From 1 January 2021, Ethiopian TV audiences will have access to most of their favourite Ethiopian TV channels exclusively on Ethiosat at 57⁰ East
Ethiopian viewers should have their respective local satellite antenna installers adjust the position of their antenna to access the Ethiosat direct-to-home platform, following a press release from the Ethiopian government on 15 December in Addis Ababa.
The partnership agreement signed by the Ethiopian Broadcasting Authority (EBA), the Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute (ESSTI), which represented the Ethiopian government, public and private broadcasters and SES, a leader in global content connectivity solutions, marks the beginning of a new era for television viewers in Ethiopia as the country moves permanently towards consolidation.
Ethiosat is the first dedicated free-to-air (FTA) TV platform in Ethiopia to be hosted on the NSS-12 satellite of SES. 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 an orbital point of view rather than to allow viewers to navigate a multitude of foreign channels.
With EBA, ESSTI and SES-with its Elevate Installer Training programme - more than 20,000 additional installers will be trained and mobilised to help redesign dishes. Ethiopian TV audiences wishing to access Ethiosat should turn their dishes to face the NSS-12, or contact their local installers. There is no need to purchase a new Set-Top Box (STB) or antenna, as all Ethiopian households with an antenna and TV will access 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.
