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GE-4 Satellite Authorized for Ku-band Service in Brazil
May 17, 2000 - Princeton, NJ
GE American Communications, (GE Americom) a GE Capital company, announced today that GE Capital do Brasil has received authorization from ANATEL to offer Ku-band satellite services to, from and within Brazil on GE Americom’s recently launched GE-4 satellite. ANATEL is the Brazilian Government telecommunications regulatory authority.
It is anticipated that customers such as private businesses, IP content distributors and ISPs will take advantage of the satellite’s coverage that includes the entire NAFTA community of nations as well as Brazil and other Mercosur countries. Specifically the satellite’s southern beam provides integrated coverage of the Mercosur bloc (Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina) as well as Chile, Bolivia and Peru. Like their counterparts in other regions, these GE-4 customers will realize the advantages of direct connectivity to the Internet backbone, bypassing the regular congestion of all-terrestrial Internet services.
Javier Drucker, Managing Director, Business Development, GE Capital do Brasil, said "We are delighted to bring the highest-in-the-industry quality services of GE Americom’s GE-4 satellite to this dynamic market, where hundreds of organizations desire high speed, broadband services. Bringing these new high-tech services to Brazil is a great demonstration of the kind of win-win opportunities we try to facilitate which translate into good business for a GE company and provisioning a needed service for our community."
John F. Connelly, Chairman and CEO, GE Americom said "GE-4 was designed specifically to allow customers to connect across the Americas. This is an exciting announcement for Brazilian and other Mercosur customers: enhanced access to broadband services, including the US Internet backbone, from the satellite provider with the world’s best record for quality."
GE-4 became fully operational on January 3, 2000 at 101° W.L.. The satellite meets the distribution needs of VSAT, business television, broadband data, and broadcast and cable customers. GE-4 carries twenty-four 36 MHz 110-watt Ku-band transponders providing U.S., Canadian, Mexican, Caribbean and Central and South America coverage. Each of these Ku-band transponders is individually switchable between North America and South America, fully supporting two-way communication throughout the Americas. GE-4 also has four extended 72 MHz Ku-band transponders that are able to support inter-American communications. In addition, GE-4 has twenty-four 36 MHz 20-watt C-band transponders providing fifty state, Canadian, Mexican and Caribbean coverage.
GE Capital South America , headquartered in Sao Paulo with an office in Buenos Aires , is dedicated to the identification, facilitation and growth of the leasing and financial services portfolio of more than two dozen GE Capital companies throughout South America.
With over twenty-five years' experience, GE American Communications, Inc. is recognized as a pioneer and a leading provider of global satellite communications solutions. On consummation of the recently announced acquisition of Columbia Communications and integration of Columbia's transoceanic satellite capacity into GE Americom's global fleet, GE Americom will be able to provide end-to-end telecommunications solutions to any region in the world. GE Americom currently operates twelve satellites providing services to North America. In addition, GE-1E provides service for European and Middle Eastern markets. With the recent addition of GE-4 to the GE Americom fleet, and through Nahuelsat, an Argentine satellite operator, GE Americom is committed to the delivery of satellite-based communications services throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. And with the launch of GE-1A, scheduled for fourth quarter 2000, GE Americom will be able to deliver services into China, India and the large population centers of Northeast Asia. GE Americom's key customers include ABC Radio Networks, AT&T Alascom, British Telecom, Cidera, Deutsche Welle, Discovery, Disney, Gannett, Gilat, ICG, Merlin, NBC, the New York Times, NHK, PaxNet, PBS, TELE Greenland, TV Europa, TimeWarner/ Turner Broadcasting and Viacom.
GE Americom is a GE Capital business. GE Capital, with assets of over US$345 billion, is a global, diversified financial services company with 28 specialized businesses. A wholly-owned subsidiary of General Electric Company, GE Capital, based in Stamford, CT., provides equipment management, mid-market and specialized financing, specialty insurance and a variety of consumer services, such as car leasing, home mortgages and credit cards, to businesses and individuals around the world. GE is a diversified services, technology and manufacturing company with operations worldwide.
Contact: Monica Morgan
609-987-4143
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