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GE Americom Announces Joint Agreement with AT&T Alascom for GE-8/Aurora III Satellite
PRINCETON, NJ, May 25, 1999
GE Americom Communications, (GE Americom) announced today that it has entered into an agreement with AT&T Alascom to jointly own the GE-8 satellite, also to be known as Aurora III. GE-8 is to be launched and operational by early 2001. Under the agreement AT&T Alascom has purchased a large portion of the GE-8 C-band communications payload to carry its interstate and intrastate telephony, voice and digital services for customers throughout the state of Alaska. GE Americom will provide satellite Tracking, Telemetry & Control (TT&C) and protection services within its fleet.
Said Carl Capista, GE Americom Vice President Satellite Services - North America, "The signing of this agreement is a result of a seventeen-year business relationship based on reliable service, quality and trust. for more then seventeen years. We are extremely pleased that the new agreement will allow the two companies to continue serving AT&T Alascom's valued customers well into the new millennium with the same quality service they have grown to expect." A long term relationship between Americom and AT&T Alascom began in 1982 on the Aurora I and II satellites.
Capista added, "The higher power and increased redundancies of GE-8 that make it so well suited for Alascom's menu of telecommunication services also make the satellite very attractive to radio broadcasters and cable programmers."
"AT&T Alascom is pleased to extend its relationship with GE Americom," said Tom Posey, AT&T Alascom president. "From our perspective, the greater capacity of the new satellite will enable us to carry more traffic and provide even better service to rural Alaska in particular."
AT&T Alascom, headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AT&T. Chartered as a communications company in Alaska, AT&T Alascom provides a wide range of residential and business communications services including both interstate and intrastate long distance telephone service, Internet services, local phone service to the Anchorage area, and wireless communications. As part of its comprehensive program to upgrade Alaska's communication infrastructure, AT&T Alascom manages the largest satellite operation in Alaska and has installed more than 220 satellite earth stations throughout the state.
GE-8/Aurora III is an all C-band satellite to be manufactured by Lockheed Martin and is an A2100 spacecraft design. The satellite will be launched by Arianespace into the 139° W.L. orbital position where it will provide coverage of all 50 states and the Caribbean. Becoming operational in early 2001, GE-8 will replace GE Americom's C-5 satellite now located in the same orbital position. The satellite features 24 transponders with 20 watt SSPAs and 16-for-12 redundancy. With the Alascom agreement completed, GE Americom plans to market the remaining transponders to radio programmers and cable television programmers to meet their regional or national distribution requirements.
A GE Capital company with over 20 years of experience, GE Americom 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. As one of the world's largest satellite operators, GE Americom currently operates twelve satellites providing satellite-based solutions to North America. In Europe, its GE-1E satellite provides high-powered Ku-band service to European and Middle Eastern television markets. With the launch of GE-4 later this year and as the largest shareholder of Argentine satellite operator NahuelSAt, GE Americom is expanding its delivery of satellite-based communication services throughout South and Latin America. And with the planned launch of GE-1A over Asia, 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 over 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 manufacturing, technology and services company with operations worldwide.
Contact: Monica Morgan
609-987-4143
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