LUXEMBOURG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Intelsat (NYSE:I), operator of the world's first Globalized Network,
powered by its leading satellite backbone, announced today that Intelsat
33e, the second of the Intelsat EpicNG high throughput
satellites (HTS), successfully completed all in-orbit testing and
entered service on 29 January 2017.
Manufactured by Boeing and launched in August 2016, Intelsat 33e is
equipped with the most advanced digital payload on a commercial
spacecraft. With this exceptionally flexible HTS payload design,
Intelsat 33e, operating from 60° East, will extend Intelsat's HTS
services in C-, Ku- and Ka-band to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia
Pacific, Mediterranean and Indian Ocean regions. This will enable the
delivery of enterprise-grade, broadband services to fixed and mobile
network operators, aeronautical and maritime mobility service providers,
and government customers. Intelsat 33e's powerful spot beams will also
enable the distribution of regionalized content for media customers
operating in the region.
The customers committed to Intelsat 33e and the applications supported
reflect the vast geographic coverage of the satellite:
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Maritime broadband leaders GEE, Speedcast and Marlink
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In-flight entertainment and connectivity leaders Gogo and Panasonic
Avionics
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Pakistani Internet service provider SuperNet Limited
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Telecommunications infrastructure customers Telkom South Africa,
Orange Cameroon, IP Planet, Vodacom, Djibouti Telecom and Africell RDC
SPRL
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Russian network service providers Romantis and RuSat LLC support
enterprise applications
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Media companies TV & Radio Broadcasting (formerly Television and Radio
Broadcasting of Armenia) and MultiChoice of South Africa
In addition to existing customers, Intelsat 33e is attracting new
customers. For example, Africa Mobile Networks (AMN), which delivers
commercial service to previously unconnected rural areas in sub-Saharan
Africa, will use Intelsat EpicNG to help mobile network
operators expand in these areas in a cost-effective manner and deliver
social, economic, educational and other benefits to the population.
"The experience of implementing Intelsat EpicNG and bringing
it to our customers has affirmed our beliefs about the potential of
HTS," said Stephen Spengler, Chief Executive Officer, Intelsat. "We have
a dynamic, open and evolving platform that will increase in capability
over time, providing a technology hedge for our customers that need to
make investments today on which they can build for a decade of growth.
Intelsat is delivering on the promise of HTS, and our design and
strategy will advance our vision of unlocking access to new, larger and
faster growing sectors for Intelsat and our customers."
"Many U.S. government customers are eager to begin using Intelsat 33e,"
said Skot Butler, President, Intelsat General Corporation. "Testing
previously conducted with Intelsat 29e using a small, flat-panel antenna
designed for aeronautical applications confirmed that the Intelsat EpicNG
platform delivers superior performance for unmanned aircraft systems.
The coverage Intelsat 33e provides is ideal to support U.S. Department
of Defense mobility applications and means deployed forces in these
regions will benefit from the same game-changing performance and
efficiency that Intelsat EpicNG already delivers in the
Americas and the North Atlantic."
Intelsat EpicNG services were launched in March 2016 with
Intelsat 29e, which is located at 310° East and offers a footprint
spanning the Americas, the Caribbean, Eastern United States and the
burgeoning North Atlantic region. Three additional Intelsat EpicNG
satellites – Intelsat 32e, Intelsat 35e and Intelsat 37e – are scheduled
for launch in 2017. Intelsat EpicNG's global footprint will
be completed with Horizons 3e, which is to be stationed at 169° East
with a launch planned in the second half of 2018. Horizons 3e will
extend Intelsat EpicNG's coverage to the Pacific Ocean Region
and further expand Intelsat EpicNG's presence in Asia Pacific.
Supporting Resources:
About Intelsat
Intelsat S.A. (NYSE:I) operates the world's first Globalized Network,
delivering high-quality, cost-effective video and broadband services
anywhere in the world. Intelsat's Globalized Network combines the
world's largest satellite backbone with terrestrial infrastructure,
managed services and an open, interoperable architecture to enable
customers to drive revenue and reach through a new generation of network
services. Thousands of organizations serving billions of people
worldwide rely on Intelsat to provide ubiquitous broadband connectivity,
multi-format video broadcasting, secure satellite communications and
seamless mobility services. The end result is an entirely new world, one
that allows us to envision the impossible, connect without boundaries
and transform the ways in which we live. For more information, visit www.intelsat.com.
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