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Intelsat New Dawn on Track for March 30 Launch as Customer Momentum Builds

Dépèche transmise le 30 mars 2011 par Business Wire

Intelsat New Dawn on Track for March 30 Launch as Customer Momentum Builds

LUXEMBOURG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Intelsat S.A., the world’s leading provider of fixed satellite services, today confirmed that the Intelsat New Dawn satellite remains on schedule for launch aboard an Ariane 5 rocket from the Arianespace Launch Complex in Kourou, French Guiana at approximately 9:45 p.m. GMT (23:45 South African).

As Intelsat New Dawn is being prepared for launch, new business on the satellite continues to expand. Intelsat announced that SkyeVine Pty (Ltd.), a joint venture company between Ellies Holdings Limited and Q-KON, plans to use capacity on Intelsat New Dawn to provide affordable broadband Internet services to small businesses, domestic and public service entities.

With Q-KON’s engineering and operations capability, and Ellies’ extensive retail and distribution network, SkyeVine intends to provide Internet Service Providers (ISPs) with a complementing product line that can reach all potential users with little or no establishment cost to the ISP.

Separately, Intelsat announced that it also signed a contract to provide services to the U.S. Department of Defense for 36 MHz transponder services for one-year, with options for an additional four, one-year contracts.

The Intelsat New Dawn satellite is owned by a joint venture between Intelsat and a consortium led by Convergence Partners. The satellite’s 28 C-band and 24 Ku-band 36 MHz transponder units are designed specifically to supply critical communications infrastructure for African customers who have experienced exceptional growth along with the development of the region. The satellite will be stationed at 32.8º East longitude, and will be integrated with Intelsat’s global satellite fleet.

The historic launch can be viewed beginning on March 30 at 5:30 p.m. via live stream on www.intelsatnewdawn.com.

About Intelsat

Intelsat is the leading provider of fixed satellite services worldwide. For over 45 years, Intelsat has been delivering information and entertainment for many of the world’s leading media and network companies, multinational corporations, Internet Service Providers and governmental agencies. Intelsat’s satellite, teleport and fiber infrastructure is unmatched in the industry, setting the standard for transmissions of video, data and voice services. From the globalization of content and the proliferation of HD, to the expansion of cellular networks and broadband access, with Intelsat, advanced communications anywhere in the world are closer, by far.

About Intelsat New Dawn

Initially announced in December 2008, the US$250 million Intelsat New Dawn project is funded approximately 15% with equity and 85% with debt. African institutions are providing approximately 90% of the total financing required for the joint venture and Intelsat will contribute the balance. Nedbank Capital, part of the Nedbank Group (one of South Africa’s largest banking groups) and a leading telecom project financier in South Africa, has arranged the non-recourse debt financing. A consortium of lenders including Nedbank, the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa and the African Development Bank will provide the debt funding. The equity is provided by Intelsat (74.9%) and the Convergence Partners-led group (25.1%), which also includes Altirah Telecoms and the not-for-profit Convergence Partners Foundation.

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 10-K for the year ended 31 December 2010 and Intelsat's other periodic reports 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.

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