SES Astra Inks Pact with Eurosat for Distribution of Astra2CONNECT in the UK

Wireless News
12-20-2008
SES Astra Inks Pact with Eurosat for Distribution of Astra2CONNECT in the UK

WIRELESS NEWS-December 20, 2008-SES Astra Inks Pact with Eurosat for Distribution of Astra2CONNECT in the UK (C)2008 10Meters - http:/ /www.10meters.com

SES Astra, a SES company, announced that it has signed a reseller agreement with the satellite equipment distributor Eurosat for the marketing and sales of its satellite based interactive broadband service Astra2Connect.
Eurosat will market the service under its brand name BeyonDSL in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.

Eurosat, a developer and supplier of satellite TV and consumer electronics based in the United Kingdom, is targeting thousands of British households that are not able to access terrestrial DSL or cable networks and will offer download rates of up to 2Mbps.

Astra2Connect was launched in early 2007 and is now available in 11 countries throughout Europe. Marketed via wholesalers and internet service providers to the residential market, Astra's fully satellite-based solution for broadband access is a service that offers a highly reliable, always-on, two-way broadband internet access, including internet telephony, for flat service fees. The groups said the customer premises equipment - a modem and a satellite dish - is low cost and delivered with a tool for easy self- installation.

"Thanks to our agreement with Eurosat BeyonDSL, we have added another European country to our map for Astra2Connect," said Norbert Willems, Managing Director of Astra Broadband Services. "Even in countries with a high DSL penetration like the United Kingdom, there are still many regions without terrestrial broadband access. With download speeds of up to 2Mbps now available, Astra2Connect is a unique possibility for those households where terrestrial high- speed internet is not immediately available."

"Thousands of households in the UK and Northern Ireland are in terrestrial broadband black spots. That does not only affect rural areas, but also city locations including greater London," said Mike Locke, special projects manager at Eurosat. "Therefore, we are extremely happy that, with Astra2Connect, we are able to offer an easy, reliable and affordable solution for everyone."

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