Ethiopia unveils 1 January 2021 as date for majority of Satellite TV channels to migrate to 57 degrees East

Written on 21 Dec 2020

To continue accessing their favourite TV channels on Ethiopia's first-ever dedicated TV platform, TV audiences need to turn their dishes to point to Ethiosat at 57 degrees East

Luxembourg, 21 December 2020 - As of 1 January 2021, Ethiopian TV audiences will access majority of their favourite Ethiopian TV channels exclusively on Ethiosat at 57 degrees East. Ethiopian viewers should have their respective local satellite antenna installer adjust the position of their antenna to access the Ethiosat direct-to-home platform, following the press announcement from the Ethiopian Government on Tuesday 15 December in Addis Ababa.

The partnership agreement signed between Ethiopian Broadcasting Authority (EBA), Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute (ESSTI), which represented the Ethiopian government, public and private broadcasters and SES, the leader in global content connectivity solutions, marks for the beginning of a new era for TV viewers in Ethiopia as the country moves permanently towards the consolidation of Ethiopian content into one prime TV neighbourhood.

Ethiosat is Ethiopia's first-ever dedicated free-to-air (FTA) TV platform, hosted on SES's NSS-12 satellite. The platform was launched in October 2019 as a result of an agreement between the Association of Ethiopian Broadcasters (AEB), the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) and SES to consolidate all Ethiopian TV channels and broadcast them from one orbital position rather than having viewers navigate through a multitude of foreign channels.

Together with EBA, ESSTI and SES - with its Elevate Installer Training programme - will ensure the training and mobilisation of more than 20,000 additional installers to help repoint the dishes. Ethiopian TV audiences who wish to access Ethiosat, should simply turn their dishes to face NSS-12, or contact their local installers. There is no need to buy a new Set-Top Box (STB) or antenna, as all Ethiopian households that currently have an antenna and TV will be able to gain access to Ethiosat.

By migrating most of the Ethiopian satellite TV channels to one location, we've created a truly Ethiopian-only TV offering that will benefit the country's economy. Together with the various broadcasting associations and SES, we are committed to helping all Ethiopian TV households across the country to repoint their satellite dishes by year-end to ensure that Ethiopians will continue to have the highest-quality content, said Dr. Getachew Dinku Godana, Director General of Ethiopian Broadcasting Authority.

We are pleased to announce this strategic partnership with SES on Ethiosat that will bring a completely new television experience to Ethiopians, said Abdissa Yilma Tiku, Director General of Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute. This alliance also confirms our commitment to support the space sector in Ethiopia, and we are confident that this dedicated Ethiopian TV platform will fuel a bright future for the Ethiopian media sector.

Steve Collar, CEO of SES, said, SES is proud to play a pivotal role in such an important project, and remains committed to seeing that the remainder of the migration goes smoothly. To support the migration, we will continue the training of local installers to correctly repoint the satellite dishes of each TV household and ensure that Ethiosat can deliver top-notch quality and viewer satisfaction.

Ethiosat currently delivers 65 channels to Ethiopian homes, with 16 of those channels already in High Definition (HD) quality, which will be exclusive as of 1 January, a first for Ethiopia.

About SES SES has a bold vision to deliver amazing experiences everywhere on earth by distributing the highest quality video content and providing seamless connectivity around the world. As the leader in global content connectivity solutions, SES operates the world's only multi-orbit constellation of satellites with the unique combination of global coverage and high performance, including the commercially-proven, low-latency Medium Earth Orbit O3b system. By leveraging a vast and intelligent, cloud-enabled network, SES is able to deliver high-quality connectivity solutions anywhere on land, at sea or in the air, and is a trusted partner to the world's leading telecommunications companies, mobile network operators, governments, connectivity and cloud service providers, broadcasters, video platform operators and content owners. SES's video network carries almost 8,200 channels and has an unparalleled reach of 367 million households, delivering managed media services for both linear and non-linear content. The company is listed on Paris and Luxembourg stock exchanges (Ticker: SESG). Further information is available at: www.ses.com

LINK:	https://www.ses.com/press-release/ethiopia-unveils-1-january-2021-date...
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