SES ASTRA Selects Nagravision Encryption System for Its New Digital TV Infrastructure

SES ASTRA's new infrastructure for digital TV and additionalinteractive services will be available to all broadcasters and willfacilitate the introduction and development of digital services on anopen and non-discriminatory technological basis. The offer willconsist of services like encryption of programme signals and smartcard distribution and registration for access. With this offer, TVhouseholds will be able to use an evolutive solution for digital TVwhich provides technical access to Free-TV, Pay-TV and interactiveservices. For technical services, SES ASTRA will rely on its existingsubsidiary ASTRA Platform Services (APS) in Unterfohring near Munichwhilst logistics, distribution of smart cards and customer serviceswill be handled by a new SES ASTRA subsidiary.

The Nagravision end-to-end turnkey conditional access system willbe scaled to support up to 10 million registered customers with thecapability to increase the capacity as per the requirements of SESASTRA. Nagravision's conditional access solution provides outstandingbroadcast security, and enables SES ASTRA to offer the technicalservices for programming diversity and flexible business modelsespecially tailored to broadcaster and consumer needs.

"A reliable and future-proof encryption technology is a centrepiece of our new digital infrastructure offer", says Ferdinand Kayser,President and CEO of SES ASTRA. "Our model is completely open andneutral to all operators and manufacturers and is aimed at offering tothe market a transparent, accessible and non-proprietary technicalsolution for digital broadcasting over satellite. We have chosen theNagravision system because it offers technological excellence, highestsecurity and significant potential to manage the rising complexity ofdigital broadcast solutions. With Nagravision, we will be able tobuild an open and homogenous infrastructure with no technical barriersfor all interested broadcasters including German Pay-TV channelPremiere."

"Nagravision is pleased to participate in SES ASTRA's project tobe a pioneer in the growing field of mass market digital TV", saysAndre Kudelski, President and CEO of the Kudelski Group. "Nagravisionis fully committed to the DVB standard and will contribute to SESASTRA's attractive plans to support both German and internationalmanufacturers in offering to customers a large choice of Set-TopBoxes. We look forward to working together with SES ASTRA to supportthese plans."

About SES ASTRA www.ses-astra.com

The ASTRA Satellite System is the leading Direct-to-Home (DTH)satellite system in Europe, delivering services to some 103 millionDirect-to-Home and cable households. The ASTRA satellite fleetcurrently comprises 13 satellites, transmitting in excess of 1400analogue and digital television and radio channels as well asmultimedia and Internet services. ASTRA's two prime orbital positionsfor DTH services are 19.2(degrees) East and 28.2 (degrees) East.Professional services such as Direct-to cable (DTC), SatelliteNewsgathering (SNG) and Occasional Use are offered from the orbitalposition of 23.5 (degrees) East.

SES ASTRA is an SES GLOBAL company (Euronext Paris and LuxembourgStock Exchange: SESG). SES GLOBAL wholly owns two market-leadingsatellite operators, SES ASTRA in Europe, and SES AMERICOM in the US.The Company also holds strategic participations in AsiaSat in Asia,Star One in Latin America, and SES SIRIUS in Europe. Additional infoon SES GLOBAL at: www.ses-global.com.

About the Kudelski Group/Nagravision

The Kudelski Group (www.nagra.com) is a world leader in digitalsecurity. Its technologies are used in a wide range of applicationsrequiring access control and rights management, whether for securingtransfer of information (digital television, broadband Internet,video-on-demand, interactive applications, etc.) or to control andmanage access of people or vehicles to sites and events. The KudelskiGroup is headquartered in Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland, and itsstock is listed on the Swiss Market Index.

Nagravision (www.nagravision.com), a Kudelski Group company, isthe world's leading independent supplier of open conditional accesssystems, DRM and integrated on-demand solutions for content providersand digital TV operators over broadcast and broadband platforms. Itstechnologies are currently being used by more than 100 leading Pay-TVoperators worldwide securing content delivered to over 60 millionactive smart cards and devices.