OVER 25,000 SATELLITE TECHNICIANS GAIN NSTP CERTIFICATION SBCA’s National Standards and Testing Program Trains Over 30,000

Alexandria, Va., Feb. 25, 2004 – The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association today announced that over 25,000 satellite system installation technicians have attained certification through the National Standards and Testing Program (NSTP) by achieving a minimum of 85 percent on the Level 2 Residential Installation Certification standardized exam. The totals reflect the steady pass rate of 83 percent, with more than 30,000 installers and retailers participating in NSTP since its inception in 2001.

“Through the hard work of the SBCA Education Working Group, supporting member companies, the network of certified trainers and the SBCA staff, this program has significantly contributed to the improvement of installation practices of all participating satellite installers,” said SBCA Education Working Group Chairman and DIRECTV Manager Ray Edwards. “As a group, we will continue to improve this program aimed at providing satellite customers the highest level of quality and professionalism from our installers and technicians,” Edwards continued.

The Education Working Group met in Florida in January for two days to revise and improve the Level 2 Residential Installation Certification course curriculum and will announce the launch of the updated course in the coming months.

NSTP is designed to serve as a self-regulating program that will help the satellite industry retain its edge in customer satisfaction and service. NSTP certifies that installers have passed standardized testing developed by the SBCA and industry leaders. Certification is good for a period of two years and installers must re-certify through SBCA’s re-certification process, which is available on-line, to keep their certification current. SBCA Residential Installation Certification instruction, manuals, and exams are available in English or Spanish. SBCA also offers a two-day instruction and NSTP certification for Level 3 Commercial Installation.

“I’m pleased with the progress that the industry has made in this critical sector. Retailers and installers are a very important component in the equation of customer service and satisfaction and the Retail Council is looking forward to helping SBCA and the industry continue to maintain and improve the National Standards and Testing Program,” said Jim Stephen, chairman of SBCA’s Retail Council and president of INTERTECH Digital, an EchoStar Retailer & Regional Service Provider based in suburban Buffalo, NY.

Satellite retailers and technicians have many opportunities every month to take advantage of the SBCA training which is offered throughout the country by more than 240 SBCA certified trainers.

In addition to DIRECTV and EchoStar, companies agreeing to the NSTP installation standards and participating in the certification program currently include: All Systems Distributing, Apex Digital, Circuit City, CVS Systems, Dow Electronics, INSTALLS inc., JVI, Metron North America, Mid-State Distributing, the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative, O’Rourke Bros., Perfect-10, Pegasus Communications, Saturn Distributing and numerous independent retailers.

Additional information about NSTP is available at www.sbcatest.com or by calling 888.888.8888.

The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association is the national trade organization representing all segments of the satellite industry.  It is committed to expanding the utilization of satellite technology for the broadcast delivery of video, audio, data, music, voice, interactive, and broadband services.  The SBCA is composed of DBS, C-band, broadband, satellite radio, and other satellite service providers, content providers, equipment manufacturers, distributors, retailers, encryption vendors, and national and regional distribution companies that make up the satellite services industry. SBCA oversees the industry’s National Standards and Testing Program (NSTP), a self-regulating training and testing curriculum for installation professionals. Additional information can be found at www.sbca.com.