Sentech has extended its satellite capacity contract with satellite operator Intelsat to expand the reach of its television services in South Africa
The services covered under the deal include both direct-to-home (DTH) and digital terrestrial television (DTT) signals. Sentech will continue to use Intelsat’s Ku-band capacity on Intelsat 20, located in orbit at 68.5° East to distribute almost 500 channels. Of these channels, 31 are delivered in high definition (HD).
“Sentech is committed to providing comprehensive digital delivery services to Africa and ensuring that our customers have access to high quality, reliable and differentiated content,” said Leago Takalani, technology executive at Sentech. “As the rest of the continent continues the migration to DTT, the power of Intelsat 20 will enable us to efficiently deliver digital services to the largest number of viewers as well as expand our customer base. Most importantly, it will enable us to enhance our channel selection and deliver more affordable, entertaining programming to viewers across multiple channels throughout South Africa,” she added.
Rhys Morgan, interim sales manager for Africa at Intelsat, said, “Intelsat 20 reaches more viewers in Africa than any other DTH platform, making it an ideal video neighbourhood to support Sentech’s growing business needs. Our ability to support and deploy both DTH and DTT transmissions will enable Sentech to continue its customers’ seamless migration to DTT.”
