SES Astra now has a 100 percent shareholding in ND SatCom. It has acquired a 74.9 percent share in the company from the German-based high-tech group August Technologie. SES Astra spent 35.6 million euros ($45.8 million) to become the sole owner of ND Satcom. The move should boost SES’s position to provide solutions in the government market.

ND Satcom provides satellite-based broadband network solutions for government customers, broadcasters and enterprises. The company is based in Friedrichshafen, Germany, and has major regional centers in Abu Dhabi, Beijing and Dallas and conducts business in more than 130 countries. In 2005, it generated revenues of 80 million euros ($102.8 million), with approximately 70 percent derived from the government sector.