Viewers across the West African region will be able to receive 15 new channels via SES’s satellite at 47.5 degrees West

LUXEMBOURG -- (BUSINESS WIRE) --

Viewers in the Republic of Benin are now receiving 15 new Free-to-Air (FTA) channels from satellite, thanks to a new agreement the Government of the Republic of Benin has signed with SES, the world’s leading satellite-based solutions provider.

As part of the agreement a number of High Definition (HD) channels will be broadcast over Benin, making it the first HD channels to be available over Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) service across Africa. This marks an important step forward in the digital switchover for the country, which intends to switch off analogue service in 2020.

To meet the high service availability and nationwide coverage requested by Benin, SES will be utilising powerful spot-beam capacity on SES-14. This satellite with a high throughput payload will deliver video feeds to the DTT infrastructure across Benin, with Direct-to-Home (DTH) service filling in any gaps of DTT coverage. SES-14 was launched in January 2018 and is located at 47.5 degrees West.

“SES has delivered a creative solution to us to ensure the introduction of digital television with HD channels. This is an important milestone as we move toward our deadline for the analogue switch-off,” said Darius Quenum, Chairman of the DTT Steering Committee at Presidency of the Republic of Benin. We are very pleased to be working with SES, which has both the technical capabilities and required experience to support our ambitious plans to set new standards for broadcasting.”

“We are excited to be working with the committee leading the digital television transition of Benin to deliver such high-quality service to the people of Benin,” said Clint Brown, Vice President, Sales & Market Development for Africa, SES Video. “Launching HD service can be complex, and we are dedicated to providing innovative solutions to respond to market needs. Launching this DTT and DTH service is an important step for Benin and we are in the best position to successfully deliver the complete set of services required.”

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About SES

SES is the world’s leading satellite operator with over 70 satellites in two different orbits, Geostationary Orbit (GEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). It provides a diverse range of customers with global video distribution and data connectivity services through two business units: SES Video and SES Networks. SES Video reaches over 351 million TV homes, through Direct-to-Home (DTH) platforms and cable, terrestrial, and IPTV networks globally. The SES Video portfolio includes MX1, a leading media service provider offering a full suite of innovative services for both linear and digital distribution, and the ASTRA satellite system, which has the largest DTH television reach in Europe. SES Networks provides global managed data services, connecting people in a variety of sectors including telecommunications, maritime, aeronautical, and energy, as well as governments and institutions across the world. The SES Networks portfolio includes GovSat, a 50/50 public-private partnership between SES and the Luxembourg government, and O3b, the only non-geostationary system delivering fibre-like broadband services today. Further information is available at: www.ses.com