NAGRA DTT SOLUTION LAUNCHES IN TANZANIA WITH BTL

Cheseaux, Switzerland – May 29th, 2013 – NAGRA, the digital TV division of the Kudelski Group (SIX:KUD.S) and the world’s leading independent provider of content protection and multiscreen television solutions, announced today that its MediaAccess smartcard solution for digital terrestrial television (DTT) has launched in Tanzania with digital broadcast service provider Basics Transmissions Limited (BTL).

With over 60% DTT market share, the launch further strengthens NAGRA’s worldwide leadership position in the DTT market adding to numerous deployments in Europe, Mexico and Indonesia. It follows Tanzania’s recent analog-to-digital switch and provides residents with free access to digital terrestrial channels using a digital receiver with a NAGRA smartcard-based conditional access system providing a solid foundation for future value-added services.

The successful and timely launch is the result of a fruitful partnership between NAGRA and South African companies like African Union Communications and DiViTech.

“We are excited to launch our new DTT platform with NAGRA who has been a key and trusted partner in this endeavor,” said John Hayghaimo, Chief Executive Officer, BTL. “Thanks to their expertise and flexible and robust solution we are able to provide Tanzanians with access to high-quality digital programming and value-added services that will revolutionize television viewing in this country by opening up new ways for viewers to enjoy television and all that the move to digital has to offer.”

“Tanzania is at the forefront of the move to digital TV in East Africa, and BTL is making its mark as one of the country’s leading DTT platforms,” said Thierry Legrand, SVP Sales Southern Europe, Middle East and Africa, NAGRA. “We are proud to be a part of it with our partners – together we are able to offer a plug-and-play, cost-efficient, scalable and flexible solution that will allow the service to grow and experiment with new business models, while providing exceptional viewing possibilities for customers.”

“NAGRA has been a longstanding and reliable partner of ours in Africa and we are delighted to support this launch with them,” said Villiers Joubert, Chief Executive Officer, Africa Union Communications. “The digital opportunity has so much to offer to Tanzania and other African countries, and we’ve only started to scratch the surface. It will change the ways people watch and enjoy television.”

“The migration to digital in Africa requires solutions that are not only robust and reliable, but affordable, easy to use and energy-efficient,” said Bertus Bresler, Chief Operating Officer, DiViTech. “Our MPEG4 DVB-T2 set-top box with its local technology designed in Africa for Africa was designed with all these requirements in mind and is the perfect fit for BTL’s DTT initiative.”

NAGRA’s MediaAccess smartcard solution for DTT is built on a fully integrated framework designed to enable the next generation of advanced services for countries like Tanzania that are making the move to digital. Its unique adaptability and scalability allow service providers to make the most of the analog-to-digital switchover while maximizing ease of use and monetization opportunities and offering viewers a rich and compelling viewing experience.

BTL is one of three licensed Multiplex operators in Tanzania. It started DTT operations in February 2013 in Dar es Salaam using DVB-T2 format and will shortly expand its services to three other cities. BTL’s mission is to be the leading Multiplex operator in Tanzania, with a nation wide coverage, offering variety of value-added services, with high quality signal, at reasonable rates. BTL is co-owned by IPP Limited, NGA Novum AB and the Sahara Media Group Ltd.