The SES 5 satellite
Photo: SSL

[Via Satellite 09-23-13] StarTimes Communication Network Technology, a technology provider and network operator in China, has signed a 10-year contract on SES’ SES 5 satellite at 5 degrees east to expand its media footprint in Africa and deliver direct-to-home (DTH) broadcast services across the continent. StarTimes, which has more than 2.6 million digital terrestrial television (DTT) subscribers, also acquired SES’ 20 percent shareholding in South African pay-TV operator TopTV.

The contract will see StarTimes use four transponders as of October 2013 and a fifth transponder from February 2014 to grow their DTH subscribers in Africa. The Chinese broadcaster will continue to broadcast TopTV on SES 5 by using three of the newly-contracted SES transponders that were formerly leased by ODM. The other two out of the five SES transponders contracted by StarTimes will be used to complement their DTT offering in remote and non-urban areas and grow their pay-TV business.