SES Astra announced that SES Global Africa has extended its services in Africa throughout 2005. By the end of the year year, eight out of 41 commercially available transponders into the African continent have contributed to 2005 group revenues, bringing the utilization to 20 percent by year end.

SES operations in Africa comprise 33 transponders utilizing the African beam of the Astra 4A satellite at the orbital position 37.5 degrees West as well as eight steerable Ku- band transponders on the Astra 2B satellite at the orbital position 28.2 degrees East.