Luxembourg and El Segundo, Calif., 8 September 2011
Intelsat S.A., the worlds leading provider of satellite services, today announced an agreement with DIRECTV Latin America (DTVLA), an operating unit of DIRECTV, to provide Ku-band capacity for DTH services in Latin America.
Intelsat will provide services on two new hybrid C- and Ku-band satellites, Intelsat 30 and Intelsat 31, each containing 82 transponders. DTVLA will use the Ku-band payloads to expand its current DTH entertainment offerings and provide backup and restoration services.
The two satellites are scheduled for launch in 2014 and 2015, respectively, and will be co-located with Intelsats Galaxy 3C satellite at 95W. DTVLA has provided service via Galaxy 3C since the satellite was launched in 2002. DTVLA plans to utilize the satellites for their entire 15-year lifetime.
This agreement positions our Pan Americana platform for future growth, while also providing full redundancy. It reflects our continued optimism about the region, said Bruce Churchill, President and CEO of DTVLA. Intelsat and DIRECTV Latin America strategically designed a Ku-band payload to optimize the available frequencies to maximize our channel capacity in Spanish-speaking South America by using both local and pan-regional beams.
Were thrilled that DIRECTV Latin America continues to show confidence in the high-quality services that Intelsat provides through this long-term agreement, said David McGlade, CEO of Intelsat. This effort will allow DIRECTV Latin America to offer enhanced services to all of its Latin American customers, along with restoration services to guarantee uninterrupted delivery.
