Tele Columbus Teams with Eutelsat Germany to Establish New Digital TV-Platform
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Digitisation of German Cable Homes From Eutelsat EUROBIRD(TM) 9 Satellite
HANOVER, COLOGNE, and BERLIN, February 7 / / - Tele Columbus, Germany's third largest cable operator with more than 3.7 million homes, and Eutelsat's German subsidiary, Eutelsat Deutschland today announced they will establish a unique platform for bundling digital channels and services for German cable homes from Eutelsat's EUROBIRD(TM) 9 satellite. Located in proximity to Eutelsat's flagship HOT BIRD(TM) position, EUROBIRD(TM) 9 is fast developing into an important video neighbourhood for Europe. For Tele Columbus, the cooperation gives the company more freedom in negotiations with content providers and further strengthens its position with end-users as a multimedia service provider.
By enabling a portfolio of basic private digital channels to be made available to Tele Columbus digital cable subscribers and other network operators, the cooperation marks a milestone in accelerating the long-awaited transition of Germany's cable market from analogue to digital.
The new platform will shortly begin testing and will officially launch in May. Starting with two transponders, Tele Columbus plans to ramp up to five transponders hosting more than 50 digital channels and services. The initial offer of 20 private German channels will be multiplexed, encrypted and uplinked to EUROBIRD(TM) 9 by Eutelsat. Digital cable homes served by Tele Columbus will benefit from an extended variety of commercial channels with digital quality. The platform is also an important step in extending the digital service provided by KabelKiosk to independent cable operators and also to other interested operators. KabelKiosk already delivers 60 German and international channels to more than 230 cable network operators in Germany.
"We have found with Eutelsat a reliable and strong partner for the realisation of our digital platform," said Markus Schmid, COO and President of the Tele Columbus Group. "We will also continue on this path in the future and drive the migration process from analogue to digital cable through new initiatives and with the appropriate partners." For Tele Columbus, the establishment of the new platform is a further important step in the company's development from an infrastructure provider to a customer-centered telecommunications and multimedia provider. To further expand its end-customer business, the company will bundle its networks in regions with signal access using its own headends, and will offer individually designed programme bouquets and digital services.
"Our partner Tele Columbus is taking a pioneer role in the German cable market. This unique partnership is very important for Eutelsat in several ways. By bundling a basic package of encrypted private channels, we are establishing a compelling digital offer which will speed the transition of Germany's cable market from analogue to digital, and give German homes more choice and improved quality. The selection by Tele Columbus of EUROBIRD(TM) 9, our newest video neighbourhood, is also a strong signal of its enormous potential for European cable markets," said Martina Rutenbeck, Managing Director of Eutelsat Germany's subsidiary Eutelsat visAvision GmbH.
About Tele Columbus
The Tele Columbus Group was formed in November 2006 following the merger of Tele Columbus GmbH and ewt multimedia GmbH under the umbrella of Orion Cable. With around 3.7 million connected households Tele Columbus is currently the third largest cable provider in Germany and the biggest cable operator on network level 4. In addition to analog television, its range of products includes digital television, internet and telephone via broadband. Customers can subscribe to individual products or a real triple-play all-in package.
www.telecolumbus.de
About Eutelsat Communications
Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code:
FR0010221234) is the holding company of Eutelsat S.A.. With capacity commercialised on 24 satellites that provide coverage over the entire European continent, as well as the Middle East, Africa, India and significant parts of Asia and the Americas, Eutelsat is one of the world's three leading satellite operators in terms of revenues. At 30 September 2007, Eutelsat's satellites were broadcasting over 2,730 television channels, of which more than 1,000 channels broadcast via its HOT BIRD(TM) video neighbourhood which serves over 120 million cable and satellite homes in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The Group's satellites also serve a wide range of fixed and mobile telecommunications services, TV contribution markets, corporate networks, and broadband markets for Internet Service Providers and for transport, maritime and in-flight markets. Eutelsat's broadband subsidiary, Skylogic, markets and operates services through teleports in France and Italy that serve enterprises, local communities, government agencies and aid organisations in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. Headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat and its subsidiaries employ 529 commercial, technical and operational experts from 27 countries.
eutelsat.com
Source: Eutelsat Communications
