Intelsat Finalizes
Satellite and Launch Vehicle Contracts for U.S.
C-band Spectrum Transition
Intelsat has finalized all
of its required contracts with satellite
manufacturers and launch-vehicle providers to
move forward and meet the accelerated C-band
spectrum clearing timelines established by the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) earlier
this year.
The company has entered
into a formal agreement with U.S.-based Maxar
Technologies to build the final satellite
required to support its C-band transition and
maintain the FCC’s post-transition, “same or
better” quality-of-service standard. Earlier
this summer, Intelsat announced manufacturing
contracts with Maxar and U.S.-based Northrop
Grumman for six satellites.
Intelsat has contracted
with SpaceX and Arianespace to launch these
satellites on four separate launch vehicles,
beginning in 2022. The diversity of
manufacturers and launch-vehicle providers will
lower transition program costs and help Intelsat
mitigate potential launch-delay risks that could
prevent the company from meeting the FCC’s
accelerated clearing deadlines.
“We have made exceptional
progress to date in executing our transition
plan,” said Intelsat Chief Services Officer Mike
DeMarco. “We’re moving forward at an accelerated
pace to clear portions of the C-band spectrum
and help cement America’s leadership in 5G.”
“We’re committed to
maintaining this momentum, and we look forward
to collaborating with our longstanding partners,
Maxar, Northrop Grumman, SpaceX and Arianespace,
on these important contracts to ensure we can
continue to provide the high-quality,
uninterrupted television, radio and data
services that more than 100 million American
homes and businesses have come to rely upon,”
continued DeMarco.
On August 14, Intelsat
filed its final C-band spectrum transition plan
with the FCC. The comprehensive plan details the
steps required for Intelsat to reconfigure its
satellite and terrestrial infrastructure to
enable 5G deployment in C-band. Intelsat will
relocate its existing customer services to the
upper part of the C-band to make way for 5G
services in the lower portion of the band.
Intelsat was launched with
President John F. Kennedy’s signing of the U.S.
Satellite Communications Act into law in 1962.
With administrative headquarters in McLean,
Virginia, 24/7 satellite operations centers in
California and Virginia, a 24/7 network
operations center in Georgia, and staffed
teleport locations in California, Colorado,
Georgia, Hawaii, and Maryland, Intelsat employs
more than 1,000 Americans across 11 states. More
than 100 million U.S. households rely on
Intelsat for their TV service, and Intelsat is
the largest provider of satellite communications
services to the U.S. military. Intelsat helps
U.S. mobile operators of any size expand 4G and
5G broadband coverage to rural America.