Analoguesat

NILESAT TO EXPAND RESOURCE AT 7 DEGREES WEST THROUGH CONTRACT WITH EUTELSAT FOR CAPACITY ON HOT BIRD™ 4 SATELLITE

Cairo / Paris, 5 September 2005
Nilesat and Eutelsat today announced the signature of a contract by the Egyptian operator to lease capacity on Eutelsat’s HOT BIRD™ 4 satellite once it is relocated to 7 degrees West. The satellite is scheduled to be repositioned to this location in second quarter 2006 after the launch and entry into service of Eutelsat’s HOT BIRD™ 7A and 8 satellites.

This agreement supports Nilesat’s objective to accelerate its development in the broadcasting market in the Middle East and the Gulf States. It positions Nilesat to benefit from capacity on HOT BIRD™ 4 that Eutelsat has decided to redeploy to the 7 degrees West neighbourhood already used by Nilesat to offer digital entertainment services through its Nilesat 101 and 102 satellites that already operate from 7 degrees West. Nilesat’s two satellites today broadcast more than 280 television channels and 95 radio stations to an audience of about 15 million satellite and cable homes. The new capacity leased by Nilesat will be commercialised under the name Nilesat 103 from its scheduled availability in second quarter 2006.

For Eutelsat, the redeployment of its HOT BIRD™ 4 satellite underscores its own objective to continue to expand its in-orbit resource for the Middle East and Gulf states where broadcasting markets are rapidly evolving. The relocation to the 7 degrees West neighbourhood will also open opportunities through ATLANTIC BIRD
2 which already provides coverage of these regions from the nearby position of 8 degrees West. “This agreement with Eutelsat marks an important development in the growth of broadcast services provided by Nilesat from 7 degrees West. It brings us new capacity to add to the resource on our own satellites according to a timetable that is well aligned to our expansion programme”, said Amin Bassyouni, CEO of Nilesat. “The arrival of Eutelsat’s HOT BIRD™ 4 satellite at this neighbourhood presents us with an excellent opportunity for growth in a dynamic broadcasting market in a way that is both cost-effective and efficient and it is a good opportunity to assure the spirit of cooperation.”

For Giuliano Berretta, Eutelsat CEO, “One of Eutelsat’s longstanding strategic objectives is to support the development of key video neighbourhoods for the Middle East and the Gulf states. We are delighted that HOT BIRD™ 4 redeployed to 7 degrees West can provide the right fit to the frequencies used by Nilesat 101 and 102 and that this will enable Nilesat to grow its offer to TV viewers in the region. This first agreement marks a key stage in developing strong and lasting relationships between our two companies which will benefit the broadcasting market throughout the region.”