The ESM venture set up by Intel Corp and Luxembourg-based Societe Europeene des Satellites (SES) to deliver multimedia content directly to personal computers via satellite is due to announce prices for the service in September. The service will be launched to professional users in the autumn. In addition, ESM plans to open a second orbital position of 28.2 degrees by the end of the year solely dedicated to the UK market. ESM will continue testing the system with unnamed users until the first week in September. The content delivery service is expected to be used by businesses for applications such as database updates and for one time delivery of data to multiple users. Ultimately ESM plans to offer interactive services using the interactive ka band satellite frequency that the Astra 1H satellite will offer when it is launched late next year. In the meantime, users will have to use ordinary telephone lines and ISDN as a back channel for the service. To receive the multimedia content via satellite, users need a personal computer fitted with a Digital Video Broadcast compliant board that is connected to a satellite dish and antenna enabling data to be downloaded to the machine at rates of 6Mb and higher. The hardware investment is currently $500 for the PC board and dish at the user end. Hughes Network Systems, Deutsche Telekom and P&T Luxembourg are also partners in the ESM group, which was established in March of this year.
