TV satellite boost for French-speaking Africa

TV satellite boost for French-speaking Africa

Satellite provider SES plans delivering direct-to-home (DTH) broadcast television services across French-speaking countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

SES says it also plans delivering DTH for the Lomé-based consortium of West African broadcasters, led by Africable and Media Plus.

The roll-out is expected to commence on 1 October 2014 across Mali, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Niger, says a statement from the company.

"The multi-year contract for two transponders will allow the new platform to deliver direct-to-home (DTH) television from its Bamako Teleport to member countries of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (also known by its French acronym UEMOA)," says a SES statement.

"SES will provide the satellite capacity on its SES-4 satellite located at 22 degrees West, the company's prime orbital slot for Francophone sub-Saharan Africa, providing 100% audience reach from urban to non-urban areas," adds the statement.

SES further notes that the service is to offer a bouquet of 80 channels, free-to-air (FTA) and encrypted.

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