[Satellite TODAY 09-26-11] The Slovak national transmission company Towercom will start using a fifth transponder Oct. 1 under a contract it signed for capacity on a SES Astra satellite, Towercom announced Sept. 23.

   The Astra satellite at 23.5 degrees East will now provide Towercom with about 238 MB of total satellite capacity. Towercom said the expanded capacity would allow the company to expand its presence as a provider of uplink services and satellite capacity in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

   Towercom provides satellite broadcasting to more than 1.5 million households in the two countries.