Change Is Afoot For Intelsat’s Easterly Slotted Sats + Infrastructure

Intelsat, Ltd. has provided further details with respect to its current fleet investment plan, which is expected to result in a significant improvement in the types and quantities of satellite capacity available to media, networking, and government customers in the Asia-Pacific region.


Intelsat expects to launch 11 satellites between now and the close of 2012, five of which will provide new or replacement capacity in the Asia-Pacific region. The Asia-Pacific build includes the acceleration of replacement satellites for two core roles and one new satellite that increases capacity for media and networking customers and addresses defense-related opportunities in the region.

• The Intelsat 17 satellite, to be located at 66 degrees East, will provide higher-performing capacity across Europe, the Middle East, Russia, and Asia, as well as expand Intelsat’s C-band video distribution community in the Indian Ocean region. The Intelsat 17 satellite will replace the Intelsat 702 satellite.
• The Intelsat 18 satellite, to be located at 180 degrees East, will provide continuity and enhanced performance in C- and Ku-band for network, voice and video services to the Pacific Islands and offer connectivity to the Western United States. The Intelsat 18 satellite will replace the Intelsat 701 satellite.
• The Intelsat 19 satellite, to be located at 166 degrees East, will feature increased Ku-band capacity optimized for Direct-to-Home (DTH) and network services applications in Australia. The satellite’s C-band capacity will provide enhanced performance capacity for distribution of international video content throughout Asia-Pacific with reach to the Western United States. The Ku-band payload will also support demand for mobility and enterprise network applications across the region. The Intelsat 19 satellite will replace the Intelsat 8 satellite.
• The Intelsat 20 satellite will replace the Intelsat 10 and Intelsat 7 satellites, which are co-located at 68.5 degrees East today, one of the most successful cable distribution neighborhoods serving the Asia-Pacific region. This satellite will provide regional and international programmers with ideal C-band penetration of the South Asian cable communities. The Intelsat 20 satellite also will carry a Ku-band payload, which will provide services into Asia, Africa and the Middle East for enterprise networks and DTH services.
• Intelsat intends to increase its C- and Ku-band capacity in the region with the launch of the Intelsat 22 satellite, to be located at 72 degrees East, addressing the growing opportunities for enterprise networks, mobility and defense-related applications. In April, Intelsat announced that the Australian Defence Force agreed to purchase a specialized UHF communications payload aboard the Intelsat 22 satellite to provide communications for its military.

In addition to the fleet program, Intelsat continues to invest in its ground network infrastructure, expanding customer access to Intelsat’s Asia-Pacific assets. An upgrade at Intelsat’s Paumalu Teleport in Hawaii improved fiber diversity and upgraded antenna facilities to expand accessibility and redundancy on Intelsat’s Pacific Ocean satellites, enhancing services for media customers. Intelsat also expanded its GlobalConnex Network Broadband Managed services, adding hubs at KT Corporation’s teleport facilities in South Korea.

Intelsat will be exhibiting at CommunicAsia 2009 in Hall 6, Booth 6D2-07. CommunicAsia 2009 is the region’s conference and exhibition focused on current and emerging issues surrounding Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and the digital convergence landscape, and is being held at the Singapore Expo, 16-19 June.