Page 32 - AIB | The Chanel | Issue 1 2013

urrently, SES
delivers 360 TV and
3 HD channels in
Africa, including
more than 100 free‐
to‐air channels. We
have three key
orbital locations: 338oE where we
serve mostly the Francophone
African market and where Canal+
Overseas is our anchor customer; at
28.2oE we have a strong neighbour‐
hood with a growing number of TV
channels; at 5.8 oE we launched our
new satellite SES‐5 last July to
complement and enhance ASTRA
4A. The growth of TV channels
continues, and itʹs a combination of
both pay‐TV and free‐to‐air, and
also a combination of both public
television and private broadcasters.
Where do you see the biggest
growth?
Of course pay‐TV will grow, but
most of the growth will come from
FTA, for some time. The population
C Installers
can be
quickly
trained to
install
dishes for
other
purposes
“
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32 | ISSUE 1 2013 | THE CHANNEL
of Africa is poor although the
continent is rich. We donʹt have a
good distribution of wealth across
the continent. A considerable part
of the population is not even
connected, around 700m people
based on current figures. As part of
the digital migration, countries will
have to provide access to digital TV
in their countries. I was recently in
a small country in West Africa
where there was not enough
coverage to reach out to most of the
countryʹs population. So what we at
SES do is help countries get their
channels on our satellite in order to
achieve full coverage within their
country.
When we look at the African
market as an emerging market and
try to identify the potential key
success factors, we see the growth
of FTA, the capacity to capture that
demand, and the issue of how we
can make it affordable. It is clear
that the growth has to be via
satellite because the terrestrial
network will not only be too
expensive to deploy but is also
going to take too long. Our
partnership with consumer
electronics manufacturer Samsung
to develop DTH broadcasting in
sub‐Saharan Africa offers
interesting possibilities in this
respect. They came up with a TV
that is designed for the challenging
environment in Africa. The
Samsung LED television has an
integrated satellite receiver which
allows consumers to receive FTA
TV channels without the need for
an additional set top box. This
product is initially being
distributed in Nigeria, Ghana, Côte
dʹIvoire, Senegal, DR Congo and
Cameroon, with other countries to
follow.
What about the installation?
We wanted people to have a good
experience when they watch TV via
satellite so SES and Samsung have
jointly been arranging training
HERE FOR THE
LONG TERM
As African countries prepare themeet the 2015 digital transition deadline, satellite company
SES added its expertise to the equation by organising roadshows in 20 countries. Satellite
also plays a key role in delivering broadband and connectivity. In his role as SVP
Commercial, Africa for SES, Ibrahima Guimba-Saidou is relishing the opportunity to build
something tangible and sustainable in Africa. What are the key elements in his strategy?