The EUR 49 million project will be funded both by the consortium and by the European Space Agency (ESA), through a contract under its ARTES program, which supports the development of advanced-technologies related to both the satellite and media industries. The contract between SES ASTRA and ESA was signed today at the DTH World Summit for Pay-TV Financing in Paris.

The product, called SATMODE (for: satellite modem), will provide an always-on satellite return path, in Ka Band via ASTRA 1H, between a digital TV set-top-box in a user's home and content providers. The interactivity enabled by the ASTRA return link will greatly enhance future applications such as video-on-demand, messaging, gaming and growing audience interaction in various types of shows.

Commenting on this development, SES ASTRA President and CEO Ferdinand Kayser said "SATMODE will add a new dimension to satellite distribution for our media customers. The television industry is embracing all forms of interactivity and ASTRA's ability to provide satellite-based interactivity on a large scale, and at a low cost, will further encourage the development of additional interactive services.

"We are happy to join forces with a key customer, CANAL SATELLITE, as well as recognized technology leaders, in the development of this unique product. When fully implemented, the SATMODE system will enable simultaneous and real time responses by millions of TV viewers to choices, questions or other types of interactive material presented on screen.

"Since SATMODE is fully integrated into the set-top box and connected to the satellite system, the use of telephone return channel or other terrestrial technologies will no longer be necessary on these set-top boxes."

Upon signature of the contract, ESA's Director of Applications, Claudio Mastracci, commented: "ESA is committed to support developments that support the implementation of commercially viable satcom innovations. The user terminal in particular is one of the most critical factors for success in the consumer market. SATMODE is a prominent example of the special attention that ESA is devoting to user terminals and consumer-friendly applications."

Within the development team, SES-ASTRA will provide overall leadership and day-to-day project management and is the responsible vis-¿-vis ESA for the execution of the work.

CANAL+TECHNOLOGIES and NEWTEC will design, test and integrate a SATMODE test system prior to the end of 2003. NEWTEC will also manufacture the interactive antenna components.

Technical field trials are expected in early 2004, while commercial roll out is planned in late 2004. Thomson will manufacture prototypes and consumer terminals of the fully modem-equipped interactive set-top boxes with chips built by STMicroelectronics.

ESA and SES ASTRA are focusing on a market driven development, reflected by the partners cofinancing the development. Furthermore, SES ASTRA is committed to the emergence of an "open system" which can be freely adopted by broadcasters all over Europe, through the release of the system interface specifications.

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