Crystal TV and Eutelsat team on accelerating access to digital channels in Ghana

Accra, Paris, 7 November 2014 — Eutelsat Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) announces it has sealed a ten-year contract with Crystal TV, Ghana's leading commercial broadcaster, for capacity connected to the African service area of the EUTELSAT 16A satellite. The capacity enables Crystal TV to benefit from countrywide coverage of Ghana for its digital platform of pay-TV and free-to-air channels.
Access to EUTELSAT 16A transforms Crystal TV into a nationwide provider of digital broadcast services. The company's current subscription-free premium television content, including its branded channels - Crystal TV Prime, Crystal TV Plus and Crystal TV Xtra - has until now been limited to terrestrial reception in Ghana’s main urban areas, in Accra, the Ashanti Region and parts of the countries Eastern and Central regions.
Crystal TV has selected the high-power Sub-Saharan African footprint of the EUTELSAT 16A satellite to extend access to homes beyond range of terrestrial reception. Channels uplinked by Crystal TV to EUTELSAT 16A are available to DTH homes equipped with a digital decoder and an access card for pay-TV content.
Crystal TV’s Chief, Dr. Crystal-Djirackor, said: “Our partnership with Eutelsat is a major milestone in a new phase of digital broadcasting, embracing technology that goes beyond the varied limitations of signal distribution. This is the moment Ghana and Africa have been waiting for, to challenge ourselves as we embrace the future. It is an opportunity to offer unparalleled access to other broadcasters whose mission is to become global players with the support of Crystal’s technical facilities. With this Eutelsat partnership and other project partners, we believe the stage is set for Ghana and Africa to accelerate with ease the transition from analogue to digital TV.”
Rodney Benn, Eutelsat’s Regional Vice President for Africa, added: “This new relationship with Crystal TV is further evidence of Eutelsat's ambition to leverage its experience and assets to support the digitisation of Africa's TV landscape. Satellite technology is once again showing how it completes and complements terrestrial infrastructure and is playing a key role in a fundamental shift to digital that brings viewers the benefits of choice and quality. We look forward to sharing our experience of pay-TV and free-to-air platforms with Crystal TV and to further consolidating our 16° East neighbourhood as a major pole in Africa.”

Meet Eutelsat at DISCOP from 5-7 November.
Stand n° 08/09, Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg
About Crystal TV
Crystal TV, Ghana's first private television station, runs enriched Free-to-Air multiple channels to its viewers across the territory of Ghana. Entering its 19th year of broadcasting in Ghana, Crystal Television Network, with its cutting-edge, state of the art studios and networking center in Accra, including base stations in Kumasi, Takoradi, Tamale, Koforidua, Ho and newly-built substations across the nation of Ghana, possesses the expertise and the industry knowledge needed to provide the ultimate attraction for television viewing in sub-saharan Africa. Today, Crystal TV offers a unique digital terrestrial platform and satellite uplink facilities to reach out to a wider audience and television viewers across the continent of Africa through its newly launched DVB-T2 (Terrestrial) and DVB-S2 (Satellite) Pay TV and FTA platform, branded- the MEGACHOICE DIGITAL.
www.crystaltvghana.com
www.megachoicedigital.com
Email: info@crystaltvghana.com; info@megachoicedigital.com ; crystaltvofficial2002@yahoo.com
About Eutelsat Communications
Established in 1977, Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is one of the world's leading and most experienced operators of communications satellites. The company provides capacity on 35 satellites to clients that include broadcasters and broadcasting associations, pay-TV operators, video, data and Internet service providers, enterprises and government agencies. Eutelsat’s satellites provide ubiquitous coverage of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Americas, enabling video, data, broadband and government communications to be established irrespective of a user’s location. Headquartered in Paris, with offices and teleports around the globe, Eutelsat represents a workforce of 1,000 men and women from 32 countries who are experts in their fields and work with clients to deliver the highest quality of service.
For more about Eutelsat please visit www.eutelsat.com

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