SES AMERICOM reportedly says that the new Ku-band capacity at 125 degrees West Longitude is being used by a total of 16 transponders that the company has under contract, and that the situation developed within the first month of AMC-21 becoming commercially available.

 

The AMC-21 offers broadcast television, enterprise, government and mobile broadband services. It also provides coverage of North America. With 36 MHz of bandwidth and a design life of 15 years, 24 Ku-band transponders are fitted in the satellite. AMC-21 has initiated Ku-band service at 125 degrees West and weighs about 2,500 kilograms at launch. It has an electrical power of 6 kW. AMC-21 was built by Thales Alenia Space and Orbital Sciences (News - Alert).

 

Rob Bednarek, President and CEO of the recently announced division called SES AMERICOM (News - Alert)-NEW SKIES, said the company’s growth on AMC-21 has exceeded 2008 expectations for this new orbital location, shown at right.

 

“It is apparent the footprint and power of the satellite is very attractive in a market with limited Ku-band capacity,” Bednarek said. “We look forward to continued growth in 2009 on AMC-21 across all of our operating segments.”

 

Officials at SES say that AMC-21’s coverage is in demand in the media, enterprise and government sectors. It is currently providing service to customers such as PBS, U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps (through Arrowhead), U.S. Northern Command (through ARTEL (News - Alert)) and maritime broadband users. Also, the U.S. election has provided an ideal platform to showcase its efficiency as its occasional use capacity is fully booked to support major networks, according to SES.

 

Clients of SES AMERICOM are located in various sectors such as broadcasters, cable programmers, aeronautical and maritime communications integrators, internet service providers, mobile communications networks, government agencies, educational institutions, carriers and secure global data networks with efficient communications and content distribution solutions.