[Satellite Today 12-5-08] SES Astra signed a deal to bring satellite broadband to the Dutch agricultural community, the company announced Dec. 5.
    Under the agreement with LTO Commerce, the sales division of the Dutch Federation of Agriculture and Horticulture, SES Astra will provide its satellite-based two-way broadband service Astra2Connect. The cooperation is supported by the chairman of the Dutch Parliamentary Commission for Agriculture.
Currently, 200,000 to 250,000 households in the Netherlands do not have access to high-speed Internet, mainly in the rural areas of the country. Many of them are agricultural entrepreneurs who depend on fast Internet connections for the success of their businesses. “For the Dutch agriculture industry, broadband Internet is of vital importance,” Joop Atsma, chairman of the Dutch Parliamentary Commission for Agriculture, said in a statement. “I therefore very much welcome Astra2Connect as an excellent, innovative solution for farmers living in rural areas.”