.