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GE Americom Announces New Digital Service for Cable Program
CHICAGO, IL, June 16, 1999
Princeton, NJ-based GE American Communications (GE Americom) announced DigitalC, a new satellite service to facilitate the distribution of rapidly multiplying compressed, digital cable programming services. Available immediately on GE-1, the customized C-band service further enhances GE Americom's Cable2 neighborhood.
All DigitalC offerings include full restoration protection and the choice of either an SCPC (single channel per carrier) and MCPC (multiple channels per carrier) format, with or without digital encoding and compression, local transport, and uplinking. DigitalC services will also be available on the C-band transponders of GE-4 when it is launched later this year. The C-band payloads of the two satellites located at 101 and 103 degrees West comprise Cable2, GE Americom's newest and fastest growing cable neighborhood with 41 million cable households. Dozens of cable services already reside in the neighborhood including several Fox Sports Net services, Telemundo and PAX TV.
Carl Capista, GE Americom's Vice President Satellite Services - North America, describes the new offering "An end-to-end solution that is fully protected and tailored to the cable programmer's distribution requirements, whether it's a single channel or a multiplexed combination, is in synch with the industry's need to maximize their distribution options." He continued "We designed great flexibility into DigitalC services in response to our customers' critical to quality (CTQ) requirements."
The GE-4 satellite, scheduled to be launched and operational by year-end 1999, will replace Spacenet 4 at 101° W.L. In addition to expanding the capacity of the Cable2 neighborhood, GE-4 high-powered Ku-band payload is expected to meet the satellite delivery needs of customers with VSAT, business television and broadband data distribution requirements. The twenty-four 36 MHz Ku-band transponders with 110 watts of power provide fifty-state, Canadian, Mexican, Caribbean and Central American coverage. Each Ku-band transponder is also individually switchable between North and South America.
With over twenty years' experience, GE American Communications, Inc. is recognized as a pioneer and a leading provider of global satellite communications solutions. These solutions primarily provide the distribution of broadcast and cable television programming and digital/Broadband Data Services over satellite. GE Americom currently operates twelve satellites providing satellite-based solutions to North America. In Europe, GE-1E provides high-powered Ku-band service for European and Middle Eastern television markets. With the launch of GE-4 and as an owner of Argentine satellite operator NahuelSAt, GE Americom is committed to the delivery of satellite-based communications services throughout South and Latin America. And with the launch of its first Asian satellite, GE-1A, GE Americom's satellite interests will reach more than 90% of the world's population. Some of GE Americom's key international customers include Viacom, Time Warner/Turner Broadcasting, Discovery, NBC, NHK, Disney, Deutsche Welle and Merlin.
GE Capital, with assets of more than US$300 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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