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Intelsat Reports Antenna Reflector Deployment Delay with Intelsat New Dawn Satellite

Dépèche transmise le 3 mai 2011 par Business Wire

Intelsat Reports Antenna Reflector Deployment Delay with Intelsat New Dawn Satellite

LUXEMBOURG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Intelsat S.A., the world’s leading provider of fixed satellite services, today reported a delay in deploying the west antenna reflector on the Intelsat New Dawn satellite, launched on 22 April 2011. The satellite’s solar arrays have been successfully deployed and the satellite has power and otherwise nominal performance.

Orbital Sciences Corporation (“OSC”), the satellite’s manufacturer, is responsible for the orbit raising activities of Intelsat New Dawn. OSC indicated to Intelsat that it has executed the procedure to release the west antenna reflector and that telemetry confirms successful release of the reflector. However, other satellite data indicates that the west reflector is not deployed. Intelsat and OSC are investigating this issue and assessing possible corrective actions. A satellite’s antenna reflectors are an essential element of the communications payload; the west reflector controls communication in the C-band frequency.

Deployment of the east Ku-band antenna reflector has been delayed pending resolution of the current situation.

The Intelsat New Dawn satellite is owned by a joint venture between a consortium led by Convergence Partners of South Africa and Intelsat. Intelsat New Dawn is to replace Intelsat’s Galaxy 11 satellite at 32.8º East. Galaxy 11 has an estimated useful life through April 2015. Intelsat New Dawn is insured for its launch and in-orbit operations.

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, registration statement on Form S-1, 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.