SES coverage reaches 2 million Ghanaian homes

SES, a world-leading satellite operator, says the results of its Satellite Monitor study in Ghana, has shown an increase in its technical reach to two million television homes.

This signifies an increase of more than 18 per cent TV homes in Ghana compared to 2014, bringing SES’s overall household reach in Ghana to more than 35 per cent of all TV homes.

The study, which was carried out during October and November 2015, covers 3,145 households throughout the country.

It shows that 38 per cent of households were hooked onto satellite TV, of which 91 per cent receive their channels via SES satellites.

The study is the first of its kind to be carried out by a satellite operator in markets where digitalisation is a key focus and a national priority.

The Satellite Monitor, an annual market research study commissioned by SES and carried out by various independent institutes, has been conducted for more than 20 years in Europe and has now been successfully replicated in Ghana.

The SES Satellite Monitor findings illustrate the important role that satellite plays in the Ghanaian TV market.

Additionally, the study provides credible statistics for the market and could be used by other industry players to further understand the broadcasting industry landscape.

Mr Eric Lecocq, General Manager of North, West and Central Africa at SES, said: “We view our presence in Ghana as an investment in the national broadcast landscape through supporting local businesses in their efforts to contribute to the digital switchover process.”

“The research results show that the African market is full of opportunities, and we will continue to develop our services to support TV operators and help them grow and reach new audiences. Furthermore, the research has a huge impact on countries such as Ghana, where digitisation is a major focus,” he added.

Mr Ricardo Topham, Senior Market and Business Analyst at SES who presented the findings of the study said satellite grows and remains the central pillar of digital broadcasting infrastructure.

He said the study findings would go a long way to boost their marketing strategy in Ghana.

He announced that a similar study has been carried out in Nigeria, which would be launched in June.

Mr Theodore Asampong, the Sales Director, SES Services Africa, said copies of the study report would be made available to policy makers such as the Ministry of Communications and the National Communications Authority for their perusal.

Mr Andy Addison, the Marketing, SES Services Africa, said the company has trained a lot of satellite disc installers in Ghana to enable them provide quality services to clients.

SES is a world-leading satellite operator with a fleet of more than 50 geostationary satellites.

The company provides satellite communications services to broadcasters, content and internet service providers, mobile and fixed network operators and business and governmental organisations worldwide.

SES stands for long-lasting business relationships, high-quality service and excellence in the satellite industry.

The culturally diverse regional teams of SES are located around the globe and work closely with customers to meet their specific satellite bandwidth and service requirements.

SES holds a participation in O3b Networks, a next generation satellite network combining the reach of satellite with the speed of fibre.