Totally mobile satellite

SES ASTRA (an SES company, Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) and Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) today announced the appointment, with immediate effect, of Steve Maine as CEO of their jointly-owned venture offering Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) in S-Band. The Joint Venture, known under the name Solaris, will commercialize the first satellite
infrastructure in Europe for broadcasting video, radio and data to mobile devices and vehicle receivers as well as a range of interactive mobile services. Eutelsat`s W2A satellite carrying the S-Band payload is under construction since October 2006 and is scheduled for launch at the very beginning of 2009.

As a seasoned executive in international telecommunications, broadcasting and new media, Steve Maine brings industry-leading experience into the S-band initiative driven by Europe's two leading satellite infrastructure operators. His professional achievements include the expansion of Kingston Communications from a local UK telephone company into a major player in voice, data, television and Internet services. Steve began his career at British Telecom (BT) where his posts included Director of Visual and Broadcast Services, which pioneered a strong and lasting satellite broadcasting business across Europe. He has also served on the board of Scottish Media Group, Scotland's main television and radio broadcaster.

Commenting on his appointment, Steve Maine said: _We are standing on the verge of a whole new market for Mobile Satellite Services and I believe that no two companies are better-placed than SES ASTRA and Eutelsat to contribute their industry-leading knowledge and experience towards a new set of mobile applications of real value to consumers across Europe. I am convinced that this is the most innovative opportunity in Europe_s telecommunications and media marketplaces and I am very excited by the prospects for opening a new chapter in satellite communications in Europe._

_We are extremely pleased that Steve will be heading one of our major strategic satellite infrastructure initiatives,_ said Ferdinand Kayser, President and CEO of SES ASTRA. _With the Solaris project, we expand into the next generation of satellite-based businesses and enter the sector of mobile services. Solaris will offer significant advantages to network operators, broadcasters and providers of interactive services._

"Steve has already made a real impact on satellite broadcasting and telecommunications markets in Europe," said Giuliano Berretta, Eutelsat Communications CEO. "He has a strong vision of the enormous potential of the S-band for Mobile Satellite Services, both for broadcasting and for interactive services, and is well-placed to take our new venture to market as we head towards countdown to launch at the beginning of 2009 of our innovative S-Band payload."

The Solaris S-band satellite infrastructure will enable the deployment of a fully-fledged TV experience on mobile devices, anytime, anywhere. For the first time in Europe a set of frequencies are being set aside both for terrestrial and satellite services. These S-Band frequencies sit alongside the UMTS frequencies already in use across Europe for 3G terrestrial services, facilitating the inclusion in mobile handsets of these new mobile services. Handsets equipped with the first DVB-SH chipsets were successfully demonstrated last week at the 3GSM conference in Barcelona in a demonstration of live mobile TV in the S-Band. The Solaris satellite infrastructure will also enable a wide range of interactive services for commercial and public service applications.