A SATELLITE systems firm is crossing borders to bring people news from home.

The Perfect Signal, in Ashton-under-Lyne, celebrating its 10th birthday, is used to ex-pats, for example in Spain, wanting to keep in touch with home via satellite TV.

But it has found growing numbers of ethnic groups living in the UK, who want to keep abreast of what is happening in their homeland.

All the channels are free to view - including 10 Dutch, 88 Italian, four Kurdish, 17 Polish, eight Russian, 42 Spanish and five Cantonese.

"It is very useful for people learning languages, but also for those who want to keep in touch with home," says David Knowles who, with his cousin and partner Craig Maden, launched the now thriving business, in one room which was loaned to them.

David said: "A lot of people just don't realise what is available on satellite. They think it is just Sky, but there is a lot more to it than that."

The Perfect Signal has done installations for a lot of Chinese and Asian customers, keen to keep up the links with home, and, recently for a group of Bosnians.

Now they are tapping into the potential growth area for satellite technology, by targeting groups with a particular interest in the language channels.

Two years after setting up the company David and Craig bought a derelict property in Stamford Street and obtained European funding to rescue what was an eyesore in a conservation area.

They now employ five people, turn over around '1m a year and supply satellite systems to customers throughout Europe as well as supplying and installing them all over the UK. Tweet