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Ethiopia’s Information Network Security Agency (INSA) has inked a multi-year contract with Eutelsat Communications for capacity at its 7/8 degrees west neighborhood, which serves satellite TV in the Middle East and North Africa. INSA will use the capacity for its new TV platform, Ethiosat, which just launched.

Ethiopia’s national satellite TV landscape currently features more than 30 channels that broadcast from multiple satellites. The new platform offers licensed channels the opportunity to broadcast in a single platform, ensuring easy reception for TV homes across the country and accelerating digital take-up. The first channels, including Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) and Oromia TV, are available to homes on a Free-to-Air (FTA) basis. Multiple national and regional channels as well as commercial broadcasters are also candidates for inclusion in the flagship platform, according to INSA.

Viewers can access Ethiosat using a single 90cm antenna and set-up box rather than sourcing content through multiple providers at multiple orbital positions. The new platform also taps into the installed base of antennas already equipped for reception from the 7/8 degrees west neighborhood.