RCS & RDS Contracts Intelsat Capacity at 1º West for Its Expansion

PEMBROKE, Bermuda — Intelsat, Ltd., the world’s leading provider of commercial satellite services, announced that Romania Cable Systems and Romania Data Systems S.A. (RCS & RDS), a leading direct-to-home (DTH) video content provider in Eastern Europe, signed a multi-year, multi-transponder expansion contract for capacity at 1º West. The additional capacity will be used to offer a larger DTH bouquet for RCS & RDS’ DigiTV service and also introduce new sports channels for its Romanian audience.

RCS & RDS launched its service at the 1º West neighborhood in 2004 and has become a fast-growing video provider in Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia and Croatia. RCS & RDS offers more than 130 channels of primarily European and North American programming.

The 1º West Neighborhood

The 1º West neighborhood, one of the fastest growing platforms for video distribution in the region, serves nearly 5 million DTH households and more than 10 million cable homes throughout Central and Eastern Europe and the Nordic region. The 1º West neighborhood is served by Intelsat’s IS-10-02 satellite, along with Telenor Satellite Broadcasting’s THOR satellites. Intelsat expects to expand its capacity serving the region through ownership of 10 transponders on THOR 6, which is scheduled for launch in 2009.

“We continue to expand our content offering within Eastern Europe through what we believe to be the strongest neighborhood, 1º West,” said Alexandru Oprea, President and CEO of RCS & RDS. “With our long-term Intelsat agreement, we will be able to introduce more programming at a quicker rate, like we are in Romania with our new sports channels. Now, Romanian soccer fans will have access to all the games of the country’s first national league.”

“1º West quickly has become a leading video neighborhood for Eastern Europe, one of the industry’s fastest growing markets,” said Mike DeMarco, Intelsat’s Vice President, Video Services. “The 1º West neighborhood delivers more than 400 of the leading names in regional and international programming and offers premium coverage of the region, making it a premier choice for video content providers seeking access to Eastern European subscribers.”

Intelsat will be exhibiting in Hall 1, Stand C71 at IBC 2008, the international tradeshow for professionals involved in the creation, management and delivery of content for the broadcasting industry, which is being held at the RAI Centre in Amsterdam on 12-16 September.