Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I), the world’s leading provider of satellite services, announced today at Satellite 2014 in Washington D.C. that it has entered into a new agreement with Airbus Defense & Space, the world’s second largest space company, bridging maritime VSAT services to Intelsat’s High Throughput Satellite (HTS) EpicNG platform.
The new agreement will provide global high throughput satcom services with secure access to Intelsat’s global Ku-band satellite capacity and terrestrially managed network, IntelsatOneSM. As of March 2014, Airbus Defense and Space will extend the usage of these new high performance solutions in its services portfolio which is upgradable to the new Intelsat EpicNG platform.
This agreement is part of Airbus Defense and Space’s newly launched AuroraGlobal, a suite of new high throughput satcom services. AuroraGlobal further enriches Airbus Defense and Space’s multi-band global network and is available to customers now, bringing them one step closer to next generation satcom.
For Airbus Defense and Space’s maritime customers, Intelsat EpicNG brings the potential for new services that enable throughput in the range of 25-60 Gbps – around 10 times that of traditional satellites. Each Intelsat EpicNG spot beam can support Airbus Defense and Space maritime users with 1m antennas featuring downlink speeds of up to 290Mbps and uplink speeds of up to 225Mbps.
Intelsat’s open-architecture, flexible and backward compatible EpicNG platform, which works seamlessly with the existing Ku-band wide beam fleet, enables customers to achieve higher speeds without having to replace existing onboard hardware. When the Intelsat EpicNG platform becomes available, shipping companies will be able to easily upgrade to Intelsat’s HTS technology.
Under the new agreement, Airbus Defense and Space will grow its current and future
requirements for maritime Ku-band VSAT services with Intelsat. This powerful combination of traditional and HTS satellite capability, fully integrated into Airbus Defense and Space’s connectivity agnostic network, will allow shipping companies to benefit from unparalleled service throughput and service flexibility, whether transiting the busiest shipping routes or exploring the most remote ocean regions.
“Our Intelsat agreement is an important part of our new AuroraGlobal offering, which provides the best value next generation satcom-enabled solutions using our global multi-band network. This will allow Airbus Defense and Space to deliver the future to its customers starting now,” said Evert Dudok, Head of Communications, Intelligence & Security at Airbus Defense and Space.
“As a leader in value-added connectivity solutions for the global commercial shipping markets, Airbus Defense and Space will be able to grow on the most reliable, highest capacity, global maritime broadband network available,” stated David McGlade, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Intelsat. “The combination of our satellite fleet and IntelsatOne network provides Airbus Defense and Space with the optimal combination of space and ground assets to capitalize on the commercial maritime sector’s burgeoning demand for broadband services. Together, we will deliver the next generation of broadband services that enable our customers to have the same levels of availability, quality of service and connectivity regardless of whether their ships are travelling in remote or heavily congested locations.”
Intelsat is scheduled to present at the SATELLITE 2014 Conference. James Collett, Director, Mobility Services Product Management, will present at a panel discussion, entitled, “Maritime Satcom Forum: From Ocean Footprints to the Spotbeam Paradigm: Does the Customer Care?” on Monday, 10 March at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time in Room 209AB. Mr. Collett will address the range of commercial maritime broadband requirements and how satellite service providers are working with customers to meet their broadband demands.
Jay Yass, Vice President, Global Accounts and Strategic Sales, will present at a panel discussion, entitled, “MSUA-11: Maritime Broadband: Competing for Customers” on Tuesday, 11 March at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time in Room 207B. Mr. Yass will address the importance of an open architecture platform and service flexibility in helping maritime operators meet their long-term business demands.
Resources:
Intelsat’s Mobility Broadband Services for the Maritime Sector: http://www.intelsat.com/applications/mobility/maritime/
Intelsat’s Terrestrial Network, IntelsatOne Brochure: http://www.intelsat.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/IntelsatONE.pdf
About Intelsat
Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I) is the world’s leading provider of satellite services, delivering high performance connectivity solutions for media, fixed and mobile broadband infrastructure, enterprise and government and military applications for 50 years. Intelsat’s satellite, teleport and fiber infrastructure is unmatched in the industry, setting the standard for transmissions of video and broadband services. From the globalization of content and the proliferation of HD, to the expansion of cellular networks and mobile broadband access, with Intelsat, envision your future network, connect using our leading satellite technology and transform your opportunities. Envision…Connect…Transform…with Intelsat, celebrating 50 years of space leadership in 2014. For more information, visit www.intelsat.com.
Intelsat Safe Harbor Statement: Some of the statements in this news release constitute “forward-looking statements” that do not directly or exclusively relate to historical facts. The forward-looking statements made in this release reflect Intelsat’s intentions, plans, expectations, assumptions and beliefs about future events and are subject to risks, including known and unknown risks. Detailed information about some of the known risks is included in Intelsat’s annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2013, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Because actual results could differ materially from Intelsat’s intentions, plans, expectations, assumptions and beliefs about the future, you are urged to view all forward-looking statements contained in this news release with caution. Intelsat does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
